Square Enix Sees Minimal Sales Growth in First Nine Months of Fiscal Year

Square Enix, the developer of the iconic Final Fantasy series, has released its financial results for the nine-month period ending December 31, 2023. Key highlights include: - Net sales of ¥257.6 billion ($1.7 billion), representing a 1% year-over-year increase - A profit of ¥26.8 billion ($180 million), marking a 42% decline from the previous year - Digital Entertainment net sales of ¥179.6 billion ($1.2 billion), down 2.5% year-over-year The HD Games segment generated ¥66.8 billion ($449 million) in net sales, a 15% increase from the previous year, driven by the release of several notable titles, including Final Fantasy: Pixel Remaster, Final Fantasy 16, Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai, and Star Ocean: The Second Story R. In contrast, Mobile/PC Browser games saw a 9% year-over-year decline, with revenues of ¥78 billion ($524 million). Square Enix has announced a lineup of 16 major titles for the segment, but noted that new releases were unable to compensate for the underperformance of existing titles. The company's MMO segment experienced a 14% year-over-year decline, with revenues of ¥34.8 billion ($234 million). However, the company plans to release new expansion packs for its two operating titles, Final Fantasy XIV and Dragon Quest X, in 2024. During the nine-month period, Square Enix sold 18.51 million copies of games, comprising 14.32 million downloaded units and 4.19 million disc-based units. The company is set to launch its new title, Foamstars, on February 6, and the next installment of the Final Fantasy 7 remake, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, is scheduled for release on February 29.