Konami Gets New Logo

by Billy Berghammer - February 25, 2003, 6:58 am EST
Total comments: 18

To celebrate their 30th birthday, Konami shows a new skin.

Konami Corporation will renew its group brand logo design to mark its 30th anniversary on March 19th, 2003.

The new brand logo was chosen as Konami's internal and external brand identity to symbolize the expansion of Konami Group's business field and its scheduled shift to becoming a holding company. The new logo will take effect worldwide from April 1st, 2003.

Konami Group Brand Identity

The source of Konami Group's strength lies in its original and innovative "creativity" and "development"

Konami's "history of creation" spans over thirty years from the manufacture of amusement machines in 1973 to the listing on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2002 with the belief that the creation of goods and services is the creation of the market itself.

The originality of Konami Group's business portfolio was further highlighted with the addition of sports club business in 2001, which has since established itself as Konami's Exercise Entertainment business. Through computer and video games, toys, amusement, gaming and sports fitness, Konami provides goods and services filled with surprise and brilliance to its customers aiming to become a company supporting quality lifestyle.

New Konami Group Brand Logo (Corporate Brand)

The new logo expresses Konami Group's business expansion while maintaining the fundamentals of creativity and innovation and portraying confidence and surprise. This word mark also expresses the mindset of continually moving forward to the next stage while sharing the same value with its customers.

Color Usage

Red (hereafter to be called "Konami Red") is used to show stability and strong appeal to Konami's "Creativity" and "Innovation".

Business Vision

Konami currently conducts business in five fields of "Computer and Video Game", "Exercise Entertainment", "Toy & Hobby", "Amusement" and "Gaming". With its fundamentals of originality and innovation, Konami's business field will continue to expand through "creation" and "development".

1. Computer and Video Game Business

Aiming to Become the "Global Content King" Through Overseas Expansion

This is one of Konami's major businesses, having continually produced hit titles. In order to release a stable line of products while being in a hit-or-miss type of business environment, Computer and Video Game Business has established a firm position in Japan through its unique management of subsidiary production companies. Outside of Japan, soccer title "Pro Evolution Soccer 2" (Japanese version: "World Soccer Winning Eleven 6") has conquered the market and original content such as "Metal Gear Solid" is receiving high evaluation. Anime and comic content is also performing strongly. Through such endeavors, Konami is making steady progress in becoming the "Global Content King".

2. Exercise Entertainment Business

Creation of "Fun Through Fitness" Sports Clubs

The sports club business, having become a part of Konami Group in 2001, is a business that stands on the trust of its customers. Konami Group's originality has been added while maintaining this trust as a pillar of its business. Through the exercise entertainment vision of "Fun Through Fitness", Konami is aiming to change the fitness business from its roots. While pursuing body maintenance medically and physiologically, the company aims to successfully manage sports clubs and develop fitness machines that allow customers to enjoy their exercise.

3. Toy & Hobby Business

Entering the Toy Market - Focusing on Infant, Educational and Boy Toys

This business began by utilizing Konami Group's assets - its characters - and has grown into what is now clearly defined as Toy & Hobby Business. With 2003 being the inaugural year of Toy & Hobby Business, Konami will continue expansion of the successful card game business, strengthen the infrared-utilized small size, high performance "MICROiR" series, and promote appealing content with its elaborate candy-toy figurines series. Konami Group's originality will continue to be applied to the new toy category focusing on infant, educational and boy toys.

4. Amusement Business

Creation of "Ubiquitous" and "Experience" Play Environment

Amusement Business is where it all began for Konami and has accumulated original know-how covering from development to operation that is foremost in the industry. Starting with music games, which created a social phenomenon, Amusement Business has continually released original hit products. In recent years, "Mah-Jong Fight Club" has shaped the network game (e-AMUSEMENT) market where amusement arcades around Japan are linked via a network offering many customers around the country the opportunity to compete against each other.

Future plans are to supply high-level value added products that meet users' tastes and expectations, based on Konami's ubiquitous and experience-orientated "e-AMUSEMENT" online game concept. The introduction of industry-first elements to its products will also continue to build on its strengths.

5. Gaming Business

Targeting at the Global Market with Expansion of Sales Territory

Slot machines boasting Konami's originality are continually being installed in casinos and other gaming facilities, dubbed as "the ultimate form of entertainment". Konami's Gaming Business is currently focused on North America and Australia, and since approval of the company's Nevada slot machine manufacturing and sales license in January 2000, licenses have been obtained in 18 states and regions in North America.

With plans to enter the South American, South African and European markets, Konami will continue to penetrate its brand in the gaming market.

Talkback

KulockFebruary 25, 2003

Wow, they, uhmn, really strained their creativity coming up with their new logo, didn't they?

RickPowersRick Powers, Staff AlumnusFebruary 25, 2003

A strong logo and brand identity is RARELY about creativity, it's about simplicty and recognition. You'll notice that almost all major corporate entities have a VERY simple logo, usually just a text treatment.

SeanFebruary 25, 2003

Frankly, its simplicity and familiarity is the best thing about it. I'll miss the old font! ;-) Yet I welcome the new!

tomFebruary 25, 2003

Oh you have to love corporate logo bollocks, don't you...

KulockFebruary 25, 2003

Quote
Originally posted by: RickPowers
A strong logo and brand identity is RARELY about creativity, it's about simplicty and recognition. You'll notice that almost all major corporate entities have a VERY simple logo, usually just a text treatment.

Rrowr. It's "KONAMI" in a very basic font (with only mild serif to the ends of a few letters), written in _red_. Simplicity is an important aspect, yes, but you also rightly mentioned recognition. As a logo, that's not immediately recognizeable, it's vague and easily confuseable with logos of several other companies, even when we limit the comparison only to companies specifically in video games. A logo should be a recognizeable SYMBOL of the company, something that can be IDed with a glance, in a regular setting, that's too vague and would have to be read. Sega, Nintendo, Namco, Squaresoft, Capcom, all can be IDed at an extremely quick glance. Once the size on that is reduced for inclusion anything, the serifing will be practically non-existant.

ThePermFebruary 25, 2003

i like the old logo.....whatever. Konami is not really the same company i remember anyways.

mouse_clickerFebruary 25, 2003

Speaking of corporate icons, anybody see that GE changed their slogan? They changed it from "We bring good things to life", which was an excellent slogan in my opinion, to "Imagination in the workplace". Reportedly they've spent millions of dollars making the change and advertising. Anyone think that was a dumb move?

Also, is Konami still keeping their logo? While I've never been that big of a Konami fan, I've always loved their logo.

mouse_clickerFebruary 25, 2003

The wiord "logo" in my last post was misused- I meant the little wavy symbol they have. I still can't edit my posts here for some reason.

ThePermFebruary 25, 2003

yeah me too whats up?!

thats their oldest logo...i meant to edit my post and add it...but it wont let me
http://www.atariage.com/company_page.html?SystemID=2600&CompanyID=43

RickPowersRick Powers, Staff AlumnusFebruary 25, 2003

You're all missing the point. If you READ the story, you will see that the entire point is that the old logo was syonymous with their games business ONLY. Konami has more irons in the fire now, and wants to re-brand the company to include the other facets of their business. It's doing EXACTLY that.

Seriously, it's getting tiring to have people reporting on aspects of corporate business when most of you have little to no knowledge of corporate business.

KulockFebruary 26, 2003

Quote
Originally posted by: RickPowers
You're all missing the point. If you READ the story,

You mean the copy-and-pasted Press Release filled to the brim with PR fluff, I think you can excuse some of us only doing a skim job on it.

Quote
Originally posted by: RickPowers
you will see that the entire point is that the old logo was syonymous with their games business ONLY. Konami has more irons in the fire now, and wants to re-brand the company to include the other facets of their business. It's doing EXACTLY that.

My off-hand comment was that it was not a terribly identifiable logo, thus it was not a good rebranding IMHO. (And I mean what that acronym spells out to, I'm not saying my word is the be-all-end-all sentiment.)

Since then I found an article that showed an alternate, much more identifiable "swoosh" design they will be using, that PlanetGamecube did not show, that was closer to what I was thinking of and mentioned above. This can be found in a XenGamers article, here:

http://forums.xengamers.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=72479

Quote
Originally posted by: RickPowers
Seriously, it's getting tiring to have people reporting on aspects of corporate business when most of you have little to no knowledge of corporate business.

And I'm tired of you putting down anyone you ever reply to and acting like YOU understand everything and anything, and anyone suggesting otherwise is speaking sacrelige. The truth is you work with the information and experience you have. The same with us. And as far as I know, you have not yet achieved marketing executive status at a major corporation. Your experiences are based on observations from an external viewpoint, your previous experience with press releases and mild dealings with companies, and your high school/college education on the subject. Therefore, your understanding and interpretation come from no professional marketing standpoint. You're in the same boat as many of us, and you have no right to act like your understanding has to be the correct one.

This is a message board, we discuss and pool the information and knowledge we have on matters like this, if you have some piece of knowledge about the situation we lack or missed, you don't put us down with insults and sarcasm, you add it to the pool and tell us about it. You are not this be-all-end-all fountain of knowledge like you have acted in multiple, multiple threads, sometimes locking threads on a discussion board simply because they disagreed with your OPINION on a subject. I don't care if you're an administrator, you have no reason to be treating others with such disrespect. Stop acting like anyone here who doesn't work for PlanetGamecube directly is immediately an idiot and should be put down should they possible disagree with The Word of Rick. That's what I'm getting tired of.

RickPowersRick Powers, Staff AlumnusFebruary 26, 2003

Quote
And as far as I know, you have not yet achieved marketing executive status at a major corporation. Your experiences are based on observations from an external viewpoint, your previous experience with press releases and mild dealings with companies, and your high school/college education on the subject. Therefore, your understanding and interpretation come from no professional marketing standpoint. You're in the same boat as many of us, and you have no right to act like your understanding has to be the correct one.

Perhaps I have not achieved "marketing executive" status at a major corporation. I have, however, designed the new logos for several major corporations (graphic and web design is my current "day job"), and it's my job to know what makes for good rebranding and what doesn't. Keeping the logo simple makes it a great deal easier to defend, and makes it a lot more recognizeable. It actually works the exact opposite of what you'd expect ... complex logos are more easily confused with other complex logos. When companies rebrand themselves, they always go for something more simple for that very reason.

Secondly, my wife IS a marketing executive for a major corporation, and is in the process of rebranding her company right now. I have more factual information on the subject than you could ever hope for, literally stacks of documents.

Yes, this is a discussion and message board. It's just terribly frustrating to have people speaking with such determination and authority who don't have the standing to speak on the subject. And from what I've seen, many of you are stating things as fact that are anything but, because many of you are speaking from a CONSUMER standpoint. As a consumer, it's natural that you'd look at this new logo, and think that it's going to lose Konami's entire identity. If you bothered to stop and think more logically, you'd realize that the value is in the NAME, not the logo. People know the Konami name, and associate it with the games, and you'll buy the games regardless of what the logo looks like. Konami could have changed the logo, and you wouldn't have even known it until you bought a game and said, "Hey, Konami changed their logo." Would it have stopped you from buying the game? Not in the least.

I'm not upset with people disagreeing with "the word of Rick". What I'm getting upset with is people either disagreeing with me for the sake of it (and you know who you are), or the people that simply stick to their malformed opinions in the face of actual facts, or from the opinions of those more educated on the subject than they are. And when it comes to anything BUSINESS related, very few of you have any education or experience to base your opinions on. And if there's one thing I have a hard time dealing with, it's opinions formed in the absence of information or education.

KulockFebruary 26, 2003

Alright, that's fine. I, nor anyone else here I'm willing to bet, knew you did have extensive experience with the subject, so from our perspective, you yourself were speaking of something as fact when it seemed based on only your opinions developed from consumer experience, and what experience working for PGC has lended you. We could have had no way of knowing you've designed several logos for major corporations as your "current day-job", nor your wife's experience. (At this rate, does your wife's brother work for Konami Group as well? )

I can understand your frustration at some people speaking obviously-uninformed opinions as fact, but please remember, just like how we did not know of your recent, extensive experience in this matter, you cannot always know the extent of information and experience each and every one of us has in a subject like this. Some of us have "day jobs" as well. I'm glad you better clarified your reasons for seemingly quick frustration with some, I just felt something should be said at this point.

ThePermFebruary 26, 2003

mem yself i was posting from an aesthetics point of view...the old logo is kinda nastalgia to me. So, are they branching off into other aspects of software? Like word processors and what not? The only thing i can say aout the old logo is it was ahead of its time. Look at Konami's logo and the playstation, gamecube, and xbox logo. A symbol with the company name underneath in a square. It will be a little different to notsee two logos togherther, but its nothing no one can live without. No one complains capcom never had that...(it be quite funny if capcom did somethign liek that :laugh

BloodworthDaniel Bloodworth, Staff AlumnusFebruary 26, 2003

Read the article if you want to know what else they're branching into:

Quote
Konami currently conducts business in five fields of "Computer and Video Game", "Exercise Entertainment", "Toy & Hobby", "Amusement" and "Gaming". With its fundamentals of originality and innovation, Konami's business field will continue to expand through "creation" and "development".

mouse_clickerFebruary 26, 2003

I didn't read the rpess report, if Rick's getting his feathers ruffled because of my comment/ I'm sorry if I'm causing you "mental anguish", Rick, but I just didn't see squiggles would conflict with their new business plan. Too bad their getting rid of it- I really do think their new design has no real recognizability to it, but since Rick knows so much more about it than I do, I guess it *must* be right.

mac<censored>February 26, 2003

The thing is that many of these `rebrandings' are complete and utter bullshit jobs (maybe not yours, Rick :-), seemingly designed mostly to generate warm and fuzzy things to say to stockholders, and often ignoring such basic facts such as `everybody hates the new logo and thinks it looks like ass'* in favor of vague hand-waving like `this precise shade of reddish green implies creativity and high-fibre.'

The new Konami logo seems better than most, actually (the biggest victims of `rebranding scams' in my experience tend to be institutions like universities, which are apparently hungry for the warm fuzzies, but have even more politics and less common sense than a typical corporation).

* What often seems to be worse than the new logos is that they usually come with reams of rules about how to `maintain the image,' which can border on the absurd, and usually cause more damage than good.

ThePermFebruary 27, 2003

their branching into things i thought they already did......

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