Franchise Power Boosts Konami's Fiscal First Half

Konami has announced its financial results for the first half of fiscal 2008, announcing 74 billion yen ($656 million) in sales and 13.3 billion yen ($118 million) in profits for its digital entertainment business, highlighting strong performance of its Dance Dance Revolution and Metal Gear franchises, sports titles and arcade games. The digital entertainment segment was credited with boosting the company's overall revenues to 133.7 billion yen ($1.19 billion), up 11.8 percent over the same period in the previous year, while net income totaled 6.29 billion yen ($55.7 million), a 23 percent increase. Within that segment, computer and video games in particular accounted for 28.3 billion yen in sales ($251 million). The company revealed that in the first half of the fiscal year, 52 percent of its software unit sales were in the console market as its handheld software sales increased to 48 percent of the total over 26 percent in the same period last year. Looking toward 2008, the company highlighted key goals, among them "meeting the diversified preferences in Japan and overseas" with titles like Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party, and baseball title Jikkyou Pawafuru Major League 2 Wii. Konami also revealed planned synergy between its gaming segment and its health and fitness segment with titles like Chizu Saeki Style Yumemihada - Dream Skincare for the DS and Dokodemo Pilates, stating it would "make full use of the characteristics of each platform."