Konami Profits Jump 82 Percent In First Quarter

Officials from Konami have announced details of the company’s financial first quarter, for the period ended June 30th, in which revenues rose by an impressive 82 percent, led by strong sales in the company’s core video games business. The company saw sales rise by 5.2 percent, compared to the same period last year, to a total of ¥60.7 billion ($508.8m). Operating income rose by 16.8 percent to ¥7.01 billion ($58.7m), while net income rose by as much as 82.2 percent to ¥3.86 billion ($32.4m). The domestic Japanese market generated 50.35 billion ($422.0m) in sales, while North America contributed just ¥4.44 billion ($37.2m) and Europe only ¥4.14 billion ($34.7m). The company’s digital entertainment division, which includes the core console games business, contributed the most to the results, with a 8.6 percent increase in sales to ¥34.8 billion ($291.5m). The most popular games during the period proved to be the company’s long running Winning Eleven/Pro Evolution Soccer series, as well as Elebits (aka Eledees) and Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. The company also saw considerable domestic success with its range of licensed baseball simulators. The Toy & Hobby business also noted continued success with the Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game, as well as a tie-in to the Blue Dragon Xbox 360 role-playing game and anime – which proved particularly popular amongst primary school children. Mah-Jong Fight Club 6 was the most successful game for the amusement business, while Busou Shinki Battle Rondo, a tie-in with a range of original action figures, was the major launch for the company’s online business. Growth in the company’s other major divisions was more modest, with the Heath & Fitness business seeing a 1.4 percent increase in sales to ¥21.6 billion ($180.9m). The Gaming & System division saw a 2.0 percent increase to ¥3.6 billion ($30.1m), with an expansion of the company’s gambling interests led by new activities in the U.S. As a result of the generally positive results the company maintained its forecast for the full financial year, with sales expected to rise by over 5 percent to ¥295.0 billion ($2.47bn) and net income expected to increase by over 17 percent to ¥18.3 billion ($153.3m).