Square Enix trumpets sales on smartphones as 2010 revenues fall 28% yoy

There's an indelible link between Square Enix's key franchises and consoles, given the publisher has spent the last few decades making its name on Nintendo and, latterly, Sony's machines.

2010 was the year, however, that Square Enix began to take smartphones seriously.

Chaos Rings, in particular, earned rave reviews on iPhone and, at a time when its revenues fell 28 percent year on year, president Yoichi Wada said its releases on smartphones and its line up of browser based games offer the publisher the most room for growth.

Shifting priorities

"Responding to intensifying competition in the console game market, the company has implemented organisational changes in the third quarter while also working to better select and further strengthen our most competitive titles," Wada said.

"In other platform areas including PCs and smartphones, we have created successful examples of new content such as Nicotto Town and Sengoku IXA.

"By pursuing these two independent markets, we are raising our ability to succeed in diverse business models."

Overall, the first nine months of 2010 saw Square Enix's income fall 77 percent to ¥1821 million ($22.3 million) in earnings, with sales hitting ¥98,183 million ($1.2 billion).

The publisher expects full year net income to come in at ¥1,000 million ($12.2 million).

[source: GamesIndustry.biz]