Tecmo posts first half profit as DOA success continues

Japanese publisher Tecmo, best known for its Dead or Alive series of beat 'em up titles, has announced a 260 million Yen (â'¬2 million) profit in the first half of 2003, on rising sales of 3.9 billion Yen (â'¬30 million).

The results, which show a 40 per cent increase in year-on-year turnover for the company, are mostly down to the continuing success of the Dead or Alive franchise - with a boost in unit sales from 350,000 in this period last year, to 628,000 this year.

Dead or Alive 3 Platinum and Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball are both fingered as key successful titles, and the company has high hopes for the second half of the fiscal year - which will see launches for titles including Dead or Alive Online, and another Xbox exclusive which is being heavily promoted by Microsoft, Ninja Gaiden.

Tecmo has also continued to find success in its native Japan over the past few years despite its close relationship with Microsoft, and as well as titles such as the critically acclaimed Project Zero (known as Fatal Frame in some territories), the company also produces a variety of titles specifically targeted at the Japanese market across several console formats.