Konami: Metal Gear sales firmer-than-expected

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Konami Corp (9766.T) sales of blockbuster "Metal Gear Solid 4" have been stronger than expected, and the Japanese video game maker is likely to beat its internal sales target for the title for this business year, Executive Corporate Officer Kazumi Kitaue said on Wednesday.

As the single-most important software launch for Konami this year, sales of the latest installment of the military stealth-action series have been closely watched as an indicator of its earnings performance.

"'Metal Gear' has been doing very well, doing better than we originally thought," Kitaue told Reuters at the E3 video game trade show. "It looks like its sales are going to exceed our own target for the year."

Konami shipped more than 3 million units of "Metal Gear Solid 4" in the two weeks after its June 12 launch. Sales have continued to be strong since, said Kitaue, who declined to state the company's internal sales target for the fiscal year to March 2009.

Robust demand for "Metal Gear Solid 4", an exclusive for Sony Corp's (6758.T) PlayStation 3, has helped drive sales of the Sony machine, according to Sony Computer Entertainment Chief Executive Kazuo Hirai.

Kitaue said North and South American sales of its "Pro Evolution Soccer" games are likely to exceed one million in the fiscal year, up from about 700,000 units a year earlier, driven by brisk demand in Latin American nations such as Mexico.

Sports games including "Pro Evolution Soccer" as well as "Metal Gear Solid" have been Konami's two earnings pillars.

(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Anshuman Daga)