Metal Gear Solid publisher gets a new president in the Americas

The American video game division of Konami has a new big boss.

The Metal Gear Solid and Castlevania company revealed today that Tomohiro Uesugi will take over as president of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., which is the American subsidiary of Konami. Uesugi previously served as executive vice president of the publisher in 2013. He replaces Tomoyuki Tsuboi, who took the role in February 2012. In its most recent financial report, Konami’s video game business missed its fiscal guidance by several million dollars. For its full fiscal year, which ends March 31, the company has had to severely cut down its expectations for its operating income from $267 million to just $98.7 million.

“I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the head of our talented and passionate employees, and I have a deep respect for our community of fans,” Uesugi said in a statement. “We will focus on our talent and iconic brands as we continue to provide innovative products for even deeper and more enjoyable experiences to our customers.”

Uesugi will oversee the expansion of Konami’s brands throughout the Americas. Prior to joining Konami in 2013, the executive worked with the Japanese electronics manufacturer Sanyo as its North American vice president.

Last week, Konami released the latest installment in its Castlevania franchise, Lords of Shadow 2. You can read our review here. The publisher is also preparing to release Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes on March 18. This is a prologue to a full Metal Gear Solid V release, dubbed The Phantom Pain, which is due out later this year or in 2015. In recent years, the company has focused more on its core brands, and Konami said it will continue that under the new president.

While Uesugi is taking control of Konami in the Americas, he will still answer to Konami Corporation chief executive officer Kagemasa Kozuki. While many gamers will think of Konami as a publisher first, it has recently made much more from its casino and pachinko games in Japan. In February, Konami revealed that its gaming division generated $98.3 million, which was far short of the $111 million the company was anticipating.