Konami experiences growth in fiscal 2007’s first half

Japanese video game giant Konami‘s stock prices may have taken a hit when it was announced that Kojima Productions was delaying the highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots for the Sony PlayStation 3, but there’s more good news than bad as sales and profits steadily grow. This week Konami has revealed its financial performance for fiscal 2007’s first half and great results were observed. MLB Power Pros for the Nintendo Wii sold big in Japan, while Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops is keeping the West occupied. Read the full article for more.

Like other video game publishers this week, Japanese giant Konami has made its financial report public via a recent press release. Impeccable results were found amidst fears of slides due to word of Hideo Kojima‘s Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Powered by Japanese franchise sales, significant lifts in revenues and profits were observed.

Konami’s first half of fiscal 2007 which ended last September was powered by popular game franchises such as Dance Dance Revolution, MLB Power Pros and Proyakyu Spirits 4. All three made stellar impacts in game-crazy Japan, shoring up the bulk of sales in the first two quarters.

Out in the West, the Winning Eleven soccer game series continues stable sales rates. Silent Hill: The Arcade and Europe‘s version of Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops also chipped in significant numbers for Konami. Sales were up 12% amounting to US$ 1.2 billion. Profits, on the other hand, rose 13% to US$ 56.9 million.

“Previously, a single home gaming platform was the market leader worldwide, but that pattern has changed,” says Konami in a statement. The company is convinced that the platform that is able to cater to the most users and their preferences will succeed in the new era.

Konami’s Digital Entertainment division, which has jurisdiction over all the company’s gaming interests, raked in the bulk of the total revenues, while the Konami fitness and health division saw a dip in earnings compared to the same period last year.