Today Nihon Falcom announced its financial results for the first half of the fiscal year, corresponding to the period between October 2022 and March 2023.
The company recorded 1,138 million yen in sales (up 23.2% year-on-year), while operating income was 703 million yen (up 32.4% year-on-year). This is also significantly above the previously announced forecast, which was 950 million yen in sales and 550 million yen in operating income.
The sales for the Product Division, which focuses on Japan, were a rather weak 79 million yen (down 20.7% year-on-year). On the other hand, the Licensing Division took the lion's share of sales, with 1,059 million yen (up 28.6% year-on-year). The Licensing Division, as the name suggests, focuses on licensing the company's games to other publishers in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Specifically, Nihon Falcom mentions that download sales of the Ys series and Trails series in North America, Europe, and Asia were strong. In addition, sales of the English versions of The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero and The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure have been above expectations.
Perhaps it isn't too surprising since we had to wait twelve years to play them in English.
Unfortunately, the Western localization of the Trails series is still very much behind Japan, we're now waiting for the launch of The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie in July, while Japanese games have already played the two games that come after, Kuro no Kiseki and Kuro no Kiseki II: Crimson Sin.
In the meanwhile, Nihon Falcom is preparing to release the next mainline Ys game, Ys X: Nordics. An English localization has not been announced yet.
