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Capcom becomes a key global mobile player, predicts annual FY12 sales of around $80 million

H1 sales up 89 percent year-on-year

Capcom becomes a key global mobile player, predicts annual FY12 sales of around $80 million
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| Capcom financial news

Japanese game publisher Capcom (TYO:9697) has announced its figures for H1 of its 2012 fiscal year; the six months ending September 30.

Mobile games were the company's top performing category, up 89 percent year-on-year to ¥2.6 billion (around $34 million).

The division's operating income was ¥903 million (around $12 million), up 200 percent.

This was 32 percent of Capcom's total operating income.

The company predicted it would generate around $80 million from mobile game sales during its financial year, up 50 percent compared to FY11, also making around $25 million in operating income.

This would make it the third largest mobile publisher by revenue behind EA Mobile and Gameloft, but ahead of Glu Mobile, Gamevil and Com2uS.

It's an impressive number considering it only has 100 staff, out of a company-wide development total of 1,400.

Down, down

Aside from mobile, however, sales of Capcom's consumer online games in H1 were heavily down, while arcade operations were static.

Overall, net sales were ¥29.3 billion (around $380 million), down 28 percent year-on-year.

Net income was ¥906 million (around $12 million), down 49 percent year-on-year.

Capcom said this was because it hadn't launched any major console games during the period.

All systems Smurfin' go

In terms of the success of its mobile division, renamed as Beeline Interactive outside of Japan and now reporting directly to Japan rather than the US, Capcom said that over 30 million of its games had been downloaded, with Smurfs' Village once again highlighted as the top performance title.

Additionally, on the GREE platform in Japan, its Resident Evil Outbreak Survive game has been downloaded over one million times.

Generally, the company is looking to accelerate its performance on domestic networks such as Mobage and GREE, with more games in development.

Capcom ended the period with cash of ¥27.4 billion (around $355 million), down around $100 million compared to six months previous.

It said this was due to the purchase of treasury stock and payment of income taxes.

[source: Capcom IR (PDF)]

Jon Jordan
Jon Jordan
A Pocket Gamer co-founder, Jon can turn his hand to anything except hand turning. He is editor-at-large at PG.biz which means he can arrive anywhere in the world, acting like a slightly confused uncle looking for the way out. He likes letters, cameras, imaginary numbers and legumes.