9 Once-Beloved Video Game Developers That Fell From Grace

9. Konami

Where to even begin? Konami have gone from being one of the most dependable and genuinely adored names in the industry, bringing us everything from Metal Gear Solid to Castlevania, Contra to Silent Hill, to being close to despised.

And why? Because of a relentless barrage of bad PR, and some spectacularly naff business decisions one after another in 2014 and 2015.

There was the unceremonious firing of Hideo Kojima amidst development of Metal Gear Solid V, the turning of Silent Hill into a pachinko machine - not to mention the cancelling of P.T/Silent Hills right when it was dominating 2014.

Konami even instructed their lawyers to stop Kojima collecting an award for The Phantom Pain at the Video Game Awards 2015, resulting in a public shaming from host Geoff Keighley, essentially calling them out with millions watching worldwide.

Right now, Konami are barely a video game company, though they are set to release Metal Gear Survive; a Hideo-less zombie-shooting 'sequel' riddled with microtransactions that precisely nobody asked for. Because video games.