Norway-based Funcom has reported a jump in sales and profit for the first quarter of the financial year.

Sales hit $7.725 million (£5.05m), up from $963,000 (£630,000) during the first quarter of 2008, “mainly due to subscription revenues and revenues from box sales from the Age of Conan game,” while profit leapt from $919,000 (£601,000) to $1.47 million (£961,350).

The firm currently has over 120 staff working on Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, primarily in development. The title, which debuted last May, saw an “increase in new customers in Q1 2009 that “has led to a stable and solid subscriber base for the game,” Funcom said, adding that it plans to increase its marketing spend on the title in the coming months.

The company noted that its financial position “remains strong,” with $39.6 million in cash available as of March 31, 2009. Funcom said it “does not need any external funding in 2009, and the company considers the financial resources to be sufficient to develop, complete and launch the MMOs in development.”

100 Funcom staff are working on upcoming PC and Xbox 360 MMO The Secret World. “The strong potential for The Secret World was confirmed by the broad and very positive coverage and feedback from both world gaming press and gamer communities at GDC in April 2009,” it said.

Funcom predicted second quarter revenues of $5-7 million (£3.27-4.58m).