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Nikkei Asian Review: The Konami Exodus

M

Moskalova

Member
TOKYO -- "You are unfairly discrediting the company." Those words were contained in a letter that Japanese gaming giant Konami sent last fall to Hideo Kojima, the renowned creator of the company's hit "Metal Gear" series.

Konami was referring to an incident that occurred on Sept. 18, 2016, when Kojima appeared at a talk event hosted by Sony Interactive Entertainment at the Tokyo Game Show expo. Kojima, who had already left Konami in December 2015 to set up his own company, Kojima Productions, was asked by a fan if he was involved in the new "Metal Gear" game that Konami announced was in production. "That has nothing to do with me," he said with a wry smile.

In April this year, a Kojima Productions executive applied for the company to join ITS Kenpo, a health insurance society for companies in the gaming and internet service industry. Joining such insurance organizations is crucial to employee welfare, but the application was not even accepted. When the executive asked why, he was told by ITS Kenpo that all applications are screened by the board chairman before being reviewed by the board, and it could not show this application to the chairman.

Kimihiko Higashio, a director at Konami, is the chairman at ITS Kenpo.

The actions by ITS Kenpo suggest it was surmising Konami's wishes. But Article 22 of the Health Insurance Act stipulates that the decisions of health insurance societies be made by a majority vote by the board. If there is a tie, then the chairman decides. Showing applications to the chairman first would be deviating from standard procedure. But the issue goes beyond that: Health insurance societies by nature are supposed to act in the public's interest; decisions on applications cannot be left to a single person.

Kojima is not the only former Konami employee -- or "ex-Kon" if you will -- facing obstacles after leaving the company.

A staffing agency employee who asked not to be named said he notifies gaming companies if a prospective hire is an ex-Kon. He said that is because Konami files complaints to gaming companies who take on its former employees.

One major gaming company went so far as to warn its staff against hiring ex-Kon. There was even a case in which a former Konami employee moved to a construction company before joining another gaming company, hoping to throw people off the scent.

One ex-Kon described his surprise at learning that Konami had instructed an employee at a television company not to deal with its former employees. In another case, a former Konami executive was forced to close his business due to pressure from the gaming giant.

Ex-Kons are not allowed to put their Konami experience on their public resumes. "If you leave the company, you cannot rely on Konami's name to land a job," explained a former employee. If an ex-Kon is interviewed by the media, the company will send that person a letter through a legal representative, in some cases indicating that Konami is willing to take them to court.
Click to expand...

More in the link: http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/The-Konami-exodus?page=1
 
C

Cubas

Member
In another case, a former Konami executive was forced to close his business due to pressure from the gaming giant.
Click to expand...

This is some Yakuza shit right there. Fuck Konami, hope this company crashes and burns into the ground.
 
I

ito007

Member
This is extremely poor form for a company. If you have to be warned about working with the company or hiring people that come out of it, then that is a sure sign of a toxic organisation.
 
P

Pein

Banned
Kojima should shit talk them more,good thing he's such a big name he can do whatever but I feel for the rest of the former employees who can't even go looking for a job because konami fucks it up for them.

What does konami even want them to make even if they had the talent? PES?
 
S

Steroyd

Member
What in the actual fuck!?

I've never wanted a company to go bankrupt because the employees are the victims bla bla bla, but Konami going under might help employees if they're pulling off this nonsense holy fucking shit!
 
N

Neonep

Member
This is definitely illegal unless it was in the terms of their contract prior to employment or if they signed some type of agreement when they left.
 
C

Chaos2Frozen

Member
And this is why people still stay with the company.

It's like that scene in Persona 5- being blacklisted by society is worse than being treated like shit in it.
 
I

Imbarkus

As Sartre noted in his contemplation on Hell in No Exit, the true horror is other members.
Shareholders will continue to tolerate the (still relatively new!) CEO's clear savant-like ability to draw negative PR and turn significant short-term profit.

That's because they can and will sell their shares.

For pretty much the rest of the world, cashing out so many decades of long-term goodwill by slashing and burning your way out of an entire industry will long be remembered. They might think "our gambling divisions will be unaffected."

Meanwhile I work with casino executives who are also gamers. So... I guess we'll see.
 
R

ROUGE_BLOCK

Member
Man can't wait for the next Jimqusition video that will dive head first into this debacle.

However is this behaviour even legal in Japan ?
 
M

Memory

Member
Wow this is evil, ruining peoples lives and not doubt using these examples to intimidate current employees. If this is true I can't buy any of their games anymore.

Unless Suikoden remaster, I'm sorry
 
E

eyeball_kid

Member
In April this year, a Kojima Productions executive applied for the company to join ITS Kenpo, a health insurance society for companies in the gaming and internet service industry. Joining such insurance organizations is crucial to employee welfare, but the application was not even accepted. When the executive asked why, he was told by ITS Kenpo that all applications are screened by the board chairman before being reviewed by the board, and it could not show this application to the chairman.

Kimihiko Higashio, a director at Konami, is the chairman at ITS Kenpo.
Click to expand...

What a pathetic little man.
 
7

7DollarHagane

Banned
Kojirospath said:
How is this even legal?
Click to expand...

Japan's non confrontational culture and a lot of money being handed around.

Japan's gaming industry should band together to welcome "ex-Kons" and ignore konamis threats.

Suck every last drop of talent from that company and make it known everywhere that it's a dangerous and unhealthy workplace for prospective employees.
 
M

Madchad

Member
This is downright wrong. I would go so far as to say it is time to start something like #BanishKonami to get this disgusting company off all platforms Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft.
 
Deft Beck

Deft Beck

Member
Madchad said:
This is downright wrong. I would go so far as to say it is time to start something like #BanishKonami to get this disgusting company off all platforms Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft.
Click to expand...

I mean, they're already handily doing that themselves.

While I dislike these practices, I don't want to stop playing BEMANI games, as they account for a significant portion of my main genre of interest.
 
1

1st Course

Member
Maybe this is one of the reasons why the "lifetime employment" style is so popular in Japan.

JayEH said:
think this is the third thread we've had on this article.
Click to expand...

This article appear to be new. It was posted on 14th (the Kotaku article was posted on the 12th).
 
I

iavi

Member
Deft Beck said:
I mean, they're already handily doing that themselves.

While I dislike these practices, I don't want to stop playing BEMANI games, as they account for a significant portion of my main genre of interest.
Click to expand...



The only thing they'd get me with is BC release on Xb1 of metal Gear
 
S

Shredderi

Member
This is absurdly obviously not legal. Corruption is happening and people in high places are getting paid, that's for sure. They are like pure evil at this point. It's time someone started to put the pressure on Konami fucks themselves. That's straight up some Yakuza shit. It also begs the question "why?". This won't be beneficial to their profit margins. This is just evil for the sake of evil. Konami is a legit cartoon villain organization at this point.
 
T

Terrell

Member
My two big concerns:

A staffing agency employee who asked not to be named said he notifies gaming companies if a prospective hire is an ex-Kon. He said that is because Konami files complaints to gaming companies who take on its former employees.
Click to expand...

What kind of "complaints"? Legal complaints? If so, WHAT THE HELL?

Ex-Kons are not allowed to put their Konami experience on their public resumes. "If you leave the company, you cannot rely on Konami's name to land a job," explained a former employee.
Click to expand...

Does Japan have no worker protections whatsoever that this is legal?

But the good news is that Konami could take a lot of heat over this from federal prosecutors, as one of their executives has violated federal regulations. I look forward to the fallout of that.
 
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