Konami game revenue dips during fiscal Q1, Snake nowhere to be found

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Aug 6th 2009 at 1:57PM }

Snake?! Snake?! SNAAAAAAAKE?! news now with Konami's financial results for its first quarter (which ended June 30, 2009) showing a notable decrease in revenue, both company-wide and within the video game sector. Edge reports that overall revenues sank 21 percent to $535 million, while sales accrued from video games dropped 50 percent to $103 million. A 45.1 percent slide in net revenues within the digital sector to $258.6 million was attributed to the gradual sales withdrawal of 2008's lucrative PlayStation 3 exclusive, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, as well as "changes in the economic environment."

Konami reportedly sold 2.96 million video games during the quarter, the majority of which were not Metal Gear Solid 4 and 860,000 of which were soccer games. The publisher plans to have a stronger showing during the second half of 2009, thanks to titles like Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, the latest iteration of Pro Evolution Soccer and, of course, DDR Ultra Awesome Kick Mix 2010 EX Gyration Splendour Special (not an actual title). The future will arguably prove to be even more fortuitous, what with the bold decision to release a Metal Gear Solid game on more than one platform.

[Image: Mega 64]

Tags: economy, financial, konami, metal-gear-solid, metal-gear-solid-4, snaaaaaaake, snaake, snake

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Cj @ Aug 6th 2009 2:03PM

Get the old Silent Hill team buck up and make SH6 and they would be in the $$. Atleast from a SH fans perspective.

NaeemTHM @ Aug 6th 2009 2:05PM

Well that's not a good sign. Once Konami notices Snake is their only real gold mine, their going to make poor Kojima milk the franchise.

...I mean, more than he is already. We're talking Metal Gear Solid: Snake Party people. Though I have to admit I'm intrigued by the premise of MGS Kart Racing.

343 Guilty Fart @ Aug 6th 2009 5:30PM

I call Princess P... er, I mean Raiden.

sk8monroe81 (PSN--XBL) @ Aug 7th 2009 3:42AM

Kingdom Metal Gear Hearts Solidus XXII coming 2011....

platforms supported: psp,wii,360,ps3,pc,iphone,steam,

Final Metal Gear Solid Fantasy MMO X-2 coming 2020...

Metal Gear Solid DDR Extreme CQC Edition coming soon...

Heavy Metal Rock Revolution Gear Rising 2 coming 2012...

of what will they do ?

sting @ Aug 6th 2009 2:06PM

Is this why the price of MGS4 is dropping like a rock? If you go to any Wal-Mart somes games will stay the same price ($60) for a year or even two. However I've seen MGS4 at a retail store for just $40. Are they doing this to sell more? Or does Konami actually want to help out its consumers?

~~
http://bit.ly/f5cyp

Captain Planet (now accepting new Planeteer recruits) @ Aug 6th 2009 2:17PM

Sony made it a "greatest hits" back in June and it retails for $29 new. Interesting to note that Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 retail for $34 and $44, respectively, brand new. Titles that have been out for over 2 years and have sold a shit load more copies than MGS4.

sk8monroe81 (PSN--XBL) @ Aug 7th 2009 3:36AM

planet thats why they cost more....

demand was higher for those games and people continue to buy them.

the games that drop to $ 5 - $ 30 are usually the games that have sold fewer copies. it is usually not because a publisher is trying to be nice to us...

funny how uncharted a 2 year old game which sold a million + copies still retails at $ 60 and is hard to find for $ 40 or less anywhere still today... ?
or GT5Prologue for $ 40 still....

but higher demand means higher price usually....

captainprotonx @ Aug 6th 2009 2:10PM

Much like the series, the Snake joke is just old now.

Ashitaka @ Aug 6th 2009 2:10PM

The snaaaaaaake tag seems appropriate.

captainprotonx @ Aug 6th 2009 2:12PM

And snaake doesn't?

NaeemTHM @ Aug 6th 2009 2:20PM

They have the tags in the wrong order! It should be:

snake, snaake, snaaaaaaake

And no, the joke will NEVER be old! Solid Snake fo' life.

Metoo @ Aug 6th 2009 2:10PM

I wish they'd release more games in the summer when I can be actually lazy. I can't wait for Shattered Memories.

Fane @ Aug 6th 2009 5:43PM

You do know that you don't have to buy games ONLY at release?

Metoo @ Aug 6th 2009 6:52PM

You do know I can't wait and I like to play games immediately!

Captain Planet (now accepting new Planeteer recruits) @ Aug 6th 2009 2:14PM

As history tells us, there are only 4 game franchises that can reap the benefits of one series FOREVER

World of Warcraft
Halo
Call of Duty

and of course...

Guitar Hero

NaeemTHM @ Aug 6th 2009 2:24PM

I have a feeling if Microsoft announces one more Halo game, no one will care.

Nintendo however seems to have the "Forever Franchise" formula just right. If they announced a new Zelda, Mario, and Metroid game today, I guarantee you would hear reports about exploding brains all over the world.

Captain Planet (now accepting new Planeteer recruits) @ Aug 6th 2009 2:30PM

Yeah, you're right. Nintendoits blew a load over the vitality sensor and no one still knows what the hell it's going to do.

AsherR [Planeteer | Power of Lightning] @ Aug 6th 2009 2:44PM

It worries me that 3 of those franchises belong to the same company.

Kdiggy @ Aug 6th 2009 5:14PM

Bad list.

CitizenErased @ Aug 6th 2009 9:06PM

Guess someone hasn't heard of the following franchises:

Super Mario
Pokemon
Final Fantasy
The Sims

j.howlett @ Aug 6th 2009 2:15PM

that guitar game didn't help.

Extinction @ Aug 6th 2009 2:17PM

What would help is a trophy patch for MGS4

Captain Planet (now accepting new Planeteer recruits) @ Aug 6th 2009 2:18PM

Or a PS3 price cut.

Hyams @ Aug 6th 2009 3:22PM

That might convince me to replay the game (again), but I doubt it'd sell any new copies. How many MGS fans are out there who are seriously waiting for *trophies* to be added before they buy MGS4?

Paul @ Aug 6th 2009 2:19PM

metal gear aint what it used to be.

it ushered in cinematic action games but it has been outdone by the likes of gears, uncharted, CoD and a few others.

Moptimus Slime (Leader of Princess Griffins Royal Guard, Co-founder of Wiizers Sweatshop, Long Name Aficionado) @ Aug 6th 2009 2:29PM

the fuck it has

captainprotonx @ Aug 6th 2009 2:29PM

A one-hour cut scene doesn't count?

Kleptomaniac @ Aug 6th 2009 2:49PM

No, just no. Metal gear solid>All.

Paul @ Aug 6th 2009 2:56PM

people used to buy MGS because it was THE game to play it was so far ahead of every other game at the time.

now people have halo, gears, uncharted, killzone, infamous, GTA, mass effect, crackdown...

Kleptomaniac @ Aug 6th 2009 2:59PM

@Paul

What are you smoking?! Those games aren't even in the same genre as MGS and barely any of them in the same league! How can you compared Halo or Crackdown to MGS?

Moptimus Slime (Leader of Princess Griffins Royal Guard, Co-founder of Wiizers Sweatshop, Long Name Aficionado) @ Aug 6th 2009 3:08PM

thats not why people play Metal Gear...

Paul @ Aug 6th 2009 3:30PM

ummm...I'm not saying any of those games are better than metal gear. I love metal gear. But look, the first MGS was action packed, cinematic, great story, great characters, memorable moments, it brought hollywood into games. That IS why people play the games. It will be remembered forever, but.... it's competition was crash bandicoot and spyro.

look at it's competition now...CoD4, cinematic, great story, action packed, plays like a movie, memorable moments, awesome multiplayer.

Metal gear definitely got better over the years, but it gave birth to a breed of action games that people obviously like better. take it as a compliment.

Moptimus Slime (Leader of Princess Griffins Royal Guard, Co-founder of Wiizers Sweatshop, Long Name Aficionado) @ Aug 6th 2009 3:49PM

I think people played it because it was a GREAT GAME. I doubt anyone ever thought "Well, this game is shit, but at least it brought Hollywood into games!"

Paul @ Aug 6th 2009 4:16PM

well, that is why I said it was action packed, cinematic, great story, great characters, memorable moments, on top of bringing hollywood into games.

Lav @ Aug 6th 2009 2:43PM

I am not so sure MGSR will sell alot of copies unless it gets good review scores....And it will really need to get good review scores to sell alot of copies since Kojima is not manning it and it being 'a whole different thing'.

gm914 @ Aug 6th 2009 2:41PM

Konami- release Zombie Apocalypse already and I'll give you ten bucks. That should turn that frown upside down...No but seriously, release Zombie apocalypse!!!

Sly [Wiizer Sweatshop Raccoon] @ Aug 6th 2009 2:52PM

"what with the bold decision to release a Metal Gear Solid game on more than one platform."

it isn't a metal gear SOLID game though. it's rising.

Hyams @ Aug 6th 2009 3:17PM

Well, isn't it being called Metal Gear Solid: Rising.

It may be a spin-off, but it's still a MGS game. Same thing as Metal Gear Solid: Portal Ops, and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. (Although, it's clear from interviews that Kojima thinks of Peace Walker as MGS5, though, rather than a spin-off).

Sly Cooper @ Aug 6th 2009 3:42PM

at least those have SOLID in the title.

Sly Cooper @ Aug 6th 2009 3:52PM

metal gear rising =/= metal gear solid

Hyams @ Aug 6th 2009 4:09PM

It *does* have Solid in the title though.

Logo: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/04/Metal_Gear_Solid_Rising_logo.png

Sly Cooper @ Aug 6th 2009 5:06PM

ah, you're right. my bad.

rells009 @ Aug 6th 2009 2:55PM

Konami needs to shuffle their priorities. They had a lot of big franchise outside of MGS, that they could be tapping. Like why has it been so hard to make a 3D Castlevania? I fondly remember playing the first DMC and wondering why there isn't a decent 3D Castlevania. When are we gonna get a Contra for the new generation (and yea it probably would end up with some striking similarities to GOW)? And while MGS is one of the better-received franchises, I can see the interest petering out over the next few console cycles.

Let's be real Kojima undoubtedly does not want to do Metal Gear for the rest of his life. And really, he's THE reason most people give a damn about the franchise. Give him something else to do. The man is respected in the industry and as far as Japanese creators go he's one of the few with a following.

Konami needs to lay off the music franchises (and if you don't believe they're milking those, check out the Wikipedia page) and focus their efforts on reinvigorating their big name franchises, just like they did on PSX with MGS and SotN.