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Konami Revenues Slip In Challenging Market



Over the last nine-months Konami has seen declining profits. Metal Gear Solid 4 set the bar very, very high, and the publisher has had difficulty matching that success. The rough economy, console price-reductions, new portable gaming devices, and high-profile titles are cited as “arousing demand” in the overall game market that Konami simply couldn’t deliver on.

How bad was the decline in revenue? After the nine month period ending on December 31, 2009, Konami had $2.11 billion in revenue, down from $2.92 billion. Profits declined 40 percent from $203.67 million to $121 million.

Konami’s software sales also decreased from 22.35 million to 15.53 million. In particular, unit sales from the Metal Gear Solid series plummeted from 4.5 million units to 650,000. We’re going to go ahead and say not releasing a Metal Gear game in 2009 is probably what hurt overall Metal Gear sales. At least they have Peace Walker and Rising coming up.

Konami’s arcade business also took a hit. The publisher blames penny-pinching gamers and Swine Flu as factors for decreased interest in arcades.

Konami’s fiscal year ends March 31, and Konami hopes that revenues reach $3.43 billion and that profits hit $176.91 million.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker releases on May 25. Will you be helping Konami reach their profit goals by picking up the PSP title?

Source: Gamasutra

Email the author Tim Turi, or follow on Twitter, and Game Informer.

Comments
  • Ugh, it's so long to wait for peace walker, but I will definitely get it

  • I really like Konami, so it's disheartening to see yet another company losing profits.  We might as well just make an article saying "Everyone's profits down; gamers blame Wall Street" :-P

    Hopefully though, once Peace Walker and the Xbox MGS games come out, they'll start picking the company back up again.

    Now if you'll excuse me, I need to say "First!" and then get shown up by someone else saying the same thing right above my post, of course.  First!

  • i want peace walker ,but rising eh i just dont know since its also for xbox it will hurt the value of the game. in solid 4 they even make a switch disc joke. they ask you to switch the disc and then say oh wait we are playing on the ps3 no need to switch. oh yeaa and graphics wise it mite not even be as good as solid 4. thats bad.  

  • I might wind up getting a PSP at long last (if I can some how scrounge together $185 bucks for retail + tax)

  • Don't got a PSP so fraid not. Yknow Konami Metal Gear Solid isn't the only series you have going...just sayin.

  • Ouch, that's bad. I'm getting pretty sure I'll pick this title up, so hopefully they'll get close to those amounts.

  • I wish they would release Peace Walker for PS3 instead.  Even if it was just a PSN game.

  • Mod

    Ezio Audi...something-

    I agree Peace Walker looks awesome, but I admit Rising just won't be the same. It also seems to have little to no involvement with Kojima I.E. not good. That and it will be Raiden as the main guy. MGS2 was so amazing it was over looked. I don't think we will have the same thing here.

  • I bet that the releases of Peace Walker and Rising will probably bring their software sales up a lot.

  • @scruffy what other projects do konami got going for them? or any1 else willing to answer

  • I can't wait for Peace Walker, it is one of the few games that make me glad I have a PSP.

  • I'll pick up Peace Walker if there are some good reviews from sites and Mags I trust.

  • Great. Also..

    WHEN IS RISING COMING OUT??

    Seriously, it was annoced way back at E3 and we still havent seen jack from it. Fallout: New Vegas just premiered a cool trailer, and info will probably follow up soon. So when will Rising have its moment?

  • go konami!

  • I would like to help them but I dont have a PSP

  • i dont have a PSP and dont really want one

  • Peace walker + Metal Gear Rising (360)= happiness

  • Nope. MGS is done for me

  • meh, its like always make good games and the gamer will buy them eventually MGS4 is a good example

  • Already reserved Peace Walker and I can't wait. Konami has some other good looking tiles on the way too though. Anyone else looking forward to Castlevania: Lords of Shadow? A Castlevania game made by Kojima can't be bad in my opinion.

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