SNK Playmore Merges Divisions

Officials from the Osaka, Japan-headquartered SNK Group have announced that the previously distinct SNK divisions, SNK Playmore and SNK Neo Geo, are to merge into one larger corporate entity. Previously, SNK Playmore dealt exclusively with home console titles and SNK Neo Geo solely with arcade products. The new company will be know simply as SNK Playmore, and will concentrate on expanding its pachinko, slot machine and video game businesses. Long-time arcade and console manufacture SNK was forced into bankruptcy in 2001, but the name and key properties, such as Metal Slug and King of Fighters, were bought up by former founder and CEO Eikichi Kawasaki for his new company Playmore. The now-reconstituted company is attempting to release more contemporary versions of its 2D classics, with 3D polygonal versions of the King Of Fighters and Metal Slug series in development or already released. But the company evidently doesn't intend to stop creation or remaking of classic 2D games that it's most known for, with the recently released SNK Vs. Capcom Chaos 2D fighter, remakes of some of the original King Of Fighters 2D series in development, as well as console conversions of a late Neo Geo MVS game in the Samurai Shodown series. SNK Playmore products are distributed in North America by SNK Neo Geo U.S. Consumer Corporation, which will now be renamed to SNK Playmore USA, according to a number of sources.