KONAMI’s Esports Initiatives Recognized with Hot Topic Award at the MM
Research Institute’s 2019 Awards!

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    PES LEAGUE

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    eBASEBALL Pro League

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    Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship

Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. is proud to announce that at the MM Research Institute’s 2019 Awards, it received the Hot Topic Award for its esports initiatives.

The MM Research Institute Awards are a group of awards established by the MM Research Institute* in 2004, for the purpose of growing markets and industries in the field of information and communication technology (ICT). This year’s awards mark the 16th time they have been held. In addition to the Hot Topic Award for products and services that attracted a great deal of attention in ICT industries, other awards include the Smart Solutions Award for products that have become a focal point in smart society, and the Excellence in Manufacturing Award for exemplary products in the field of manufacturing.

The selection process for this Hot Topic Award consisted of an evaluation based on data gathered by MM Research Institute researchers, and a marketplace evaluation gathered by online surveys. A review committee then used these evaluations to make its final decision.

KONAMI began its esports initiatives with the Winning Eleven series in 2001, and has introduced the fun and excitement of eFootball to players and spectators ever since. It holds an annual world championship, known as PES LEAGUE. This year, after qualifying rounds spanning three continents, the finals will be held in London, England, from Saturday, June 28 to Sunday, June 29. In addition, KONAMI has lent its support to other tournaments, with Winning Eleven games being used as the competition titles for the exhibition matches at the 18th Asian Games Jakarta-Palembang, and for the Culture Program of the 74th National Sports Festival, IkiIki Ibaraki Yume Kokutai. Finally, the eJ.LEAGUE Winning Eleven 2019 Season, jointly organized by KONAMI and the Japan Football Association (J.LEAGUE), will feature the "Winning Eleven 2019" mobile game as its competition title. This event takes place from Sunday, July 14 to Monday, July 15.

PES LEAGUE 2019 official website

eJ.LEAGUE Winning Eleven 2019 Season official website

KONAMI has held an annual Japan championship for the Jikkyou Pawafuru Puroyakyu series since 2016, and in 2018, it teamed up with Nippon Professional Baseball to create the eBASEBALL Pro League. Following pro tryouts, an eDraft and other events, the 2019 season will get underway on Sunday, November 3. KONAMI has also supported other tournaments, with Jikkyou Pawafuru Puroyakyu series entries being used as the competition titles for the Culture Program at the 72nd National Sports Festival, Egao Tsunagu Ehime Kokutai, in 2017, and the Culture Program at the 73rd National Sports Festival, Fukui Shiawase Genki Kokutai, in 2018.

eBASEBALL Pro League official website

The Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship has included a division for the"Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links" mobile game since 2017. Every summer, competitors from around the world battle it out in national and regional qualifying rounds, with the winners advancing to the finals for a heated showdown. This year’s finals will take place in Berlin, Germany from Saturday, August 10 to Sunday, August 11.

Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2019 official website

Esports are a new way of enjoying video games for a wide range of participants – from the players competing to the fans cheering on their favorite athletes in person or watching the action via livestream. It is predicted that in the future, esports will attract the same attention as traditional sports. Construction on our new business hub, the KONAMI Creative Center Ginza, is expected to be completed at the end of November. This site will be home to the esports Ginza studio, a next-generation installation fully equipped with cutting-edge development and distribution capabilities. This studio will play a key role in KONAMI’s future initiatives as we continue to be a leading company in the esports arena.

*MM Research Institute, Limited (Minato, Tokyo; Hiroshi Nakajima, President) promotes marketing, market research, consulting and other activities, guided by its founding principle of "supporting the healthy growth and market expansion of Japan’s ICT (information and communication technology) industries in the multimedia age." (https://www.m2ri.jp)
MM Research Institute Awards: https://www.m2ri.jp/corporate/mmri_award/

language :日本語/English