Tecmo Signs Up To Wii’s Virtual Console

Japanese developer Tecmo has become the latest company to agree to support the Wii’s 'Virtual Console' digital download capabilities, as part of business plans revealed for the company’s second half of 2006. According to the plan, which also involves toy and pachinko merchandising of franchises such as Dead or Alive, "active efforts" are being made with regards to the virtual console – although not specific titles have yet been announced. Although not the most prolific of developers, the company’s long history includes many well loved arcade and 8-bit console titles, including the Ninja Gaiden series, Bomb Jack, Tecmo Bowl and Rygar. The company will join fellow Japanese developers such as Sega, Hudson and SNK Playmore who have also pledged support for the virtual console in terms of re-releasing emulated versions of back catalogue titles from the '80s and '90s. The business plan also hints at plans to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Dead or Alive series in November, although gives no hint of what form this may take or on what formats. Elsewhere in the plan, expectations for the company’s next fiscal results, from March to December, were predicted as ¥11.8 billion ($100.7m) in terms of consolidated net sales, with an operating profit of ¥1.2 billion ($10.2m) and net income of ¥780 million ($6.7m). The latter figure is up from earlier predictions of ¥500 million ($4.3m).