Square Enix profits surge, but no FFXIII until 2008

Square Enix, the maker of popular RPG game Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest series today reported a 67.5% rise in operating profit over the previous year, but it's predicting a 19% during the 2007 fiscal year.

Operating profit is up from last year's ¥15.47 billion, to ¥25.92 billion (US$213 million). Sales also increased 31% to a record ¥163.47 billion ($1.34 billion).

During the 2006 fiscal year, Square Enix shipped 16.93 million video games globally, and it's packaged game business brought in ¥16.3 billion ($133.9 million). The firm's online game business also saw marked improvement over last year, posting elevated operating profit of ¥6.8 billion ($55.8 million), up from last year's ¥5.9 billion. Other divisions, including publishing, cellphone content and amusement facility businesses also improved over last year.

However, net profit was down 32% to ¥11.62 billion because the company “wrote back only 3 billion yen in provisions, having written back 9 billion yen in provisions the year before,” according to a report by Japanese service AFX News.

During this fiscal year, the company projects ¥12 billion net profit, while operating profits drop 19% to ¥21 billion.

According to IGN, Square Enix president Yoichi Wada has indicated that the PS3 saviour next Final Fantasy title, not surprising called Final Fantasy XIII, would not be released before 2008. "It will still take a bit more time," said the president. "At the very least, [a release] this fiscal year is definitely out of the question." So that rules out any time before April 2008.

So I guess we'll just have to keep on watching the trailer until the new one comes out. That's bad news for Sony. They desperately need a blockbuster game right now to boost sales of the PS3. With MGS4 delayed, and now FFXIII not coming until 2008, looks like Sony will have to battle through 2007 with, I don't know, swords and guns ,maybe.

Source: Gamasutra