Capcom Profits Up 58% In First Fiscal Half

Capcom saw impressive 58.4 percent year-over-year profit growth in the first half of its 2010 fiscal year, increasing to 2.97 billion yen (US$32.46 million) on the back of above-expectations game sales, particularly in Japan. Total revenue for the six-month period that ended September 30, 2009 was up to 38.9 billion yen (US$425.53 million), up 24.5 percent year-over-year. Entries from Capcom's star franchises, like Monster Hunter Tri, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, and Resident Evil 5, helped the publisher's home video game division raise revenues 68.3 percent, more than offsetting weakening revenues in Capcom's arcade game business. That stellar retail game performance seems somewhat localized to Capcom's home country -- outside of Japan, the publisher indicated game sales "remained soft," thanks to poor performance of GRIN's Bionic Commando, the delay of Airtight Games' Dark Void, and the lukewarm reception to Monster Hunter Freedom Unite. As a side note, the company's arcade operations division still ended up in the black regardless of declining revenues, thanks to a lack of any new arcade facilities built, as well as the ongoing "scrap and build" policy that has the company save costs by reusing materials from previously-closed facilities. Sales of arcade games themselves, however, saw a massive decline of 83.9 percent, which Capcom blamed on few new titles and overall "stagnating market conditions." And the merchandise-collecting tendencies of hardcore gamers appear to be doing Capcom well: the division of the company that handles royalties for character likenesses and other external projects saw boosted sales of 30.6 percent.