Hideki Hayakawa, president of Konami Digital Entertainment, downplayed the impact generative AI is expected to have on the games market. In the company's new corporate report, he says people and creators remain the most important factor in making entertaining, innovative games. The story was published on October 18 by VGC, based on a translation by Automaton.

What he said

Hayakawa acknowledges the common view that generative AI will significantly lower the barrier to making games, but disagrees that it will change the market much. According to him, entry barriers have already fallen thanks to generic game engines and the spread of user-generated content. The executive said, in words reproduced by VGC, that even if AI improves production efficiency, the most important factors in producing entertaining and innovative games are "people and creators."

He also highlighted collaboration between development teams, which produces new ideas and new gameplay, and said that this "chemical reaction" is not something that can be easily replaced. On technology, he sees new technologies as an opportunity for new kinds of experiences, and Konami offers systematic support so creators can understand these technologies, assess the risks and use them safely.

The context at Konami

According to VGC, after a quieter period focused on eFootball and retro compilations, Konami has returned to big-budget game development, with new entries and remakes in Metal Gear, Silent Hill and Castlevania. VGC cites the critical and commercial success of the Silent Hill 2 remake, Silent Hill f and Silent Hill: Townfall, and recalls that franchise producer Motoi Okamoto told GamesRadar in August that the goal is to have an annual Silent Hill release. Castlevania: Belmont's Curse is being developed by Evil Empire and Motion Twin.

Why it matters

The debate over AI in games remains open across the industry, and Konami's stance adds to those of other big companies that stress the role of creators. It is worth noting what the statement is and what it is not: it is an assessment by the company's president in a corporate document, not a rule that bans or allows the use of AI in the studios. The sources consulted do not detail how Konami uses or plans to use AI in its projects.