Japanese mobile game developer Aiming Inc. posted its first nine-month profit in two years, reporting ¥2.1 billion ($14 million) in operating income through September, a reversal from the ¥1.3 billion loss a year earlier. Sales climbed 7.3% to ¥12.6 billion ($84 million).
The Tokyo-based company attributed the turnaround to cost reductions rather than explosive growth. Aiming cut outsourcing expenses and reduced platform fees by implementing external payment systems. Anime investment dividends also contributed to the bottom line, offsetting pressures in Japan’s increasingly competitive mobile gaming sector.
The profitability may prove short-lived. Aiming projects an operating loss of ¥163 million ($1.1 million) and a net loss of ¥279 million ($1.9 million) for the October-December quarter, citing diminished revenue from its five-year anniversary event for “Dragon Quest Tact,” developed with Square Enix, and declining contributions from other titles.
For the full year ending December, Aiming anticipates sales of ¥16 billion ($107 million), down 6.5% from 2024, though it expects to remain profitable with ¥1.9 billion in operating income compared to the prior year’s loss.
The cautious outlook reflects broader challenges facing Japanese mobile game developers, who face rising development costs and intensifying competition from Chinese and Korean rivals entering the domestic market with higher-quality offerings.
