Just days after a rumored round of SCEE layoffs, Konami, publisher of Metal Gear, Castlevania, and Dance Dance Revolution, announced today that it will be shuttering its Redwood City office and consolidating its workforce in El Segundo, California. While the company doesn't specify if any involuntary layoffs are expected, one could assume that some positions will become redundant in the effort and that some employees will choose not to relocate to the office about twenty miles southwest of Los Angeles.

CEO of Konami Digital Entertainment Kazumi Kitaue said of the closure, "In order to grasp the rapid change of entertainment trends and take timely strategic action, having all functions under one roof is critical." With current console development budgets rising, expect more publishers to make moves like this one. Michael McWhertor