Sega-Sammy Holdings have released their sales results for Q3 2017, and the results show an improvement compared to the same quarter last year. The group posted a total operating income of ¥35,067 million (around $ 312.6 million). Individually, the Pachinko/Pachislot Business segment had an operating income of ¥25,885 million (around $ 230.73 million), while the Entertainment Content Business (which includes their mobile, console and PC games) posted an operating income of ¥15,387 million (around $ 137.16 million). The Resort Business on the other hand again failed to be profitable, and posted an operating loss of ¥1,822 million ($ 16.24 million). The difference with last year is illustrated in the chart below.
As usual, Sega points out a continued strong performance of Phantasy Star Online 2, Hortensia SAGA and Puyopuyo!! Quest. Also highlighted is Chain Chronicle 3, the latest update to Sega’s successful Chain Chronicle mobile game. Sega also points out that their new mobile game Soul Reverse Zero is part of their “Multi-device × One Service” initiative, which sees mobile games linked to other devices such as the arcades. Curiously, Sega doesn’t talk about how well Soul Reverse Zero actually performed in terms of income.
In terms of physical game releases, Sega-Sammy managed to sell 8,130 thousand copies, a number that’s higher than in the same period in the previous fiscal year. They attribute this increase to the launch of Football Manager 2017 and Yakuza 6. In the amusement centers, KanColle Arcade continues to post good results for the company, and the same can be said about the newly released Sangokushi Taisen.
For the full fiscal year ending March 2017, Sega-Sammy isn’t changing its forecast, despite the good results here. The main reason for that seems to be the fact that they have no large titles that will be released in this period. Recently, they released Valkyria: Azure Revolution on PS4 and PS Vita, and they will also be releasing Puyo Puyo Tetris on the Nintendo Switch. In the arcades, they also plan to launch Initial D Arcade Stage Zero, a new title in the long running franchise.
While Sega-Sammy’s financial statements don’t reveal anything particularly interesting about their future outlook or the performance of their localized titles in the West, it does show that the company has managed to remain profitable in recent times. Hopefully, it’s a trend that will continue throughout the next fiscal year.