Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket (PTCGP), the first mobile game for the Pokémon TCG, launched late last year, sparking a global frenzy among players. A new expansion pack, "Temporal Showdown," dropped in late January, offering thrilling battles and exciting card collecting.
On February 10, its developer DeNA saw its shares surge on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, hitting the daily limit and reaching a new high since last year. This impressive performance is directly linked to PTCGP's success. Financial writer Rintaro Suzuki, in a column for Nikkan SPA!, analyzed how DeNA orchestrated this "dramatic turnaround from losses," making it a company to watch.
▼ DeNA's stock trend over the past month.
DeNA's stellar performance stems from its financial report released on February 7, which revealed a final profit of 15.7 billion yen. This marks a significant 46.9 billion yen improvement compared to the 31.2 billion yen loss in the same period last year. This dramatic reversal in performance surprised the market and was seen as a major positive catalyst.
The primary driver, of course, is the explosive popularity of DeNA's mobile game, PTCGP, which generated substantial revenue growth. Furthermore, DeNA's professional baseball team, the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, clinched the Japan Series championship last year, with growing attendance further boosting performance.
In recent years, the mobile gaming market has become fiercely competitive, making it challenging for new titles to break through. Consequently, many analysts were initially reserved about DeNA's gaming prospects, believing it would be difficult for them to create another blockbuster. However, DeNA successfully leveraged the globally renowned "Pokémon" IP, captivating players with a familiar yet innovative mobile card battle format, leading to the game's rapid rise to fame.
Moreover, unlike the common "gacha" monetization model found in many traditional mobile games, "Pokémon TCG Pocket" employs a "card pack draw" system. This encourages players to collect cards rather than simply spending to acquire powerful characters. This approach not only makes the game more appealing but also aligns with the core joy of Pokémon card collecting, sparking lively community discussions about rare pulls and further boosting the game's popularity.
Beyond its gaming division, DeNA's sports business also delivered impressive results. For the April-December 2024 period, the sports division's revenue reached 26.45 billion yen, an 11.8% year-over-year increase. This was largely due to a significant rebound in attendance at Yokohama DeNA BayStars home games, driving comprehensive growth in ticket sales, food and beverage, and merchandise. Furthermore, in 2024, the team secured the Japan Series championship for the first time in 26 years, achieving both prestige and profit.
Naturally, market risks persist. Whether "Pokémon TCG Pocket"'s popularity can be sustained and if the baseball team's operations can maintain stable profitability are key areas to watch. Nevertheless, this latest financial report indicates that DeNA's diversified strategy has begun to yield results, successfully turning around the company's performance and market confidence.
Note: Financial figures and earnings forecasts should be confirmed through the company’s official announcements.
via： 日刊SPA！