PC and Xbox conversions of the popular PlayStation 2 adventure Shadow of Memories will herald the new European studio's arrival. As a showcase of KOE R&D's talent, however, the PC and Xbox conversions will also offer a graphically enhanced version of Konami's stunning tale of time travel and
the repercussions of changing fate.

Shadow of Memories is a tale of choices and their affect on others. The game 's hero, Eike, is murdered and awakens to find himself in limbo, somewhere between life and what lies beyond. A mysterious figure introduces himself as Homunulus and offers Eike a means to alter his destiny and avert his murder.

As the cinematic mix of puzzle solving and exploration unfolds, however, Eike will visit 1980, 1902 and mediaeval time zones and the methods he uses to avert his death will have a knock-on effect on those he meets.

Converting such a massive game has been a mammoth task, but KOE R&D has proved its worth with an incredible game that draws the player into a world of mysteries and a twisting plot that can culminate in any one of four endings. It also proves that while KOE R&D may be a relatively new addition
to Konami's talent base, it is a welcome companion to the existing Tokyo, Osaka, and Honolulu studios as part of Konami's development portfolio.

"We are very proud to see our R&D gearing up for its first release", commented Konami of Europe President Kunio Neo. "Konami has taken its Europe operation very seriously for many years now and his further underlines our commitment to the market".

KOE R&D studio manager Tony Bickley added, "Shadow of Memories has been the perfect start for us and we expect the title to go down well. We're currently investigating a wide selection of projects, across both traditional gaming platforms and new areas of business. It's an exciting time for the studio".

KOE R&D, the European R&D of Konami of Europe, was founded in October 2000. Its first tasks were to establish a studio in Milton Keynes, UK, track down talented developers across Europe and evaluate different gaming platforms. The studio's first game project, The Tour de France, was a co-production with KCE Osa, the Japanese team in Osaka, which will be released in June 2002. Shadow of Memories for PC and Xbox was the first production, handled solely by KOE R&D.