Controversy Clocking Episode 2: The downfall of Konami

Konami, where do I begin? Controversies surrounding the game company have exploded in 2015; bad business, mistreatment of its employees and downright arrogant methods of handling their franchises have all combined to drag their reputation through the mud. The #FucKonami hashtag became quite popular on Twitter as the gaming community voiced their distaste for the company’s decisions, not to mention many prominent YouTubers criticising them left and right. It’s all boiled into Konami exiting the triple A scene, something which they once prided themselves on. Where it all went wrong comes down to many things, but hopefully I’ll be able to paint a clear enough picture.

The first wrong step Konami took lies with their games; nearly all of their franchises went from lacklustre to worse; Silent Hill: Downpour and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 were two major examples of franchises which had fallen far from what they been before. Rather than listen to criticisms and improve for next time, Konami elected to give up on the franchises instead, going as far to cancel the incredibly ambitious Silent Hills earlier this year. While Metal Gear and Pro Evolution Soccer made it through this rough spot, it didn’t help that Konami’s business practices and decisions were beginning to falter; the Silent Hill collection and the Metal Gear Solid HD collection were released in either a poorly optimised state or supply problems and Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes was widely criticised for being too expensive for a simple demo experience. Not only were Konami’s franchises failing, but their new IPs were hurting badly; Neverdead, Blades of Time and Birds of Steel couldn’t achieve the popularity Konami wanted in 2012 and they haven’t worked on a new project since then. Mediocre games and baffling decisions are one thing, but it was only the start of the troubles for Konami.

Konami then went on to do some pretty shameful things for both the gaming media and eventually its own employees. Blacklisting happened all over the place as the corporation attempted to censor their critics and withhold the press from reporting on their games while YouTubers had their videos removed through abuse of copyright systems. Following this spat with the internet at large, reports began to spread that Konami was spying on its own employees with surveillance cameras and assigning those who were uncooperative to cleaning duties. This was where things really started to heat up for Konami and its fans; word of Konami’s awful practices spread around the internet, prompting widespread backlash from the community. As a final show of arrogance, Konami removed Kojima’s name from Metal Gear Solid 5, a very disrespectful move that spat on the one man who has kept their company going for decades. The burning question in all of this is; who is to blame for all that went wrong with Konami? Like many controversies the answer is a vague one, though some believe that Konami’s executives are the blame; that they struck out on personal motives while stepping on everyone beneath them.

The aftermath

Now that Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain has been released alongside the departures of Hideo Kojima and Fox engine director Julien Merceron; Konami’s fate has effectively been sealed and with this the controversy surrounding them has died down a fair bit. Gaming media recently reported that Konami would cease all AAA development for consoles except for Pro Evolution Soccer. That means no more Metal Gear, Castlevania, Silent Hill or Contra; franchises which were once widely beloved and enjoyed by legions of fans all over the world. As for Pro Evolution Soccer, I don’t think it really has much of a chance against FIFA these days. I know many people who purchase FIFA every year and usually that’s down to how it has both the licensed teams and the sheer mainstream popularity that keeps people playing. What will happen to Konami now? While they may have taken the embarrassing steps towards investing in mobile games and gambling machines, it’s hard to tell just how long they’ll last; they could end up going bankrupt in a year or two, never to be heard from again if their current focus doesn’t work out.

Looking back at all the bad moments Konami has had in modern gaming, it’s quite sad to see them go; after such a long career in the industry that stretches all the way back to the eighties, you’d think that all that experience would have kept them above other companies which exploit and disrespect both consumers and their own employees. Is Konami’s demise an indication of how ruthless and unforgiving games development has become? Given the once massive size and reputation of Konami as a company, we should keep a close eye on things in the future.

The Assassin Review (Toronto International Film Festival)

Foreign cinema is a very insightful genre, educating its audience on distant places and cultures; the likes of Bollywood and Hong Kong cinema among other filmmaking companies have exposed people to vastly different stories and characters over the years. After nearly seven years since his last film, director Hou Hsiao-Hsien has returned to the big screen with The Assassin, a masterfully executed effort into the martial arts sub-genre.

Taking place at the end of the Tang Dynasty where provinces were rebelling against the central government, The Assassin follows Yinniang (Shu Qi), an efficient yet conscience driven warrior trained by a nun over many years. Her teacher orders her to kill Lord Tian Ji’an (Chang Chen), the leader of rogue province Weibo who also happens to be a man Yinniang was once betrothed to. Yinniang agrees to carry out this mission, but as things move along and more characters enter the fray, she begins to question her place in the political struggle. The first thing you notice about The Assassin is that it’s a very methodical and character driven movie; if you were expecting something similar to Crouching Tiger: Hidden Dragon or House of Flying Daggers then you’ll have to temper your expectations as that’s not what it’s about. The Assassin is a deep, thoughtful look at the power struggles that plagued China in the 9^th century and the characters caught at their centre; the film is comprised of very slow paced dialogue scenes where details about the characters as well as their culture and time period are gradually revealed. There are a few sprinklings of fight scenes here and there, but for the most part the film lingers on several key locations, mirroring Yinniang’s swift and silent mannerisms. You’ll find yourself highly invested in the story as things go on, pondering over what Yinniang will choose to do and how this will affect the other characters. The one thing that I would have liked to have seen more of was further backstory and exploration of the central government; throughout most of the film, they’re fairly omnipresent, only existing in character conversations and occasionally popping up to make their presence felt. Aside from this minor gripe, both the plot and characters are both well thought out and believable, drawing us in to the story.

The Assassin is an unbelievably stunning film to look at, with authenticity, sweeping cinematography and beautiful scenery all coming together to form a lovely work of art. Keeping in line with the film’s slow pace, the camera will often pan around the environment, showing the audience every last detail of the interior sections of the film. This is matched by the well-choreographed action scenes, which are quick and extravagant for the short time they take place; there’s never a moment where the action is obscured or where the characters blend into the backgrounds. Subtle touches throughout the film add layers upon layers of cultural depth, from the sprinkling of herbs in a bath to the clothes worn by the characters; much like other film in its genre, The Assassin not only gives its audience strong characters but also a detailed look at life and culture of the time period and this makes the film all the more engaging. There is also a near complete lack of background music as well; instead the film makes use of traditional instruments to transfer the audience into the film’s location even more; the beating of a drum in particular is particularly effective at creating a foreboding tension that serves as a consistent reminder that Yinniang is lurking unseen in the shadows. The Assassin’s cinematography is incredibly striking; even if you can’t get into the plot and characters, the film will utterly dazzle and enthral you with its visuals. It’s clear that Hou Hsiao-Hsien and company poured all their heart, soul and artistic vision into this aspect of the film. 

Silent, serene and exquisite, The Assassin is another fine example of just how absorbing and engaging foreign cinema can be. The plot, characters and presentation are all put together so well that it’s easy to overlook any small niggling flaws. While it may only receive a limited release in countries outside of China, it’s a film that will undoubtedly entertain and immerse its audience in a way rarely present in typical Hollywood movies.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Fan Expo 2015: Play-testing and impressions

As part of my study abroad exchange to Toronto, I have access to a fair few events in the city. The first of these was the Fan Expo, which I went to on Sunday the 6^th of September. The show had a surprising amount of games on show and I tried to make my way around as many as possible. While I wasn’t allowed to take any video footage from the games, I did take down a fair few impressions from the games I managed to play. It was also a refreshing change to not have to wait in line nearly as long to play some games. Had I been at Gamescom in Cologne, I probably would have had to wait at least an hour to try out a game like Star Wars Battlefront. Here are a few of my personal impressions of the games at Fan Expo 2015.

Star Wars Battlefront

The new Star Wars Battlefront has been ten years in the making, and for what it is I haven’t had the most faith in the project. Leaving out the Clone Wars, not having Galactic Conquest or space battles and having planned DLC packs; it all feels like the game will end up feeling incredibly stripped and lacking when it comes to features. At the Fan Expo I finally got the chance to try it out and see if the gameplay will make up for this. I played a coop mission on Tatoonie in two player split-screen in which two rebel soldiers took on six waves of Empire forces ranging from the basic Stormtroopers to wandering AT-STs. The basic shooting gameplay feels pretty solid, particularly when defeating jetpack troopers sends them flying all over the place. It definitely has a noticeable “Battlefield” feel to it, but the Star Wars theme and setting does allow the game to set itself apart. The weapons have no ammo counts and overheat, and both players can choose their own items for the mission. We both had jump packs as standard to reach higher areas, along with shields and a missile launcher for downing tougher opponents. Enemies pursue the player relentlessly and you’ll have to make use of cover in order to survive; this was very apparent when we were tasked with capturing and defending a resource pod. In addition, there were also specific power-ups, such as air strikes and extra lives which are shared between the players. Although the two player coop in Star Wars Battlefront is fun, I personally would have liked to have seen a higher player count; we’ve reached a point where technology can support more players at once and having only two does feel a bit basic, considering how the new game has every opportunity to take steps forward from its predecessor ten years ago. Star Wars Battlefront will be released in November this year, just in time for highly anticipated Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

Ratchet and Clank

I was a massive fan of the Ratchet and Clank series many years ago, and while it’s a little disappointing that the newest game in the franchise is a reimagining of the first game, it was still really fun to play. I played two separate demos at Fan Expo; one took place in Metropolis Kerwan (one of my favourite locations in the series) on a speeding train and the other took place in a dark underground location where the duo squared off against the blargian snagglebeast. The game impressed me not just with its smooth gameplay, but its absolutely stunning graphics. I didn’t think the series could climb any higher when it came to transporting its fans inside the game world, but Ratchet and Clank looked amazing on PS4. Metropolis had a wider variety of colours and moving parts, whilst the Snagglebeast’s lair boasted some fantastic looking lava effects that gushed from the arena where the creature was fought. Despite Insomniac Games having all but moved on from the series, Ratchet and Clank is still going strong with both the new game and a feature length film set to arrive in early 2016.

Kitchen (And Project Morpheus)

Kitchen is a very elusive tech demo for Project Morpheus, a VR project that has to be seen to be believed. It was unquestionably the one demo that both I and my friend wanted to try out when we saw that Sony’s device was at the event. The company has been very tight lipped on Kitchen, withholding details about the tech demo for increased impact; I noticed that quite a few people waiting in line didn’t want to try the demo for this very reason, which only made it all the more intriguing. In the demo, you’re a nameless individual tied to a chair in a blood-soaked kitchen; a second man gets to his feet and attempts to cut you free, before a grotesque girl brutally murders him and drags him away round the corner of the room. After a few moments of deathly silence the girl approaches from behind, grabbing your face and peering above you. A sinister smile forms on her face and the demo ends. Project Morpheus is coming along quite nicely; there was a slight blurriness to the image, but I didn’t feel nauseous at any point. As for the demo itself, it showed that there are masses of potential for horror games on VR. Many of the biggest horror franchises in gaming have been butchered into action fests, but with VR immersing the consumer fully in the game, a new breed of fear could be on the way. Project Morpheus is still a ways off of full release, expected to come out in 2016.

Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate

Sadly, I’ve had to save the worst for last; the ninth entry in the tired Assassin’s Creed series didn’t set a very good impression when I tried it out. The demo took place at the Tower of London in which Evie Fry was tasked with assassinating Lucy Thorne. It appears the series may be going the root of Dishonoured, attempting to offer multiple methods of assassinating targets, but there isn’t really much reason to vary your approach. Why use the rogue guard to sneak to the target, when you can simply air assassinate them like normal? I found the camera and climbing controls to be quite fiddly at times as well; in combat, the camera was erratically bouncing all over the place, especially when Evie landed a finishing move on a guard. The way the game looks wasn’t really that impressive either; mouth animations on NPCs felt really off and the character models as well as the environment in general lacked detail. I also noticed a few bugs, such as a guard vanishing into a wall during combat and another player hopping over a grass hedge next to a wall and getting stuck. These may not necessarily be in the final product as this was only a demo, but nevertheless I’m not feeling too confident about the state of Syndicate and indeed the series in general. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is due out at the end of October 2015.

That just about covers my impressions of the games at Fan Expo. With luck I should have a few reviews for the films at the Toronto International Film Festival out soon. Watch this space!