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Tekken 6 longevity boosts Namco Bandai bottom line

Last year's brawler chalks up another million sold as publisher reports sales up modestly to $958 million for the first fiscal quarter, with losses trimmed to roughly $19 million.

When Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada crashed a Comic-Con Street Fighter panel last month in order to announce a pair of crossover titles, he gave away copies of Tekken 6 to the crowd, advising the attendees to familiarize themselves with his own series in advance. The generous gesture might not have been entirely necessary, as Harada's latest fighter has been selling well on its own.

Tiger-masked fighter King chooses an unfortunate attack strategy in Tekken 6.

Tiger-masked fighter King chooses an unfortunate attack strategy in Tekken 6.

Namco Bandai has released financial results for its first fiscal quarter, revealing that Tekken 6 notched another 1 million copies sold during the three months ended June 30, accounting for more than one-third of the publisher's software sales. Combined with the publisher's last update on the game, Tekken 6 has now sold more than 3.3 million copies worldwide. The fighting game launched around the world last October to a strong critical reception.

Tekken 6 was far and away Namco Bandai's best-selling title, with the closest follow-up being the latest Japan-only edition of Taiko Drum Master for the Nintendo DS, which racked up 170,000 copies sold. The Western reissues of Ben10 Alien Force Vilgax Attacks did well enough to push 110,000 copies of the game out the door, with the latest DS Super Robot Wars title for the Japanese market selling roughly the same number for the quarter.

The publisher's bottom line improved as well. For the quarter, Namco Bandai reported revenues of ¥81.9 billion ($958 million), up 8 percent year-over-year. And while it posted a net loss of ¥1.6 billion ($19 million), that was still an improvement on the ¥2.8 billion ($33 million) net loss the company suffered in its previous first quarter.

Namco Bandai expects to turn that loss around in the coming months, as the company also posted a full-year forecast for a net profit of ¥4.5 billion ($53 million), a significant turnaround from the ¥29.9 billion ($350 million) it lost last year. Revenues for the full year are also expected to be up a little less than 6 percent to ¥400 billion ($4.7 billion).

66 Comments

  • Dualmask

    Posted Aug 10, 2010 5:51 am GMT

    I just rented T6 from Gamefly the other day, and I like it, but then again I don't really get much chance to play competitively. I hear too many bad things about the online play to try it (and I don't like competitive online anyway) and I don't have many people to play offline with, but I was curious about any improvements from T5. I kind of like the Final Fight-ish mode but it would be really great if it were 2 player offline. Overall, T6 is a solid game, could have been better, but it's not horrible.

  • cdripper

    Posted Aug 10, 2010 5:04 am GMT

    Good to hear this news... it's about time Tekken 6 got it's due. I think it's the best Tekken ever, despite the flaws of the online and tons of little nitpicks. Longevity is great- we're gonna have to play it for a couple years more as we wait for Tekken 7...

  • SLjimbolian

    Posted Aug 9, 2010 9:30 pm GMT

    @Gabex023

    Totally agreed. VF is a underdog when it comes to all the different fighting series out there like Tekken and Street Fighter.

    I enjoy Tekken 6, but for the next one, I'm hoping they tweak the fighting engine a little bit. At times, it can be a bit cheap with players using juggling moves over and over again.

  • Prime05

    Posted Aug 9, 2010 12:21 pm GMT

    How about a stronger arcade the mode next time around. Didn't really care for the side scrolling action game I had to play to unlock endings. Also not being able to rank past 1st Dan offline sucked. Not everybody wants to play online (me). Now I'm starting to remember why I traded this game away. I've owned every Tekken game in the series including Tag Team and Tekken 6 sucked even when I tried to make myself like it because I'm a Tekken fan. Sorry to anyone who disagrees or doesn't like my words but, it's true, Tekken 5 and Dark Ressurection are better games even without the expanded roster or moves.

    I am the anti whatever you are, alien drunk at the bar...

  • SicklySunStorm

    Posted Aug 9, 2010 6:05 am GMT

    guiltily, I still haven't played Tekken 6 yet. must pick it up soon ahead of the SF IV crossover....

  • Gabex023

    Posted Aug 9, 2010 5:15 am GMT

    Tekken is a great series yet I feel that the true king of 3D fighters (The VF series) doesn't get enough credit. Support Sega and pick up a copy of VF5. In VF you will find much deeper gameplay and a combo system that punishes button mashers.

  • Virtual_Erkan

    Posted Aug 9, 2010 2:26 am GMT

    The online feature sucks. They need to improve the server and more functions to make the online gameplay much easier.

  • Black_Adder_

    Posted Aug 8, 2010 10:50 pm GMT

    I had last played Tekken 4 which I only played with my friends offline (but I mean it - we played it for days without sleeping). Then I picked up Tekken 6 and it was like "Oh my God...what a crap!". Don't know if it started in 5th or what, but Tekken is dead for sure to me.

  • thingta42

    Posted Aug 8, 2010 10:39 pm GMT

    Tekken 6 is fun. But it could of been much, much better, Like someone said below me. Not being able to get past 1st Dan offline sucks. The last Boss is kinda unforgiving. Online is laggy. Some stages are mising from Stage select screen. Long ass load times. Second player can't use his/her own custom outfits on characters. No Offline Co-op mode. etc etc. I think is there was to be a tekken 7 then it would improve on Tekken 6's flaws to be better.

  • korol_i_shut

    Posted Aug 8, 2010 10:21 pm GMT

    only game i've ever plantinumed, i love tekken 6, if the online wasn't so buggy, i wouldn't look like a complete knob, but its still a great fighter and many an hour has been spent with my friends just kicking each others asses, tekken 6 rocks

  • franzken03

    Posted Aug 8, 2010 8:09 pm GMT

    whoever playing kazuya was a noob lol

  • magusat999

    Posted Aug 8, 2010 11:47 am GMT

    Capcom (and other game companies) should learn from this. Don't abandon your steady money-maker - and don't water it or alter it so that your audience is juming ship either. I see Capcom (cancelled Breath of Fire), SE (ruined Final Fantasy, screwed up Dungeon Quest releases), and a lot of other companies messing up with their bottom-line products - and look what it got them; struggling to tread water. companies are getting swallowed whole by the likes of EA because they keep wrecking their own product. At least there are a few outstanding examples, like Namco Bandai who seems to know how to keep some money in their pockets by supporting their flagship products - even Nintendo who has the DS to keep them going. Will the others ever get it?

    Probably not.

  • Bad_Medicine

    Posted Aug 8, 2010 10:28 am GMT

    @xatman 911 "Never underestimate kids"

    ... like Cell did. Kaaaaa... meeeeee........ yeah.

  • xatman911

    Posted Aug 8, 2010 7:06 am GMT

    I got a chance to play it in Japan when it first came out. I got pwned by a 5 year old kid with his mum. Never underestimate kids...

  • razgriz_101

    Posted Aug 8, 2010 6:27 am GMT

    tekken 6 is a fairly good game...but it dont hold up against tekken 2

  • jtthegame316

    Posted Aug 8, 2010 5:38 am GMT

    i might like tekken if a is was not so mashy b if the boss was not less fun than fighting seth on the original streetfighter 4

  • Castlevania1986

    Posted Aug 8, 2010 3:47 am GMT

    Tekken 6 was an okay fighting game. Still kept its annoying advanced gameplay style which turned me off a bit. But graphic wise, and such it doesn't fail there. Not to mention the sound effects are hard hitting. Sadly the music is crappy still with Tekken Tag and Tekken 3 still being the best in terms of having great soundtracks.

  • killeracer0210

    Posted Aug 8, 2010 2:23 am GMT

    I love Tekken 6, if they want to make more money, they should make Klonoa cartoons.

  • vengefulwilberg

    Posted Aug 7, 2010 6:33 pm GMT

    Fanboy-ism must die. Plan and simple. It not like fans get paid for trashing other games. Street Fighter, Tekken, and Mortal Kombat are all great games. Some individuals should wake up and stop acting like tools of chatting destruction.

  • RSM-HQ

    Posted Aug 7, 2010 4:22 pm GMT

    If the online was better this game would be a perfect package. Sadly the online is awful at best. Alas it is still the best fighting game out there. Bar none.

  • Chief_Kuuni

    Posted Aug 7, 2010 3:45 pm GMT

    great game, love it

  • thingta42

    Posted Aug 7, 2010 3:41 pm GMT

    Just wanted to say while i admit im not very good at Tekken 6 (I avoid the online) I still enjoy it from time to time.

  • thingta42

    Posted Aug 7, 2010 3:38 pm GMT

    I just want frigging Soul Calibur 5..

  • kakaface5754

    Posted Aug 7, 2010 1:47 pm GMT

    does anybody kno if theirs any dlc pland for tekken?

  • jamestillett

    Posted Aug 7, 2010 12:42 pm GMT

    just falls short of perfect really the only really downside to Tekken6 is the fact that you can,t pass 1STDan in offline ghost battle i think that makes it rather unfair on those who enjoy tekken but don,t have the PS3 online.

    Just one quick question how the hell do you beat nancy and who is best for the job?

  • TheIndianChild

    Posted Aug 7, 2010 10:41 am GMT

    I

  • irishdude199210

    Posted Aug 7, 2010 8:20 am GMT

    tekken 6 FTW!

  • Kayshahna posted Aug 7, 2010 5:46 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Kayshahna

    Posted Aug 7, 2010 5:46 am GMT (hide)

    Completely undeserved, Tekken 6 sucked horribly.

  • loopy_101

    Posted Aug 7, 2010 3:51 am GMT

    Shame Namco still haven't fixed the awful loadtimes and lag of Tekken 6 online.

  • Jeff-Ryan

    Posted Aug 7, 2010 3:01 am GMT

    good, I like tekken 6

  • Flamerdragon

    Posted Aug 7, 2010 1:59 am GMT

    So glad Tekken6 is doing so well.

  • kidshining

    Posted Aug 6, 2010 11:18 pm GMT

    @Bigbudd0045

    King vs Wolf. KING ALL DAY!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

  • EddyG0RD0

    Posted Aug 6, 2010 10:40 pm GMT

    i bet it sold more on PS3

  • vegasartst79

    Posted Aug 6, 2010 10:02 pm GMT

    Tekken is the best 3d fighting game and Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat are the 2 best 2d games, whats with all the hate, they are both good games.

  • BloodMist

    Posted Aug 6, 2010 9:55 pm GMT

    Wow, well go Tekken!Always a great series.

  • kidshining

    Posted Aug 6, 2010 9:09 pm GMT

    hahaha, gimme KING. ill show u how to do that move right ^_^ Yea, i love tekken!

  • goyo_nemesis_89

    Posted Aug 6, 2010 9:08 pm GMT

    readyyy????? fight!!!!!!!!!

  • monson21502

    Posted Aug 6, 2010 7:57 pm GMT

    i havent played this game yet

  • Twin-Blade

    Posted Aug 6, 2010 7:25 pm GMT

    Sweet. Can't wait for TvsSF & SFxT. Hopefully they really ramp up their version, it would be interesting to see which version sells more.

  • amaan4ever

    Posted Aug 6, 2010 7:16 pm GMT

    no offense but tekken sold almost the same as SF4 and SSF4 combined

  • Bookerjj2000

    Posted Aug 6, 2010 6:33 pm GMT

    @ThePRGod
    "Oh, what a surprise. Whenever you hear Tekken, the SF fanboys come out and talk trash about it. Funny when you think about it, because Ono has been on record for giving praise to Tekken and also thanking it for keeping the fighting genre alive, even saying if it wasn't for Tekken, SF4 would not have been as successful."

    Lol as of now, there is only 26 comments on this thread and not one person came in here saying 2Dfighters is better than Tekken, there is one comment saying Virtual Fighter is better than Tekken. The whole "non-argument" started with the first comment feeling as though he/she had to defend tekken off the bat (that says alot) then more comments came in claiming 3D better than 2D. This seems to go against your whole comment, seems the 3D fighting crowd has a problem with 2D fighters, why can't people accept the fact they are two very different types of games, play totally different. To each their own.

  • xophaser posted Aug 6, 2010 6:30 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    xophaser

    Posted Aug 6, 2010 6:30 pm GMT (hide)

    I liked the game, but the graphic was a little dated. No more arcade port. Soul Calibur came out a year earlier was as good or better.

  • PumpkinBoogie

    Posted Aug 6, 2010 6:01 pm GMT

    See, Capcom....this is how you let your fighting franchises make you money! if you don't overdo the saturation of a good title the longevity of it will speak for itself w/ the residual revenue. Please take some notes from Namco....just a suggestion.

  • Gelugon_baat

    Posted Aug 6, 2010 5:54 pm GMT

    That caption for the picture is so spot-on hilarious.

  • TSNAKE617

    Posted Aug 6, 2010 5:15 pm GMT

    Now you can get off your asses and publish some PS3 Tales games in the U.S. and Europe, right? Right!?!?

  • AceTheBat-Hound

    Posted Aug 6, 2010 5:08 pm GMT

    The only reason why people are bad mouthing tekken is because of this game.

  • soyt_llusala

    Posted Aug 6, 2010 4:45 pm GMT

    3.3 million copies!? Wow! I will get both TekkenXSF and SFXTekken as I love both (Tekken and SF) fighting franchise.

  • canx12

    Posted Aug 6, 2010 4:33 pm GMT

    i even saw naruto X tekken but it's just ultimate ninja storm 2 haha with Lars (i guess that's his name) in it sounds like someone is desperate

  • Ranma_X_basic

    Posted Aug 6, 2010 4:06 pm GMT

    I for one enjoy Namco's games. Tekken and Soul Caliber have always been one of my favorite fighting franchises when i take a break from Street Fighter. Heck i'll even admit to enjoying namco's dragonball raging blast (and loking forward to the upcoming sequel).

    And as for Street Fighter X Tekken/Tekken X Street Fighter i'm gonna get both versions of the game cause the trailer and gameplay footage looked awesome.

    And i will agree with everyone that Tekken did help keeping the fighting genre alive as did street fighter and the Vs' games!!!

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