Konami's pachinko company, KPE, recently filed for a trademark of "Big Boss."
The trademark covers games, slot machines, pachinko, trading card games, and more:
Translated by Google Translate
BIGBOSS Big Boss [classification of goods and services as well as the designated goods or designated services] such business for the video game machine, arcade video game machines and their parts and accessories, business for pusher game machines and their parts and accessories, commercial medal game machines and their parts and accessories, amusement park use machinery and its parts and accessories, pet toys, toys, dolls, home video game machine accessories, portable LCD screen game machine accessories, Go tool, Shogi equipment, was song Galles, dice, sugoroku, dice cup, diamond games, chess equipment, Checker tool, magic tools, Domino equipment, playing cards, playing cards, mahjong equipment, game cards, protective case for game cards, accessories of the game for the card, trading card game, play for equipment, slot machines, pachinko equipment and its parts, exercise equipment
While the trademark does mention pachinko, it also mentions everything from amusement park rides to dolls, so this doesn't necessarily point directly to pachinko machines. However, being filed from Konami's pachinko group seems to indicate an interest in pachinko machines for Big Boss. We've seen in the past Konami is more than willing to use their game IP for pachinko machines. Already Castlevania and Silent Hill have received the pachinko treatment.
This news follows recent speculation that Konami intended to halt all AA game development, however a company representative refuted this claim saying:
“I can promise you that we’re definitely not leaving Metal Gear behind or anything like that. I know some blogs were claiming that online this morning, but I’m not really sure where they’d be getting that from.
We’re still definitely working on console games and franchises such as Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania, PES and all the rest.”
The company also made a recent announcement to shift focus to mobile development. During the 2015 Tokyo Game Show, Konami seemed to heavily push their sport line up over other titles.
How do you feel about this? Do you think Konami plans to make a Big Boss pachinko machine? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
