Square Enix Sees Sales, Profits Fall In Fiscal 2007

Developer and publisher Square Enix has reported its earnings for the fiscal year ended March 31st, with sales down 9.8 percent to ¥147,516 million ($1.43 billion) and profits down 20.9 percent to ¥9,196 million ($89 million). Its console and handheld division saw sales of ¥41,588 million ($403 million), down 19 percent from the year prior. Square Enix saw sales of 1.15 million units of Dragon Quest IV for the DS in Japan, with sales of Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings spread at 540k in Japan, 220k in North America and 280k in Europe, and Itadaki Street sold 430k in Japan. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates sold 380k in Japan, 160k in North America, and 150k in Europe, while Final Fantasy III sold 480k in Europe. Finally, Crisis Core sold 800k in Japan, and 450k in North America, while Dragon Quest Swords saw sales of 490k in Japan and 110k in North America. In its online division, made up purely of Final Fantasy XI during the year, sales fell 11.4 percent to ¥12,098 million ($117 million). Square Enix reports 500,000 subscribers for the game, which now includes the expansion pack Wings of the Goddess. Mobile phone division sales were down 15.3 percent to ¥6,579 million ($63.7 million), and sales in its arcade division, primarily its Taito properties, also fell 8.7 percent to ¥69,104 million ($669 million). Looking forward, Square Enix says it expects to rebound in the coming year, with fiscal 2008 sales of ¥160 billion ($1.5 billion), and profits of ¥12 billion ($116 million).