Profits up at Konami as lifetime Metal Gear sales hit 49.2 million

Konami is the latest company to release its financials for the quarter ended June 30, and highlighted an increase in profits despite a "weak" business environment. 

Company-wide, the Japanese outfit saw year-over-year profits rise to 5.81 billion yen ($56.8 million)— an increase of 35.8 percent. Revenue, however, was down ever so slightly, falling by 3.5 percent to 49.4 billion yen ($482.8 million). 

Konami's digital entertainment wing -- which houses its video game operations -- was the only segment to see an increase in revenue, with the division bringing in 25.16 billion yen ($206.7 million) during Q1 -- a year-over-year rise of 5.6 percent. 

Profits for the segment amounted to 8.66 billion yen ($84.6 million), and were largely driven by the stable performances of mobile and console titles including Star Wars: Force Collection, PES Club Manager, Jikkyou Pawafuru Puroyakyu, and PES Euro 2016. 

The Metal Gear series continues to be the jewel in Konami's crown, and surpassed 49.2 million in sales by the end of March 2016. 

Looking ahead, the publisher is keen to move with the times by producing "new games that utilize virtual reality and the serious development of eSports."

"There are high expectations that, as device markets utilizing virtual reality grow and become more popular, the game industry will be revitalized and business opportunities will increase," explained the company. 

"[The] game industry is also placing emphasis on providing opportunities to share experience, such as video distribution services and eSports."

All in all, Konami still expects see consolidated revenues of 210 billion yen ($2.05 billion) and profits of 15 billion yen ($146.5 million) by the end of this fiscal year on March 31, 2017.