Konami Tournament Software

It is a Tournament Organizer’s responsibility to report Sanctioned tournament details to Konami via COSSY or Konami Tournament Software export within one week of the tournament’s completion. Click here to return to TRADING CARD GAME Tournament Policy. MANTIS Tournament Software is a free download that can handle events both small and large, and supports numerous different tournament formats including Swiss and Elimination Bracket style events. Additionally, all tournament organizers and players need a set of rules to which everyone involved should be expected to know and adhere.

Official KDE Tournament Policy – Version 1.4 1 Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. (KDE) Official TRADING CARD GAME Tournament Policy In Effect as of November 14th, 2013.

A. Players

To participate in a Sanctioned KDE tournament you need a Konami Player ID card with a COSSY barcode and number. If you do not have one, you may sign-up for one at the event. Do not lose your ID card, as it cannot be replaced. Players should make a photocopy of their 10-digit COSSY ID number or save the number in case all barcodes are lost. Please note that players at Sanctioned KDE tournaments will be referred to by their Konami Player ID number and their first name(s) and last name(s).

You must be in good standing and not on the suspended list to participate in Konami Sanctioned events. To remain in good standing, you must adhere to all player responsibilities outlined in this and other official documents. You must meet any age, nationality, and/or invitation requirements that apply to selected tournaments.

B. Ineligible Players

Any tournament official associated with or working an event cannot play in that specific event. This includes, but is not limited to, the Judge Staff, Scorekeeper, Registration Staff, and Tournament Organizer.

Individuals who have been suspended from Official Konami Tournaments may not play in Sanctioned events or Sneak Peeks. In addition, suspended individuals are prohibited from entering tournament venues.

A list of suspended players can be found here.

1. Players must have a COSSY number and be in good standing in order to compete in a Sanctioned event.
2. Suspended players are not considered to be in good standing, and may not register or compete in Sanctioned events.
3. Suspended players may not be on the premises of a Sanctioned event or a Sneak Peek event.
4. Suspended players are not automatically reinstated, they must request to be reinstated by e-mailing us-penalty@konami.com on or after the date they are listed as being eligible to do so. Even if their eligibility date has passed, they are still considered to be suspended until such a time as they request reinstatement, and then receive an e-mail from the KDE Penalty Committee informing them they are reinstated to Organized Play.

Individuals who are banned by the rules of the Tournament Organizer, venue, or by local law cannot participate in official events.

Employees of Konami Corporation and their immediate family members (children, parents, spouses, etc.) cannot play in Sanctioned Tier 2 events. There may be exceptions made to this rule, in the case of Bounty tournaments or other special events, which will be announced beforehand.

Employees of partner companies cannot play in Sanctioned Tier 2 events. These include, but are not limited to, VIZ Media, LLC. and 4K Media.

Employees of partner companies responsible for Organized Play (Devir, Amigo Spiel & Freizeit, etc.) cannot play in Sanctioned Tier 2 events taking place in the market they are responsible for. They may, however, participate in any event taking place outside of their market.

C. Head Judge

The Head Judge makes the final call for game play rulings or policy appeals. They require superior knowledge of rulings and tournament policy. No other individual, including the Tournament Organizer or a Konami employee can overturn a game play ruling or tournament policy decision made by the Head Judge.

The Head Judge is responsible for familiarizing themselves with the current and correct rulings and tournament policy, and should not create new ones.

The Head Judge must be physically present and available during the tournament, to deal with event issues and answer appeals promptly. The Head Judge must be adequately prepared to make sure that proper guidelines are followed.The Head Judge should clearly identify themselves to the players at the start of the tournament and make announcements to the players, informing them of tournament procedures, round start and end times, and any other information they may require.

The Head Judge should act as a mentor for the event’s judge staff, and should carefully consider individual judges’ strengths and weaknesses when building the staff list and assembling teams. Judges should also receive feedback and evaluation from the Head Judge, consisting of compliments on their strengths and suggestions on how to improve further.

The Head Judge is responsible for communicating accurate information throughout the tournament to both players and event staff.

Only the Head Judge may disqualify people from a Sanctioned event. The Tournament Organizer, Event Manager, or any other member of staff may not disqualify people from Sanctioned KDE events.

Only the KDE Penalty Committee may suspend players from Sanctioned events.

D. Floor Judge

Judges are expected to be courteous, professional, and on-task while staffing an event. While judging, judges should not engage in trading, long personal conversations, phone calls or other activities that would distract them from the tournament.

Judges may not wear their judge shirt when they are not judging an event.

Judges should respect the authority of their Head Judge and team lead, and must address other members of the tournament staff with respect. Judges must interact with players in a polite manner, and do so without compromising their authority.

Judges are required to adhere to the specific responsibilities assigned to them both on the floor and as members of a specialized unit such as a Deck check or pairings team. In addition, they must be prepared to assist other judges in tasks as they are assigned.

Judges should constantly observe players, and maintain the tournament area by removing trash, pushing in chairs and straightening tables. Judges should actively walk the tournament floor and observe the matches, rather than waiting for a player to call for a judge.

Judges are required to step in if they observe any violation of the rules or gameplay. Judges do not need to wait for a player to call for assistance.

When a player calls for a judge, the judge should approach the table, listen to the question, and provide a decision. If either player wishes to appeal the decision, the judge should notify the Head Judge immediately.

Judges are expected to seek out and complete certification tests to match their level of skill to the best of their ability, and should stay current with new rulings and new cards as they are released. Judges are also responsible for knowing the policy and guidelines documents for the games they wish to judge, and must keep themselves informed and well-versed in new documents as they are made available. Judges should actively seek out additional training, and are encouraged to assist their fellow judges in doing the same.

Apart from answering judge calls, judges should refrain from conversing with players engaged in a match, to avoid creating the impression of favoritism. This especially applies to conversations held in a language the opponent doesn’t understand.

E. Tournament Organizer

A Tournament Organizer is the person responsible for arranging and running the tournament. Anyone seeking to organize a Sanctioned event should procure a venue that can safely accommodate the expected number of attendees. Venues should be safe, clean, and in compliance with all applicable building and fire codes.

A Tournament Organizer is also responsible for providing staffing for the event and reporting the event results to KDE.

Sanctioned events are run at Official Tournament Stores or at venues chosen by approved Tournament Organizers.

Certain criteria must be met in order to run Sanctioned events. Those interested in becoming a Tournament Organizer for a specific event can request more information by e-mailing us-opsupport@konami.com (North America), la-opsupport@konami.com (Latin America and the Caribbean) or yugioh@konami-europe.net (Europe, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand).

F. Scorekeeper

The Scorekeeper is responsible for creating accurate pairings and additional tournament information throughout the event.

The Scorekeeper is responsible for understanding the Konami Tournament Software (KTS) and all procedures relevant to scorekeeping an event.

G. Spectators

Spectating at an event is a privilege, not a right, for tournament attendees. It is a spectator’s duty to remain neutral while observing game play, and to make sure their presence does not disrupt the event.

Spectators should not speak to or communicate with players who are currently engaged in a match, in any way. However, if a spectator notices any violation of game play rules or Tournament Policy, he or she must alert a tournament official immediately.

Spectators must be prepared to move if their presence blocks judge access, throughways, fire exits, or any other paths identified by tournament staff. Spectators will be asked to move if their presence is distracting to any of the players. If a judge or tournament official instructs a spectator to move, he or she must comply.

H. Media

Members of the media who wish to attend any Sanctioned event to create written, photographic, audio, or video content must contact the Tournament Organizer and KDE in advance of the event. Media representatives should be prepared to provide evidence of their association with a news outlet or reputable entity in the gaming industry at the beginning of the event or before the event begins.

Any member of the media approved to cover an event agrees to provide, as well as assume liability, for all of his or her own equipment and employees. Guests from the media must abide by the same rules set for spectators, and are expected to defer to tournament officials and KDE employees.

Members of the media are required to obtain their own written releases from players and/or spectators.

Konami Yugioh Tournament Software

Click here to return to TRADING CARD GAME Tournament Policy.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2019^[a] (abbreviated as PES 2019) is a footballsimulationvideo game developed by PES Productions and published by Konami for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.^[1] The game is the 18th installment in the PES series and was released on 28 August 2018, in North America and on 30 August 2018, in Japan, Europe, and Australia.^[2]FC Barcelona winger Philippe Coutinho appears on the front cover of the standard edition,^[3] whereas David Beckham appears on the front cover of the special edition. Scottish clubs Celtic and Rangers have been brought to the game along with their stadiums, bringing the world-famous Old Firm rivalry to the gaming world in detail.^[4][5]

In this year's edition, Konami has promised to increase the number of licenses, which include more fully licensed leagues and stadiums and a variety of new legends to play with. Until now, the official championships announced directly by Konami are 12 leagues which include the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, Danish Superligaen, the Portuguese Primeira Liga, the Belgian Jupiler Pro League, the Swiss Raiffeisen Super League, the Scottish Premiership, the Dutch Eredivisie, the Argentine Primera División. However, Konami announced that it did not renew its deal with UEFA for the Champions League, Europa League, and the UEFA Super Cup which they had for 10 years; the licence is being used in EA SportsFIFA 19.^[6][7]

• 2Development
• 3Club partnerships
• 4Teams
• 5Stadiums
• 6Reception

Gameplay[edit]

PES 2019 is a sports game that simulates football. PES 2019's Magic Moments feature is set to be the forefront of its gameplay.^[8] Konami announced that the International Champions Cup before the season begins has been added, and they also announced an improved negotiation system and budget management.^[9] They also added re-sell and clean sheet options to introduce strategy in club management. 11 new skill traits have been introduced, including edge turn, no look pass, control loop, dipping shot, and rising shot. They have also announced that player individuality has been expanded, where skills and strengths are more prominent in impact and motion during gameplay.^[10] Full body touch introduced last year has also been enhanced.

Development[edit]

Other features include a number of graphical boosts and 4K HDR support across all compatible platforms.^[11] Enlighten software has been used to rework lighting, both natural and stadium based.^[12] Stands and pitches will closely mirror their real life counterparts depending on the time of day.

Kit unveiling[edit]

For the first time in history, a Pro Evolution Soccer game was used in a kit unveiling. Liverpool unveiled their new 3rd kit for the 2018–2019 football season by using in-game footage from PES 2019 via a post on social media. Liverpool claim they are the 'first club to use video game graphics to launch a new jersey'. ^[13]

UEFA licence[edit]

The Konami–UEFA partnership ended after ten years.^[14][15] The announcement was made in a press release posted on the UEFA website stating that 'the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final in Kyiv would mark the end of a very successful and fruitful 10-year partnership between Konami and the UEFA.'

The marketing director of UEFA Events SA Guy-Laurent Epstein said, 'Konami has been a strong licensing partner for the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, with our competition brand being heavily featured within the video game and as part of the popular Konami-organised UEFA Champions League e-sports tournaments. UEFA would like to thank Konami for its tremendous commitment and support to UEFA club competitions for the last decade, and we look forward to continue to work with Konami in the sphere of UEFA national team football,' whereas senior director of brand & business development for Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. Jonas Lygaard said, 'The UEFA Champions League licence has given us a platform to create unique experiences and provide football fans from all over the world with an opportunity to enjoy this competition first-hand. This year, however, we will shift our focus to other areas. We will continue to explore alternative ways UEFA and Konami can continue to work together, as our relationship remains strong.'^[16][17]

Club partnerships[edit]

Konami have signed a number of partnerships with clubs to faithfully re-create the clubs including kits, fully scanned players, and stadiums.

Continuing agreements[edit]

Previously announced partnerships between Konami and Liverpool,^[18]Barcelona,^[18]Inter Milan,^[18]A.C. Milan, and Arsenal^[18] for PES 2018 have all been retained for the 2019 edition of the game.

Borussia Dortmund agreement[edit]

On 1 June 2018, Konami announced on their website that top German club Borussia Dortmund will not be officially licensed for PES 2019.^[19] This is despite the club appearing in some of the promotional assets of PES 19.^[20] Konami said 'the licence agreement was to the use of Borussia Dortmund's logos, players, stadium, and other features in the Konami products until June 2020. However, this agreement was prematurely terminated by Borussia Dortmund'.^[21]

FC Schalke 04[edit]

On 4 June 2018, Konami announced a new partnership with FC Schalke 04^[22][23] just days after Dortmund terminated their agreement.^[24] As part of their establishment with S04 as a PES partner club, Konami produced a highly detailed recreation of the club's Veltins Arena with the use of state-of-the art 3D scanning technology with extremely high fidelity, detailed kits, player likenesses,^[25] and a real-world shirt and ground sponsorship.^[26] Alexander Jobst, Schalke's marketing director, stated how Schalke was happy to have on board a world-famous game manufacturer like Konami. It shows the leading role that FC Schalke 04 has in E-Sports internationally. 'Konami is like no other company and allows our fans to play with the true S04 in game', he said. Brand and Business Development at Konami, Jonas Lygaard said, 'FC Schalke 04 is one of the most famous and successful clubs in Europe and is working hard in the domain of E-Sports. That suits Konami.'^[25]

AS Monaco[edit]

On 19 July 2018, Konami announced a new partnership with AS Monaco.^[27] As part of the partnership agreement, AS Monaco captain Radamel Falcao became an official local ambassador of the game and will appear on the French edition of the game alongside global cover star Philippe Coutinho. Along with kits and players, AS Monaco's stadium, Stade Louis II, will be made available after release via DLC. 'This is a wide-ranging agreement with AS Monaco, which will see this illustrious club working closely with KONAMI across a number of avenues,' commented Jonas Lygaard, Senior Director Brand and Business Development at Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. 'In addition to working closely with the club to ensure they are perfectly recreated within the game, we are delighted that a player of Radamel Falcao's calibre has agreed to become our local Ambassador. We look forward to a long and productive partnership that will show the scale and ambition Konami has for the PES series.'

Juli Ferre, AS Monaco Commercial and Marketing Director said, 'The growth of E-Sports and the reputation of the PES series make this partnership with Konami very exciting; we look forward to seeing AS Monaco players recreated within the new game and our Captain Radamel Falcao featured on the PES 2019 cover.'

Celtic and Rangers[edit]

On 30 July 2018, Konami announced a new partnership with Celtic,^[28] before announcing a partnership with Glasgow rivals Rangers the day after.^[29] As part of both partnership agreements, a special, limited club edition of the game will be available, and the clubs' stadiums, Celtic Park and Ibrox, will be made available in the game after release via DLC.

Gordon Kaye, Head of Business Development at Celtic, said of the partnership, 'We are delighted to be partnering with Konami at such an exciting time for the PES series. The gameplay and player detail in PES 2019 is simply stunning and we have no doubt Celtic fans will be excited at the prospect of seeing the double treble champions emulated in such a realistic way.' Jonas Lygaard, Senior Director Brand & Business Development at Konami Digital Entertainment B.V., said, 'Celtic is a hugely successful club, and we are delighted to be working closely with them. Our job now is to ensure Celtic's presence is perfectly recreated within PES 2019, and we look forward to seeing the fans’ reactions when all the work being put into this is complete and we reveal everything – more updates coming soon – watch this space!'

Rangers Managing Director Stewart Robertson said, 'We are delighted to have entered into this new partnership with Konami and are excited to see the club and the players perfectly represented within PES 2019.' Jonas Lygaard, Senior Director Brand & Business Development at Konami Digital Entertainment B.V., commented, 'With this partnership with Rangers we add another massive club to the growing PES roster. Scottish football enjoys some of the loudest and most ardent fans of any league, and we look forward to this passion manifesting as Rangers makes its debut in PES 2019.'

Teams[edit]

In total, 355 clubs are present in the game; out of these, 293 are licensed.^[18] This marks an increase of twenty-two additional club sides compared with PES 2018. A total of 79 more clubs are licensed.^[30] Seventeen leagues are playable in the game, fourteen licensed, along with the AFC Champions League.^[18] There are ten additional licensed leagues and four more leagues overall when compared with the previous edition of the game.^[30]

Official partners[edit]

Nineteen clubs are official partners of Konami.^[18] In most cases, the partnerships enable Konami to include the stadiums of the partnered clubs and also to have player scans of all first team players in the game from these sides. Twelve clubs are continuing their partnership deals from previous seasons: Milan, Alianza Lima, Barcelona, Colo-Colo, Corinthians, Flamengo, Independiente, Inter, Liverpool, Palmeiras, River Plate, and Sporting Cristal.^[18]

Five new clubs have announced partnership deals since the release of Pro Evolution Soccer 2018, with PES 2019 being the first game of the partnership deal. These clubs are Celtic, Monaco, Rangers, São Paulo and Schalke 04.^[18] Sao Paulo were licensed in PES 2018, without a partnership deal, whereas Monaco and Schalke 04 were licensed in the previous game as part of their league's licence deal.^[30] Celtic were last featured as a licensed club in PES 2014; Rangers, in PES 2012.

Celtic and Rangers (both Scottish Premiership); Colo-Colo (Chilean Primera División); Corinthians, Flamengo, Palmeiras, São Paulo, and Vasco da Gama (all Campeonato Brasileiro Série A); Independiente and River Plate (both Argentine Primera División); and Monaco (Ligue 1) would have been licensed by their league's licensing deal without any partnership deal; however, the partnership deal ensures that their players will have face scans and that their stadiums will appear in the game – unlike other clubs in their leagues.

Competitions[edit]

Fifteen leagues are fully licensed in the game. All the teams of these leagues appearing feature real players, kits, and logos.^[18] The licences for the Brazilian Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, French Ligue 1 & Ligue 2, and the Dutch Eredivisie are retained. Ten new league licences have been obtained: the Colombian Categoría Primera A, the Argentine Primera División, the Belgian First Division A, the Chilean Primera División, the Danish Superliga, the Portuguese Primeira Liga, the Russian Premier League, the Scottish Premiership, the Swiss Super League, and the Turkish Süper Lig.^[18] The Russian Premier League deal is exclusive.^[31]

Konami Tournament Software Manual

The Argentine Primera División and the Chilean Primera División appeared in PES 2018 with licensed teams but unlicensed league names, featuring as the Argentine League and the Chilean League, respectively. Additionally, the Primeira Liga was featured as an unlicensed league, being referred to in-game as Portugal League, with fictional team names aside the Big Three – Benfica, Porto, and Sporting CP.^[30]. On September 28, Konami announced that an exclusivity agreement was reached with Argentinean side Boca Juniors

Konami have retained the licence for the AFC Champions League, remaining in the game since its introduction in PES 2014.^[18]

The English Premier League & EFL Championship, the Italian Serie A, and the Spanish La Liga will appear as unlicensed leagues in the game, as with previous editions.^[18] These leagues will, however, feature real players. Serie A, referred to in-game as Italian League, will have all clubs licensed, except Juventus.^[18] Fictional versions of the second divisions in Italy and Spain will not feature in the game, unlike in previous seasons.^[18] A newly added league was announced on September 4. The league being Thailand's Thai League

Other licensed clubs[edit]

Twelve additional clubs are licensed in the game without being partnered with and without their league being licensed in the game. These are Brazilian club RB Brasil, Croatians Dinamo Zagreb, Czech side Slavia Prague, German side Bayer Leverkusen, the Greek quartet of AEK Athens, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and PAOK, Romanian side FCSB, Ukraine's big two of Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk and the Swedish team Malmö FF.^[18]

Argentine club Guillermo Brown and German teams Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig will not appear in the game, despite appearing in PES 2018 as additionally licensed clubs.^[18]

Official Club Partnerships[edit]

• FC Barcelona^[18]
• Liverpool^[18]
• Arsenal^[18]
• Schalke 04^[18]
• A.C. Milan^[18]
• Inter^[18]
• Monaco^[18]
• Celtic^[18]
• Rangers^[18]
• Corinthians^[18]
• CR Flamengo^[18]
• SE Palmeiras^[18]
• São Paulo^[18]
• CR Vasco da Gama^[18]
• Club Atlético River Plate^[18]
• CA Independiente^[18]
• Boca Juniors^[18]
• Colo-Colo^[18]
• Club Alianza Lima^[18]
• Sporting Cristal^[18]

Fully Licensed Leagues[edit]

• Jupiler Pro League^[18]
• Superliga^[18]
• Ligue 1 Conforama^[18]
• Domino's Ligue 2^[18]
• Eredivisie^[18]
• Liga NOS^[18]
• Russian Premier League^[18]
• Ladbrokes Premiership^[18]
• Raiffeisen Super League^[18]
• Spor Toto Süper Lig^[18]
• Superliga Quilmes Clásica^[18]
• Campeonato Brasileiro^[18]
• Campeonato Nacional Scotiabank^[18]
• Liga Águila
• Toyota Thai League (Data Pack 2.0)
• Chinese Super League (Data Pack 2.0)
• J1 League (Mobile only)
• J2 League (Mobile only)

Stadiums[edit]

Licensed[edit]

PES Originals[edit]

Reception[edit]

In Japan, Winning Eleven 2019 sold 187,453 copies as of January 2018.^[33] In the United Kingdom, PES 2019 opened at number-one on the software sales chart, but opening-week sales were down 42% compared to PES 2018.^[34]

Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 has received positive reviews. On Metacritic, the PlayStation 4 version has a metascore of 79 based on 53 reviews, indicating 'generally favorable reviews'. The game generally received praise for its gameplay, but criticism for its lack of licenses.^[35]GameSpot rated it 9 out of 10, stating that it made 'brilliant strides on the pitch, building on what was already an incredibly satisfying game of football to produce one of the greatest playing football games of all time.'^[36]IGN rated it 8.2 out of 10, stating that its 'focus on individual brilliance brings players to life and gives the game an extra dimension of authenticity.'^[37]

Accolades[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^Oscar Dayus (10 May 2018). 'PES 2019 Unveiled, Release Date And New Features Detailed'. gamespot.com. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
2. ^'The Power of football'. Konami. 9 May 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
3. ^'Coutinho leads PES 2019 game cover'. thestar.com.my. 13 May 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
4. ^Kelly Packard. 'Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 Announced'. trueachievements.com. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
5. ^'Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 Announced'. ign.com. 18 April 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
6. ^'PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER LOSES CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LICENSE'. ign.com. 18 April 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
7. ^Sherif Saed (18 April 2018). 'PES has lost the exclusive UEFA Champions League license'. vg247.com. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
8. ^Kelly Packard. 'Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 Announced'. trueachievements.com. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
9. ^'Coutinho leads PES 2019 game cover'. thestar.com.my. 13 May 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
10. ^'New Features'. Konami.com. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
11. ^Kelly Packard. 'Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 Announced'. trueachievements.com. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
12. ^'New Features 4:The Beautiful Game'. Konami.com. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
13. ^'Liverpool new kit takes inspiration from Pro Evolution Soccer'. ESPN. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
14. ^'PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER LOSES CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LICENSE'. ign.com. 18 April 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
15. ^Sherif Saed (18 April 2018). 'PES has lost the exclusive UEFA Champions League license'. vg247.com. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
16. ^'Konami to end club partnership with UEFA'. uefa.com. 18 April 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
17. ^Talal Musa (18 April 2018). 'WOW FIFA 19: Konami has just LOST the Champions league licence for PES'. dreamteamfc.com. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
18. ^ ^{abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaaabacadaeafagahaiajakalamanaoapaqarasatauavawaxayazbabbbcbdbebfbgbhbibjbkblbmbnbobpbqbrbsbtbubvbwbxbybzcacbcccdcecfcgchcicjckclcmcncocpcq}'Official Licenses and Stadiums List'.
19. ^'More bad news for PES 2019 as Borussia Dortmund tears up Konami contract'. eurogamer.net. 2 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
20. ^''PES 2019' loses Borussia Dortmund ahead of launch'. engadget.com. 2 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
21. ^'BVB agreement Statement'. Konami.com. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
22. ^Wesley Yin-Poole (1 June 2018). 'PES 2019 doesn't have Borussia Dortmund, but it does have Schalke'. www.eurogamer.net. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
23. ^NEIL BOLT (4 June 2018). 'PES 2019 PARTNERS WITH FC SCHALKE 04'. PSU.com. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
24. ^Mike Holmes (4 June 2018). 'Konami unveils FC Schalke 04 partnership'. gamereactor.eu. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
25. ^ ^ab'KONAMI becomes new partner of FC Schalke 04'. schalke04.de. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
26. ^'Authentic Leagues Schalke'. Konami. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
27. ^https://www.konami.com/games/eu/en/topics/14681/
28. ^ ^ab'Celtic join PES 2019 partner club roster'. Celtic Football Club. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018. Fresh from winning their seventh consecutive Scottish Premiership title, Celtic's club, its stars and the iconic Celtic Park – which will be made available via download after launch – will all be perfectly recreated in the forthcoming PES 2019. KONAMI will be employing its stunning 3D scanning systems to ensure that the club's squad are perfectly represented in-game. Each player will be scanned by dozens of cameras from every angle, while KONAMI's technical team will ensure that individual skills and abilities, along with playing styles, are matched in every way.
29. ^ ^ab'Sevco Announced As New PES 2019 Partner Club'. Rangers Football Club. 31 July 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018. KONAMI ... has partnered with Rangers to ensure the club is perfectly represented within PES 2019. The club, its stars and the iconic Ibrox Stadium – which will be made available via download after launch – will all be perfectly recreated in the forthcoming PES 2019.
30. ^ ^abcd'Licenses and Stadium List (2018)'. Konami. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
31. ^'Authentic Leagues'. Konami. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
32. ^'Konami announces AS Monaco partnership'. Konami. 19 July 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018. KONAMI is working closely to ensure that the club, its stars and Stadium Louis II – which will be made available via download shortly after launch – are all perfectly recreated in the forthcoming PES 2019. Every member of the squad will have their playing style and stats matches, while all kits will be faithfully integrated into the game.
33. ^'Game Search'. Game Data Library. Retrieved 12 January 2019. Winning Eleven 2019
34. ^'PES 2019 scores UK number one but sales are down 42%'. Metro. 3 September 2018.
35. ^'Pro Evolution Soccer 2019'. Metacritic. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
36. ^'PES 2019 Review'. GameSpot. 27 September 2018.
37. ^'PES 2019 Review'. IGN. 27 August 2018.
38. ^Steve Watts (July 5, 2018). 'Resident Evil 2 Wins Top Honor In E3 Game Critics Awards'. GameSpot. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
39. ^Sean Keane (August 22, 2018). 'Gamescom 2018 award winners include Marvel's Spider-Man, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'. CNET. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
40. ^Tom Hoggins (September 24, 2018). 'Golden Joysticks 2018 nominees announced, voting open now'. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
41. ^Connor Sheridan (November 16, 2018). 'Golden Joystick Awards 2018 winners: God of War wins big but Fortnite gets Victory Royale'. GamesRadar+. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
42. ^Michael McWhertor (November 13, 2018). 'The Game Awards 2018 nominees led by God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2'. Polygon. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
43. ^'Nominee List for 2018'. National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. February 11, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2019.

External links[edit]

Konami’s position as a creator of innovative, visually impressive slot machines and casino games comes after a long, varied history in technology and entertainment. Starting from its simple roots, this Japanese company grew into a multimedia powerhouse with gaming divisions throughout Asia and North America.

Staying true to its slogan of “Born from Fun,” Konami develops and distributes both original creations and games based off of its popular video game licenses.

With a growing online presence and a steadily increasing list of unique slot machine features, Konami is prepared to stay competitive in the modern gaming environment.

Free to play Konami slot machines

Top five Konami slot games

Players looking to try out some of Konami’s hottest offerings can keep an eye out for the following games.

No. 1 Dragon’s Law Twin Fever: A fun, Chinese dragon-themed slot machine, featuring fivereels and 30 paylines. This game includes basic action-stacked symbols as well as a free spin bonus round. The titular twin dragons are at the heart of the game. One or two lucky dragons can arrive after any spin to drop additional wild spaces onto the reel for some surprise wins.

No. 2 Solstice Celebration: A cute, wonderfully designed slot game has a theme around the beauty of spring in an enchanted meadow. The five-reel machine features 30 paylines and uses an enhanced version of the action-stacked symbols as a bonus. Called the Sparkle feature, all action-stacked symbols are lined with a bright border. Filling two reels with a full stack of sparkle-lined symbols nudges other partial stacks to fill their reel. It also has the potential to trigger a free spin bonus round.

No. 3 Chili Chili Fire: A five-reel 30 paylines slot has a general Mexican theme. Including action-stacked symbols and the chance to win free games, this machine also uses the Fade Away feature. After any spin, low-paying card symbols have the opportunity to fade away. The newly empty spaces then fill with random higher paying picture symbols, with a chance to turn a disappointing spin into something special.

No. 4 Lion Festival: Boosted Celebration – Inspired by Chinese New Year celebrations, this five-reel slot machine offers players a mix of neat features including a boosted middle reel that has double the symbols to make forming a winning combination that much easier. It includes action-stacked symbols and a free spin bonus round, but the bonus round includes the twist of the Balance of Fortune system. After winning free spins, players can stick with their standard 2x multiplied free spins, or they can trade stacks of five free spins for a “super-free spin” with a much higher multiplier.

No. 5 Castlevania: Labyrinth of Love – Konami has multiple Castlevania themed slots, inspired by its video game franchise of the same name. This five-reel machine includes an expanded free spin mode along with a progressive jackpot tied to the Castlevania game board. Players who trigger the minigame get to pick from different sets of potential moves to try and reach the castle. At that point, the game switches to a flashy battle minigame, where players get to spin a set of reels to try and land on attack symbols that kill enemies while hoping that they avoid the damage symbols that close off the reel. Making it past the bosses can reward the player with one of the four progressive jackpots. Sadly, Castlevania machines are generally not available on a mobile device.

Konami mobile slots

While some of Konami’s more advanced machines are sadly still stuck in physical casinos, it has developed mobile versions of many of their classic slots. Players with a mobile device should be able to find free versions of Konami’s online slots available in participating casino apps. Anyone lucky enough to live where real money online slots are legal will also find real mobile versions available.

For unlucky players, Konami does offer a nice middle ground. The My Konami Slots app is available for iOS and Android devices. This app offers several popular slots for free play. Players can collect free chips throughout the day, and the app includes a daily free bonus spin that can award credits. While packages of chips are available for purchase, patient players can stick with the Konami free casino slot games.

The Konami slots app includes linked progressive jackpots and slot tournaments for players looking for high-stakes play. Konami goes back to its video game roots by also offering daily challenges and quests, which reward players for hitting set goals or betting certain amounts. The real hook is that players can win loyalty points that they can spend on prizes and comps at real casinos, similar to Chumba Casino. Players can earn room discounts, credit toward food, tickets to great shows or just themed merchandise. It’s a great way for players to have a little fun between trips.

The rise of Konami

Konami began as a jukebox rental and repair company in 1969 based out of Osaka, Japan. The name comes from the first letters of its three original officers, Kagemasa Kozuki, YoshinobuNakama and TatsuoMiyasako. The company’s founder, Kozuki, still sits on the executive board. Konami moved away from its original jukebox focus fairly quickly, transitioning to manufacturing arcade cabinets in 1973 to take advantage of the growing video game market.

Konami would go on to produce its important additions to arcade gaming by developing hits such as the massively popular Frogger in 1981, along with gamer favorites such as Scramble and Super Cobra. The company was able to adapt to the rapidly changing video game market throughout the ’80s and early ’90s, providing titles for the Atari 2600 and the original Nintendo console. Konami adapted and evolved its popular Scramble arcade game into the fan-favorite Gradius for the NES, and also developed popular franchises such as the Castlevania and Metal Gear series.

The video game division continued to grow through the ’90s and 2000s with steady sequels and developments even as the company branched out into the gambling industry. Always looking to maintain synergy between their divisions, many of these great video game properties would be adapted into themed slot machines.

Konami’s casino gaming division began with its entry into the Japanese pachinko machine market in September 1992. After several years, the company opened Konami Australia in late 1996. In 1997, this subsidiary would oversee the rollout of Konami’s expansion into the Australian gaming market and later the general Asian market.

Konami expanded into the American casino gaming market in January 2000. The move into the American market was cemented with the construction of a manufacturing and development office in Las Vegas in 2005. The 360,000-square-foot facility served as its base of operations for expansions through North America, South America and Europe. Building on the success, Konomi opened a second facility in Las Vegas in 2015.

Konami’s unique features

While Konami is known for its striking visual design, the company has introduced some software innovations to offer exciting updates to the classic slot machine design. Its development takes full advantage of the ability to modify digital reels before the game or switch symbols after a spin. As a rule of thumb, Konami has focused on enhancing standard slot machine play rather than focusing on adding separate bonus rounds. Konami’s unique twists on the slot machine formula give players a chance to see ordinary spins suddenly change into rich jackpots.

The action-stacked symbols feature

Players of Konami slots are almost guaranteed encounter its action-stacked symbols system. This feature creates sections across all the reels in a game that pick one single symbol to stack for that spin. With a little luck, players will see these sets of stacked symbols fill up their paylines for big wins.

Also, many games have separate bonus features that tie into the action-stacked symbols feature. For example, players may see the reels get nudged into higher payouts with the right set of lucky frames.

Other variations on standard play include dynamic reels that can morph after a spin. In certain games, players may see new wild symbols appear to fill out lines, or they may see low-value spaces disappear to make room for big winners.

The Balance of Fortune features

That’s not to say that Konami has ignored its bonus games, even if it sticks to traditional free spins and multipliers. When going through Konami’s catalog, players will find innovations such as the Balance of Fortune system. This offers winners a choice in how their bonus game plays out, usually based around a more certain smaller payout versus a riskier shot at a big return.

The Mirror Reels bonus feature

The addition of special Mirror reels in bonus rounds also adds a fun change of pace to free spins. Mirror reels are what they sound like, with the two leftmost and rightmost reels mirroring one another, making it easier than ever to get a straight line of five symbols.

Similarly, while many of Konami’s games feature bonus games and special features instead of traditional jackpots, some entries feature progressive jackpot systems.

Konami’s progressive jackpot games

Games such as Pirate’s Jackpot and Pharoah’s Wish include stand-alone progressive jackpots. Konami also has machines with community-linked progressive jackpots.

For example, Beat the Field offers players — in a bank of linked machines — each a chance at different progressive jackpots when one player in the bank triggers the special round. Eligible players can win set bonuses or a progressive jackpot based on the results of a simulated horse race.

Machines, such as the new Power Boost Inferno, offer a supreme progressive jackpot that can potentially be linked across multiple participating casinos.

Konami’s recent innovations have also shifted toward more noticeable changes to gameplay. In 2016, the company unveiled the Crystal Cyclone. This upgrade adds a social element to Konami’s older physical machines. The system places a roulette wheel in the center of several linked Konami slot machines.

When triggered, players on the linked machines get to watch bonus balls fall onto the spinning wheel in the center with credits and bonuses applied based on where the balls land.

Finally, Konami’s development comes full circle with the recent development of a partially skill-based Frogger game that provides increased payouts to players who can get their frog farther up the randomly generated arcade game.