TOKYO -- Konami Holdings appears likely to top its profit guidance for the year ending in March thanks to brisk demand for a popular line of pachinko machines.
The game maker has forecast a 10% rise in consolidated operating profit to 40 billion yen ($356 million) for this fiscal year. But sales of a horse-race-themed game climbed in the April-September half and demand has been stronger than anticipated for the popular "Sengoku Collection" of pachinko and "pachislot" machines. Konami could clear that bar "by around 2 billion yen, even by conservative estimates," according to Junichi Motobayashi, corporate officer in charge of finance.