TOKYO--Koei held a press conference today and announced its financials for the first half of its fiscal year. It also revealed a number of upcoming initiatives, including its intent to develop products for Sony's new PSP handheld platform.

　　Between April and September 2003, Koei said it generated 10.8 billion yen ($99 million) in sales and recorded a profit of 2.2 billion yen ($20.3 million). This is the first time sales have exceeded 10 billion yen ($95 million) in any six-month period. It is also the greatest profit ever recorded by Koei.

　　The company attributes the good numbers to increased sales of home console games--a category that posted a 30 percent increase over the same period last year. In particular, sales of Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends in Japan and Dynasty Warriors 4 in overseas markets made an impact on the company's bottom line. Combined sales were over 1 million copies. For the first half of the year, Koei's game sector charted sales of 7.8 billion yen and recorded an operating profit of 2.4 billion yen ($22.2 million).

　　Koei commented that it plans on releasing games for the Sony PSP and hopes to launch two to four titles at or close to the PSP's launch. Stating that it sees the PSP as a potentially profitable worldwide platform, it plans on releasing product which is appropriate for multiple markets (including Japan). Koei acknowledges that the PSP will be a more expensive, high-spec piece of hardware (compared to current portable game consoles like the GBA) and will target a different, more specialized market.

　　During the presentation, Koei outlined three plans for extending its businesses to new markets. First, Koei aims to strengthen its online content, which the company sees more as a "new genre" for games than as a completely new market. The company has already begun running online services, starting with Nobunaga's Ambition Online for the PS2. The game currently supports 35,000 subscribers and is expected to show a profit within two years.

　　During the presentation, Koei announced that an online edition of the Daikoukai Jidai series, known as Uncharted Waters in English-speaking markets, is in the works for the PC. Koei plans to begin beta testing in April and then hopes to launch the product in September. The company also said it would target other new markets, including mobile handset users.

　　Koei also said it was concentrating efforts to create games oriented specifically to a female audience and will promote such games across a number of media vehicles. The company is already known for its Angelique series and has plans to release a number of new titles in the near future, like La Corda D'oro for the PC, for that same (primarily female) audience.

　　Finally, Koei said it intends to increase distribution and presence (including development facilities) on a global level to ensure product is properly sold into foreign markets and to assist in the localization process. The company also plans on establishing development studios in worldwide locations, including Canada and Singapore. These development studios will eventually create their own titles. Koei is also targeting the Chinese, Korean, and Taiwanese markets for online games.