5. Konami

FY08 Revenue: $1,804M, +29% (Rank: 7)
FY08 Operating Profit/Loss: $356M (Rank: 3)
FY09 Revenue Expectations: $2,020M, +12%
Titles in Global Top 100: 2 (Rank: 11)
Units in Global Top 100: 4.4M (Rank: 11)
Review Average: 66% (Rank: 11)
 

Explanation for Ranking: Konami has the 7^th highest revenue of the companies listed here, or the 4^th highest excluding the three console makers. It also has the 2^nd highest profit (here, specifically, operating profit) of any third party. Both its revenues and operating profits have grown significantly since FY07. (Note: The figures stated here exclude Konami's other divisions, such as its fitness business and casino gaming business.)

Konami was one of the first casual game companies, long before Nintendo and the Wii made it fashionable. Between its Karaoke Revolution and Dance Dance Revolution franchises, they have been catering to a broader demographic since the era of the original PlayStation. Given the current focus on non-traditional gamers, Konami is capitalizing on its established properties.

Of course, one of Konami's biggest properties is soccer, which is naturally more popular outside of the American market. As of this writing, both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 have sold in excess of 200,000 units each in the U.K. while the PlayStation 2 version had shifted more than 300,000 units. Worldwide, PES 2008 has probably sold in excess of 3 million copies.

Looking into the future, Konami's biggest title is obviously Metal Gear Solid 4, which launched on 12 June 2008. Just as much an event as it is a game, the PS3-exclusive game proved to be a system-seller, almost doubling PS3 sales month-on-month.

Beyond that, Konami will continue to publish its Dance Dance Revolution and Karaoke Revolution series, as well as Yu-Gi-Oh titles. Additional notable titles are the new Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia for the Nintendo DS, Metal Gear Online for the PlayStation 3, and the first next-generation game in the Silent Hill series.