Mobile makes up 23% of Capcom's operating income as nine months FY12 sales rise 68% to $52 million

Japanese game publisher Capcom (TYO:9697) has announced its figures for the first three quarters of its 2012 fiscal year; the nine months ending December 31.

Net sales were ¥50.3 billion (around $652 million), down 29 percent year-on-year.

Operating income was ¥5.82 billion ($76 million), down 49 percent.

Net income was ¥3.24 billion ($42 million), down 53 percent.

Capcom pointed to what it called a 'lively year-end holiday shopping season', as well as the launch of new mobile games console (Sony's PS Vita in Japan) and the price reduction of some hardware (Nintendo's 3DS).

However, the big trend it's attempting to leverage is what it labelled 'rapid growth of affordable and easily accessible social games attributable to the rise of mobile phones and smart phones'.

In terms of the company mobile performance - which mainly consists of its Beeline Interactive US and European focused division - net sales for the nine months were ¥4 billion (around $52 million), up 68 percent year-on-year.

Operating income was ¥1.37 billion ($18 million), up 189 percent.

Comparing this to the unit's H1 figures, it's revealed that Q3 mobile net sales were ¥1.4 billion (around $18 million), with operating income of ¥492 million ($6.4 million).

In terms of its share of operations, Capcom's mobile business accounted for 8 percent of overall net sales, but 23 percent of operating income.

For the whole of FY12, Capcom predicts its mobile division will generate around $80 million, up 50 percent compared to FY11, also making around $25 million in operating income.

Lifetime downloads and installs on iOS, Android, Facebook and GREE are more than 46 million.

In terms of activity during its third quarter, Capcom pointed to the success of Snoopy's Street Fair in Japan and Asia, and Monhan Tankenki Maboroshi no Shima on the GREE platform in Japan.

It's the publisher's second release on GREE following Resident Evil: Outbreak Survive. Beeline's main product remains Smurfs' Village, however.

The company ended the period with ¥24.3 billion in cash and cash equivalents ($315 million), down ¥10.6 billion ($137 million) compared to 31 March 2011.

[source: Capcom (PDF)]