is a company Japan ease of development and edition of video games, one of most important of the sector. Its head office is based with Tōkyō. The activities of the company extend to the field from the Jouet, of the Animation like to those of the Fitness, the Santé and the Machines with under. Its Turnover in 2007 was of 1,7 billion euros.

History

The origin of Konami goes back to March 1969, when Kagemasa Kozuki assembles a business of hiring and repair of Jukebox to Ōsaka, with the Japan. The March 19th 1973, the company Konami Industry Co., Ltd is established. The term “Konami” is a conjunction of the name of the four cofounders: Kagemasa KB zuki, Yoshinobu Na kama, Hiro M atsuda, and Shokichi I will shihara.

As of 1973, Konami starts to manufacture terminals of arcade and contributes actively to the generalization of the use of the Microprocesseur. In 1978, the company launches out truly in the development of video games and in 1979, it exports its first play towards the the United States, Block Range. Konami is its first successes with Scramble (1980) , Frogger (1981) or Super Cobra (1981) .

In 1982, Konami inaugurates its American subsidiary company, Konami off America, and in 1984, its European subsidiary companies, in Great Britain with Konami Limited, and Germany with Konami GMBH. Since 1984, Konami is able to ensure the edition of its plays in arcade. Previously, she collaborated with companies like Sega, Centuri or Stern.

From 1982, Konami launches out gradually on the market of the family systems: microcomputers - in particular with MSX and the Sharp X68000 -, and the game consoles with SG-1000, Atari 2600, at least 1 play left but EP a conversion, and then Atari VSC in Japan? --> NEC PC-8801 and then the Nintendo Entertainment System (BORN) . It is then especially about bearing S of its plays of arcade, generally realized carefully. The company is often harnessed with various types of Jeu of action, in a innovating way: Gradius, Green Beret, Yie Ar Kung fu (1985) , Castlevania, Mr. Goemon, Penguin Adventure (1986) , Countered, Metal GEAR (1987) , Parodius, Snatcher (1988) , etc

The success growing of Konami on the market of the consoles coincides primarily with the opening of the BORN. The second console of the market, the Master System of Sega, is completely ignored. To off circumvent the restrictions of Nintendo America which prohibited the developers from leaving more than five plays per annum on their console, the company creates, in 1988, a subsidiary company in the United States, Ultra Software, then another in Europe, Palcom Software Ltd., for the same reasons.

With the fourth generation of consoles, the company remains faithful to Nintendo and its Super Nintendo. The company remains very active on the market of the arcade and develops also titles for the Megadrive of Sega and PC Engine of NEC. Some titles of this time: Super Castlevania IV, The Simpsons, Teenage Transferring Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (1991) , Countered III: The Alien Wars, Teenage Transferring Turtles Ninja: The Hyperstone Heist (1992) , International Superstar Soccer (1994) . With the wire of time, Konami rests on its know-how with the detriment of its creativity. The company enlise little by little in well-worn commercial techniques: overexploitation of licenses, continuations to the doubtful interest. The site GrosPixels note also a change of orientation in the style of its plays, with a total infantilisation of its production: “Made Konami of under-Nintendo”. It is as during this time as employees rebel against a system which does not emphasize them enough. Some resign in 1992 to found the studio Treasure Co. At the end of first half of the years 1990, the standing of the company was degraded with the eyes of impassioned.

In 1995, Konami prepares to face the new generation of machines and the revolution imposed by the 3D. It develops in secrecy its own system 3D intended for the plays of arcade. It inaugurates also new studios of development in Osaka and Tokyo. In April 1997, Konami founds the " Konami Company Computer Entertainment School" , a training center of Programmer S and Developers of video games. Located in Kobe, Ōsaka and Tokyo, it is one of most important kind in the world. This period is marked by the reversal of Konami which takes its distances with Nintendo and turns to the PlayStation of Sony and the Saturn of Sega.

Konami renews its image while leaving on consoles the productions quality which aim at an older public and of which some are regarded as " masterpieces vidéoludiques". She is also important success in arcade with her Jeux of rate/rhythm. Certain titles among most notable: ISS Pro (Winning Eleven, 1995) , Beatmania, GTI Club, Sexy Parodius, Vandal Hearts (1996) , Castlevania: Symphony off the Night (1997) , Dance Dance Revolution, Metal GEAR Solid, Suikoden II (1998) , Silent Hill (1999) . This period also coincides with the emergence of a generation of originators, artists, to see authors, who are recognized by more many people and are venerated by many players: Hideo Kojima, Koji Igarashi, Keiichiro Toyama, Yoji Shinkawa, Akira Yamaoka, Shingo Takatsuka, Masashi Tsuboyama.

In the years 2000, Konami obtains its best financial results of its history and develops its activities. In April 2005, Konami amalgamates its subsidiary companies Konami Computer Entertainment Studio, Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and Konami Computer Entertainment Japan. Hudson Software, the editor of Bomberman, becomes also officially a subsidiary company. The largest business success of this period returns to the series Winning Eleven. Some other titles: Metal GEAR Solid 2: Sounds off Liberty, Silent Hill 2 (2001) , Zone off the Enders: The 2nd Runner (2003) , Gradius V (2004) , Castlevania: Dawn off Sorrow, Metal Solid GEAR: Portable Ops, Suikoden V (2006) .

Poles of activities

Konami Corporation is with dimensions with the Bourse of Tōkyō since 1988, with the Stock Exchange Singapore in 1997, that of London in 1999 and finally that of New York in 2002. March 31st, 2006, Konami Corporation became a Holding.

The activities of the company are divided mainly into three poles:

• Numeric recreation

The branches Konami DIGITAL Entertainment produce video games for the family sytèmes and the rooms of arcade, but also of the Card decks, of the charts to collect, the electronic toys, the plays for telephones portable, the Anime S, of CD, DVDs, and of the books (guide of plays).

• Health and Fitness

Konami Sports & Life manage clubs of fitness and market machines of sporting exercises. Combi Wellness Corporation, repurchased in 2006, manufactures and markets various equipment of sport, health or assistance to the care.

• Play and Système

Since 1996, Konami Australia Pty and Konami Gaming conceive, manufacture, market machines with under and of the management systems for the casino S.

In 2007, the pole “Entertainment” accounts for approximately 60% of the turnover of the company, the pole “Health and Fitness”, approximately 30% and the pole " Gaming & System" , approximately 5%

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