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Konami Digital Entertainment president Hideki Hayakawa says generative AI may improve production efficiency, but is unlikely to transform the games market. He argues that people and the mix of ideas among creators remain central to making innovative games.

Hayakawa also points out that game engines and user-generated content had already lowered barriers to making games. His view appears in Konami’s integrated report for the fiscal year ending March 2026, as reported by AUTOMATON. It is an executive’s assessment, not a verdict on where AI-assisted development will end up. Still, it puts a useful question to the idea that easier production automatically means a changed market.

Discuss: If AI makes game development easier, does that meaningfully change the market, or do distribution and creative judgement still decide who succeeds?

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