Metal Gear Solid publisher reports $218 million in consumer games revenues for first half of fiscal year, $216 million in skyrocketing social and mobile revenues.
The publisher of Castlevania, Metal Gear Solid, and Pro Evolution Soccer is now making as much money from its social games as it is from its more traditional titles. Konami today reported results for the first half of the fiscal year, revealing that declines in its traditional consumer games business are being more than offset by explosive growth from its social and mobile efforts.
For the six months ended September 30, Konami's consumer games business was down 26 percent to ¥17 billion ($218 million), while social and mobile revenues jumped more than 230 percent to ¥16.9 billion ($216 million). Companywide, Konami revenues were up more than 6 percent to ¥123.1 billion ($1.6 billion), while net profits jumped 174 percent to ¥11.5 billion ($147 million).
Konami reported unit sales of its games were down sharply for the first half of the fiscal year. During the April-September period, the publisher sold 7.36 million games, down 34 percent from 10.05 million for the same period the year before. The company's two biggest franchises were both down, as it sold 2.93 million soccer games and just 340,000 Metal Gear games in the half-year, down from the previous year's first-half totals of 3.44 million and 1.47 million copies sold, respectively.
As for its social gaming growth, Konami said its social games have cumulatively registered more than 11 million users. In December of 2010, that total was less than 3 million. Some of its biggest titles in that space include Dragon Collection, Sengoku Collection, and Professional Baseball Dream Nine.
Brendan Sinclair has been a games journalist since 1999. His tastes are eclectic, though he has a definite affinity for games with arcade roots. He's Canadian, but has also been at home in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, and San Francisco.
@shabulia @Kryptonbornson Agreed on the Castlevania remarks. Symphony of the Night (PS1/PSN/XBLA) was my fav for a long time. Lament of Innocense (PS2) was pretty good, but lacked the platforming I'd grown to love. Curse of Darkness (PS2/XBox) was just all combat rubbish. Ironically, the handheld Castlevanias kept me interested in the series alot more than the 3D games. Aria of Sorrow (GBA) and Portrait of Ruin (DS) carry SotN's torch excellently.
@shabulia @nate1222 Agreed. Same thing happened with comics. In the 80s, loads of people read comics. The fact they sold them in the grocery stores and most gas stations helped (though they had to meet the comics code standards), but for the most part they got too concern about detailed art and convoluted story so girls and "common folk" stopped reading them. They used to be like Magazines for kids/teens, but they eventually were just for the hardcore even though they sold millions still. Soon they were only to be found in comic shops and later book stores. Video games were going there. People forget what games were, which was fun first. Zelda wasn't every game. Final Fantasy wasn't every game. That's why games are selling less, but costing more, even if the industry itself makes more money. On another note, I think Devil May Cry captured the spirit of Castlevania though. Castlevania like many series never existed to me in 3D.
I can't say I'm surprised. Console gaming quality has (for the most part) lowered its standards while mobile gaming has grown a great deal in quality. As console games become more expensive and more complicated, customers look elsewhere for their entertainmebt needs. What most fail to realize is that many want simple and fun games as opposed to expensive and complicated ones. Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, and Doodle Jump are prime examples of good, cheap, creative fun. Konami's console gaming quality has especially tanked in recent years. Castlevania used to be a main draw for the company but with the insistance on making 3D worlds, the series has suffered and almost faded into obscurity. I enjoy Super Castlevania IV and Symphony of the Night far more than anything since. It's nice to see revenue for mobile/casual gaming increase to such levels but sad to see AAA titles take serious dives in sales and popularity because companies like Konami let the quality of such gaming franchises suffer.
The reality is: the world doesn't NEED gaming. If it becomes too expensive (like the current gen has) or too cumbersome (like the current gen has) then people will simply ditch it. Music, movies and even books can all be enjoyed via devices which people already get PRACTICAL uses out of. PCs, cell phones, etc... It's only natural that, more accessible types of, games do the same. Console makers have gotten away with charging consumers large chunks for no BC and planned obsolescence for a very long time. Now, that time is just about over.
ive been seeing my dad play soem retarded facebook game . i wanted to tell him " Y U SETTLE FOR CRAP, play real games" but im sure he'd just shrug it of.
This isn't bad at all. Gaming is gaming. More money for Konami means more money they can spend to develope games.
Good move. Who needs to make proper game anymore when you can get people who don't care about videogame to play.
Maybe am paranoid but I wonder if die hard gamers like us will ever become a dying breed. :_: I can understand the appeal of the mobile market though. People who only play them when they have free time in work or whatever and they don't want to pay more money for a Nintendo DS or a psp. Mobile gaming is cheap and it appeals to not your usual gamers.
social games are never as good as AAA titles, every few years our consoles get better (as do the computers), but a cell phone is unlikely to ever reach a console's raw power. and if by some chance they do, people will get bored with the social games and likely want something else.
@RSM-HQ actually they announced a new Suikoden recently (sadly its a spin off, but its better then nothing)
Meh,this should be only available on Sony lol.Just kidding,it gives the right to anyone play some of the greatest titles ever made in history ;) !I got both of the consooles and already finished these mgs on psp and ps2,i'm a huge fan of the series so i finished every mgs lol ;) !
I agree with Jayd02. I think they should make bigger games and i know silent hill downpur wont sell used to even im getting that and MGS. series. I really think they should bring retro games to psn and xbox acrade and pc so to get some money and im one of them want to buy retro classics
They need to keep releasing big titles. They think that PES is going to take them somewhere and it won't. They will get sales when they finally release Rising (thank you for the update by the way) They need to release another CV soon. Also if they stopped trying to take crowds from other successful games then maybe they would have more sales. Check their game list and they only have a few legit games that. I feel bad for this company because I love MGS so much and they can make great games, they just need to invest in something new instead of a rip-off of another successful game.
Don't really mind, when you think about it not many AAA games have been coming from this company as of late. Metal Gear Solid 4 was the last awesome game Konami released this gen, & that's quite awhile ago 'unless you count the CV reboot'. Anyway! I know it's not the settler hit they need or anything but what happened to Suikoden?!?
Of course they are close to equal when no new games come out. Hopefully all this is going to great games in the future because the barely hd metal gear collection is not going to cut it.
I am fine with incredible social game sales....as long as that money goes to making incredible AAA titles. Once dev's give up making big games and focus on social games, that's when they get shunned. Then again, if Konami is making this much money from BOTH, then they might as well stick with it if it works for them. As long as those AAA games continue.
I like konami they have made some great games that once graced my gaming librarey but saying social gaming is the place to be is just a joke! Cell phone tech has evolved alot over the last few years yes but it will never replace the power house systems we have at home and if it does gosh I hope I'm dead way before that happens...
I personally have no interest in mobile gaming or any other bubblegum media. To each their own, that's fine but beware any publisher who gives too much weight to this so called gaming in favor of traditional gaming. The loyal must come first not the fickle.
''Social Games Nearly Equal to Traditional Games''....I guess they figure that if they say it enough it will end up happening. I don't care what the sales say..while I normally don't think I have the right to judge whether someone is a ''true gamer'' or not..anyone who intentionally ignores AAA titles like Uncharted,Legend of Zelda,Assassin's Creed,and the like for solely cut the rope and angry birds is a ####### embarrassment to the gaming world and doesn't even deserve to have a controller in their hands...casual titles are fine...but never equal the depth and quality of the traditional game.Konami...you go ahead and go all-social....you won't be getting any of my money if you do.
is anyone else tired of seeing the same old Metal Gear Raiden pic since two years ago? I know I am... I want something new already Konami... show some "Real" game play already! something... just give is something already.
This isn't news, this is nonsense. Given that they've probably been releasing tiny social mobile games like hot cakes and they haven't released any huge titles for half a year this is just a bland observation about stuff that is new sells more than stuff that has been out for ages. Roll on the year of the release of Metal Gear Rising.
People just want to have fun. I think they need to make less big budget games, charging less for them and increasing their value only later. $20 standard for a AAA game should be fine and it should last longer than one year. They'll get many more people to look at "real" games. Casual games are easy, free, and fun. It's nothing for a woman (or even some men I know) to play Cityville, get hype and pluck down $20 to get some virtual cash if they want to finish a building their fake friends won't help them build. They make $30,000+. Your audience is much smaller for $60 games that with DLC might cost $20. Is GTA 4 really an $80 game? Really? Even though it's detailed, It's not as fun as Angry Birds to me. I'm a console gamer since 85, so I don't need to be sold on the virtues of Zelda or Metal Gear, but they miss the idea that you only need so many epics. or blockbusters. Viewing Steam statistics, You'll see people don't finish their games. Many grown-ups don't have time and kids lose interest. Games like Crazy Taxi as are well accepted as classics, but it's not intended to be played much longer than 5 minutes at a time except for the console versions. Street Fighter is a "hardcore" bite sized game. Only Adventure games and RPGs had battery packs (or codes) back in the day, so only a hardcore game would last over a few hours. Even games like the original Castlevania an Ninja Gaiden can be beaten in a lightning round even if it took 8 hours the first play through.
great i maybe known as a negative person but this is kind of feeling like the beginning of the end. this mobile social garbage is about to take over i hope some developers and companies keep making stuff for the hardcore otherwise its back to the archives for me.
well considering the price tag of the social mobile it makes sense that they would sell more units
Social games, it's the way of the future! But what a grim dystopian future that would be. I'd rather live in the Fallout world, than in that post-core-game world. One thing doesn't have to exclude the other though and I hope game companies realize that. They can do both and prosper.
"Konami social game sales nearly equal to traditional games" Sad news for those of us who actually like good video games.
So, what is an example of their "social" games? I'm confused. Mobile I get, but social, not so much.
Well wouldn't that have a lot to do with what they released. I bet if they had released MGS V in that time frame, numbers would look a little different.
@OJdaLIONKing Well spoken. The article almost made it seem like it's a shocker that MGS hasn't sold much right now. Not to be frank, but... Duh. I will be curious to see how much the MGS HD collection will sell. They at least have my money for that, and I assure many others.
Things like this are popping up everywhere and it dosent bode well for the hardcore gamer. I dont wanna play farmville!! gimme some gears of war or soul cal! but with how these casual/mobile games are exploding on smart phones and the money rolling in eventually there will be alot less emphasis on making hardcore games for hardcore gamers. crap.
Well of course there weren't that many MGS sales, there weren't any major MGS releases. Hopefully MGS rising comes out soon and gets many millions of sales.
Good for Konami. Hopefully it'll continue pumping out quality games like there's no tomorrow....
its cuz mgs rocks! i already have mgs HD collection preordered. theres another 50 bucks for you konami.
Metal Gears sales are gonna rock once the hd collection comes and especially when Rising does ^^
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