During the four-day show that runs from August 23-26th, Konami (Hall 4, Booth B11) will delight video game fans with a far-ranging and innovative collection of titles. Leading the line this year will be the first European gameplay demonstration of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, by the series’ legendary creator Hideo Kojima. Kojima will be using Games Convention to unveil his new, undisclosed in-game themes for the new PS3 title, and will also be premiering a new trailer for what is regarded as the most anticipated game of the coming months.
Konami will also be using the event to showcase its PES 2008 title, with visitors offered the first chance to play the PLAYSTATION®3, Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 2, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) and Nintendo DS versions of the game. Games Convention will mark the first public showing of PES 2008, and fans will be able to get to grips with the new Teamvision AI system, which picks up on the user’s player patterns and will adapt its playing style accordingly. Konami will also be making key announcements regarding the game and the German player who will accompany Cristiano Ronaldo on the game’s localised packaging and POS.
Other titles on show will include Castlevania The Dracula X Chronicles and Silent Hill Origins for PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), Dewy’s Adventure for Nintendo Wii™, a wealth of new Yu-Gi-Oh! and DancingStage titles, and an all-new DS version of one of Konami’s classic arcade smashes. These games will also be presented by the very people behind them, with William Oertel detailing his plans for Silent Hill Origins and the recently-announced Silent Hill V (Working Title), while Shingo Mukaitoge will be discussing the evolution of Dewy’s Adventure. IGA Igarashi, the renowned Castlevania Producer will be joined by Michiru Yamane, who is responsible for the beautiful and haunting tunes that the series enjoys. The developers will be appearing on stage daily to discuss their titles, with the following timings allocated to each:
- 11:00: Koji ‘IGA’ Igarashi, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles
- 12:00: New DS title team
- 13:00: Hideo Kojima, METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS
- 14:00: William Oertel, Silent Hill Origins/Silent Hill V
- 15:00: Hideo Kojima, METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS
- 16:00: Aki Saito, PES 2008
- 17:00: Shingo Mukaitoge, Dewy’s Adventure
These schedules will be altered on the weekend, as Konami hosts the German PES League Final which will take place on the main stage on Saturday. 16 ardent PES players will gather for the position of German Champion and for the right to represent their country in the grand Euro finals in Seville in October. This is sure to be a fiercely fought competition, and will take place from 3pm.
In addition, Hideo Kojima will visit the dedicated MGS4 area of the stand and will present a playable version of METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS to a selected audience twice a day. Tickets will be available during these stage shows, which are to be hosted by the TV compere, Thomas Sauermann.
Rounding off its Leipzig presence, Konami will also be showing Hellboy: The Science of Evil, Konami Arcade Classics for Nintendo DS, the PSP® version Coded Arms Contagion, and Steel Horizon and Let’s Yoga for DS, proof that Konami Digital Entertainment offers something for everybody.
“Leipzig is an incredibly important show for Konami, more so than ever this year,” commented Martin Schneider, Sales and Marketing Director Germany for Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH. “These are exciting times for Konami’s European operations, and the titles and presentations we have on offer showcase this perfectly. With the likes of MGS4 and PES 2008 on display for the first we have two of the most anticipated games on the horizon, and coupled with the likes of Silent Hill Origins and Dewy’s Adventure and our European Product Planning department’s exciting new update of an old favourite, and it is clear that the coming months are going to be extremely exciting.”
Konami can be found in Hall 4, Booth B11.