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Square Enix Q1 Sales Thrive Thanks To Mobile Lineup And Dragon Quest Heroes II
The first quarter of Square Enix’s fiscal year 2017 kicked off with improved sales thanks to strong mobile performers in the East. With two Final Fantasy titles among them, the publisher is off to a strong revenue start, with big expectations for the year.
Thanks to games like Mobius Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, which have been out for a little longer in Japan, sales jumped by 21.1 percent to ¥51.2 billion ($505.8 million). The publisher also cites strong early performance of Dragon Quest Heroes II, which launched in May in Japan.
Square Enix’s video game segment saw a better-than-aggregate lift in sales during this quarter. Digital entertainment revenue amounted to ¥3.75 billion ($370.5 million), an increase of 23.8 percent.
Net income decreased by 11.1 percent, as Square Enix suffered from foreign exchange losses versus last year’s gains due to a weaker yen. This made the difference, eroding the gains made in sales and operating income.
The rest of Square Enix’s fiscal year, which ends March 31, is a blitz from both East and West. The former has Dragon Quest remakes for 3DS, Final Fantasy XV, the likely release of Nier Automata in Q4, and a possible Western launch for Dragon Quest Heroes II.
The Western teams will be delivering Rise of the Tomb Raider on PlayStation 4, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Deus Ex Go, and more Hitman content. All of this has led the publisher to anticipate improvements down the income statement at the end of the year.
[Source: Square Enix]
Our Take
Square Enix has had a stellar lineup for the past two years, even if every game hasn’t been a home run. There is a pronounced change in the company, as East and West are working both independently, but more harmoniously than in the past. The result is a release schedule that feels like two big publishers with one pipeline, and the finances reflect that strength.
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