Sega's Annual Sales Experience 20% Uptick, Driven by Strong Persona and Like a Dragon Sales

Sega Sammy has published its financial report for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023, showcasing robust performance across multiple areas. Key highlights include: Net sales of ¥468 billion ($3 billion), representing a 20% year-over-year increase; Operating income of ¥56.8 billion ($365 million), up 22% year-over-year; and Profit of ¥33.1 billion ($212 million), down 28% year-over-year. Sega attributes its sales growth to the mid-year acquisition of Rovio and favorable market conditions in Japan and Asia. However, profitability was impacted by the costs associated with European restructuring efforts. The entertainment contents division, which includes home gaming, experienced a strong fourth quarter, resulting in a 12% increase in full-year sales to ¥318 billion ($2.04 billion). Notably, January's Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and February's Persona 3 Reload both achieved sales of 1 million copies within a week of launch, surpassing previous records in their respective series. This success propelled the Persona franchise to 5.06 million copies sold over the year, a 55% year-over-year increase, while Like a Dragon games, including the Judgment series, reached 5.36 million copies, an 89% year-over-year increase. As a result, the gap between these franchises and Sega's flagship Sonic franchise narrowed, with Sonic sales declining 27% to 5.92 million copies. Looking ahead, Sega forecasts a 5% decline in sales and a 21% decrease in operating income for the current fiscal year, with profits expected to increase by 18%. The entertainment contents division is projected to experience a 5% year-over-year sales increase, offset by a 21% decline in the Pachislot business and the sale of the Seagaia resort to Fortress Investment Group.