# Konami's Counterpoint: "People and Creators"

Three days before the thread, Konami president Hideki Hayakawa published the opposite thesis in the company's Integrated Report 2026 (October 15): AI won't significantly shift the game market — engines and UGC already lowered entry barriers, and "the most important factors in producing entertaining and innovative video games are people and creators."

## Key facts

- Konami Group's Integrated Report 2026 (fiscal year ended March 2026) was published on the company's investor relations site on October 15, 2026; Dengeki Online first highlighted the AI passage.
- "However, I do not believe the market will shift significantly," Hayakawa wrote — entry barriers were already lowered by generic game engines and user-generated content.
- "Even if AI use does lead to improvements in production efficiency, I believe that the most important factors in producing entertaining and innovative video games are people and creators."
- Konami says it gives creators "systematic support" to grasp new technologies, assess their risks, and apply them safely — tool-friendly, market-skeptic.

Part of the Brandon Stirrup Xbox AI Comments collection at https://aiservicesmarket.lol/brandon-stirrup/