Konami is the latest major Japanese publisher to post a financial loss. The company joins rivals Capcom and Square Enix in a tough year for Japanese video games.
Comparing itself to last year, Konami dropped 15 percent in net revenues and 42.8 percent in net income. For 2013, however, they are expecting income to raise as much as 17.7 percent over the course by March 31, 2014.
The loss came at a time when Konami launched several games in key franchises such as Castlevania, Pro-Evolution Soccer and two new Metal Gear titles. However, those two games were not part of the main franchise, one being a social game, and the other being a hack 'n slash in what Kojima has called a sub-series.
Konami claims it sees "signs of rebound" thanks to the devaluing of the yen and two huge Metal Gear Solid releases later this year when both The Phantom Pain and Ground Zeroes are dropping. Obviously, their focus will be "to promote the Metal Gear series, our leading products, including effectively utilizing E3 2013."
Konami is more than just a video game company, though. Many might not realize this, but it actually runs a very successful chain of gyms throughout Japan, and the division creates enough business to keep them running in times of trouble.
Regardless, the time has come for Japanese publishers to really push the envelope of what thy are capable of. Are huge budgets the way of the future for Japan, or is scaling back for smaller projects a better option for them? Japanese developers have proven time and time again they are very capable at both.
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