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Konami

Konami, a global video game developer that started as a jukebox renting company

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Konami Digital Entertainment is a top international video game developer that publishes games for mobile devices as well as gaming consoles like the Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4.

Konami
Image Source: asgam.com

Among the top franchises produced by the company include Pro Evolution Soccer, Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, Castlevania, and DanceDanceRevolution. Additionally, Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, which has sold over 25 billion cards globally, is also produced by them.

About the Company

Video game developer and entertainment firm Konami Group Corporation is based in Japan. It not only creates and sells video games but also anime, trading cards, arcade cabinets tokusatsu, pachinko machines, and slot machines. They run health and fitness facilities across Japan and own casinos all over the world. It is the world’s nineteenth-largest( by revenue) game developer.

Kagemasa Kozuki, who is still the company’s chairman, founded the company in 1969 as a jukebox renting and maintenance business in Japan. The three founding members’ names—Kagemasa Kozuki, Yoshinobu Nakama, and Tatsuo Miyasako—were combined to create the name Konami. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It runs its video game division in California and its casinos division from Paradise in Nevada in the United States. The company has 22 consolidated subsidiaries worldwide.

History

Konami was established in 1969, and in 1973, it was formally incorporated under the company name Konami Industry Co. Kagemasa Kozuki, the company’s founder and chairman, had a jukebox renting and maintenance business in Toyonaka, Osaka, before expanding it to become a producer of amusement devices for video arcades.

After releasing the first ever coin-operated video game in 1978, they started distributing products to the US the following year. Scramble, Frogger, Super Cobra, Time Pilot, Roc’n Rope, Track & Field, and Yie Ar Kung-Fu marked the beginning of Konami’s popularity with arcade games during the early 1980s. For US distribution, several of their early games were licensed to firms including Stern Electronics, Sega, and Gremlin Industries. In 1982, they founded Konami of America, Inc., their American subsidiary.

After a brief stint of releasing video games on the Atari 2600 for the American market in 1982, Konami started growing its gaming business into the home consumer sector at this time. In 1983, the business produced a series of games for the MSX home computer system, and in 1985, it did the same for the Nintendo Entertainment System. During this time, Konami established a number of successful franchises on both platforms and in the arcades, including Twin Bee, Gradius, Ganbare Goemon, Castlevania, Metal Gear, and, Contra, in addition to hugely popular licensed titles like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT).

Controversy

In 2015, The Nikkei slammed Konami for its improper treatment of its employees. In 2017, The Nikkei published more information about Konami’s ongoing disputes with Kojima Productions. These conflicts have prevented the studio from obtaining health insurance, and Konami has made it challenging for former employees to find new employment.

In particular, they are not permitted to mention their time spent working for Konami on their resumes. Additionally, Konami began complaining about other game developers who employed former Konami personnel, which led to a well-known large game developer cautioning employees against doing the same.

An ex-Konami employee claimed that if an ex-employee is interviewed by the mainstream press, the corporation will send that individual notice through a legal adviser, in some instances implying that Konami is prepared to take them to court. Another ex-Konami worker claimed the company pressured them into shutting down their new business.

Founder and Chairman – Kagemasa Kōzuki

Konami, a Japanese entertainment corporation, was founded by industrialist Kagemasa Kozuki, who also serves as its chairman. His other name is Kaz Kozuki. In 1969, Kagemasa Kozuki established Konami Industry Co. In 1973, the business started creating amusement equipment for arcades.

nazara technologies

Nitish Mittersain : The Founder of Leading Mobile Games Publishing Company in India, ‘Nazara Technologies’

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The thrill gaming world brings to us, especially to the youngsters, is boundless. To plan a start-up based on gaming technologies brings with it a great potential to flourish in future. But, in a country like India, the major part of the crowd doesn’t support this unorthodoxy. Indian families always oppose the idea of gaming and even being a part of it. So, thinking about a gaming start-up is next to being delusional.

But, breaking all the social norms Nitish Mittersain, a boy from a typical Indian Marwari family, made bigger plans and established his gaming company, Nazara Technologies. Nitish Mittersain is an entrepreneur who founded India’s leading mobile gaming company in 2003. He was always passionate about video games and so decided to build his future around his interest without any hesitation.

Early Life of Mittersain

Since Mittersain belonged to a Marwari family, he was expected to join his father’s textile business after he completed a degree in MBA. But Mittersain as a very young kid was strongly attracted to the world of gaming and coding. His room used to be full of modems, video and computer games of all kind. Thinking that every kid loves to play video games, his father gifted him a ZX Spectrum, but little did he know that this is just the beginning of something incredible and unexpected. Receiving this gift was just like a spark that ignited the passion of gaming in him, and he coded his first game at an age of seven.

Nitish Mittersain
Image Source: glaws.in

During his college life, Mittersain started a bulletin board service which helped him connect to many influential and famous people over the internet. And this is how he got an opportunity to come across the 1960s actor, Shashi Kapoor. Apart from being known as a talented actor, he also showed great interest in technology and the internet. After his cinematic career, Kapoor engrossed himself in spreading of technology, and that’s how both, Mittersain and him, hit a common ground to discuss. Mittersain spoke to Kapoor almost every day, regarding the perfect blend of entertainment and technology. And, Kapoor was the one who inspired him and gave him ideas to start his own business. Getting motivated enough, Mittersain decided to launch his gaming company, Nazara Technologies, when he was still in college.

Beginning of the New Business

Nitish Mittersain founded Nazara Technologies in 2000 in Mumbai. But land swept off from under his feet after an unfortunate incident took place. The first dotcom crash in that very year made him question his decision repeatedly and whether to back off or not. But, he didn’t want to shut down his business as it was the doorway to his dreams. He tried his best to survive the bubble burst and with some clear strategies and a little luck he finally survived the crisis.

Stepping Ahead of Others

Being an entrepreneur with an innovative idea, he was already one step ahead of his competitors. And, in the early 2000s, there weren’t many companies in India that planned to develop gaming technologies. So, using it to Nazara’s advantage, Mittersain’s first strategy was to invest in advertisement and brand campaigning. He knew that once it captures the attention of mass, investors would line up in front of his door. So, in 2004, he approached Sachin Tendulkar, the legendary cricketer of that time, to come on board. After months of requesting and convincing, Tendulkar finally made a deal with Nazara Technologies. This strategy of his stirred the existing competitors away from his way.

Soon, Nazara came into a partnership with Electronic Arts (an American video game company) and brought it to India. Once, the company started taking up a good and faster speed, Mittersain planned to expand the market with stronger and bigger partnerships.

Keeping aside Nitish Mittersain’s passion for games, when he developed the company, his dream was as simple as that to make huge profits. But, he also wanted his company to play fair and square in the market, and it is appreciable that even after 19 long years of sustaining, his company doesn’t have any lawsuit against it.

The success of Nazara Technologies

Today, Nazara is doing business in 61 different countries, with more than 130 million monthly visitors. In 2017, nine in-house games of Nazara were listed among the top three games by download on Google Play Store.

Recently, Nazara has acquired 27.42% minority stake in Crimson Code, which will allow the company to offer real money on winning live quizzes. In 2019, the company acquired a 67% stake in Sportskeeda and now expecting an IPO in early 2020.