Investors

From 12:00 on Monday, November 16, 2020, FIELDS CORPORATION held a financial results briefing (conference call) for the H1 of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021.
This page provides an overview of the main questions and answers (summaries) at the briefing.

Question & Answer Session (Summary)

Q1: I would like to ask about the outlook for new pachinko/pachislot (hereinafter, “PS”) machine sales for the current and next fiscal year.

A1: In the fiscal year under review, the company expects sales of new machines to be at the same level as in the previous fiscal year. In the next fiscal year, the company aims to sell more than 200,000 units, taking into account the removal of old regulation machines.

Q2: Please tell us about the impact of the Tokyo Olympics scheduled for 2021 on PS industry.

A2: We anticipate no particular negative impact.

Q3: I would like to hear about the current status of the pachislot model certification test and future outlook.

A3: The company has already applied several titles for model certification test and is making steady progress toward compliance.

Q4: I would like to ask if you have any prospects for new machine sales in the market after the complete replacement of PS machines in November 2021.

A4: Until now, old regulation machines and new regulation machines have resided in the marketplace, and old regulation machines, which has a strong track record, has been able to maintain low-cost operation and gross profit compared to new regulation machines installment, so it has been one of the factors that the removal and replacement will not proceed.
However, since the removal of large-scale old regulation machines titles this fall, the impact of new machine installment on pachinko hall operations and gross profit has been evident.
Assuming that all of title installed in the market will be replaced by new regulation machines, it is forecast that from the next fiscal year onward it will achieve a level of market sales of over 1.8 million units.

Q5: I would like to ask if you have any plans for earnings expansion and a concrete image of medium term earnings image of Tsuburaya Productions.

A5: The company aims to generate profits from movies, television, and distribution of video titles suited to the fan base, as well as through merchandising. At present, the company is promoting the production of real and animated movies for domestic and overseas use, including the “SHIN ULTRAMAN,” which is scheduled to be released in the early summer of 2021.
The specific medium-term business plan will be announced around May next year.

Q6: I think the company is cooperating with TOEI ANIMATION Co., Ltd., and I would like to hear about its specific aims and scheme.

A6: “KAIJU DECODE” is being produced jointly by TOEI ANIMATION and Tsuburaya Productions.
It aims to produce high-quality animations that will be accepted by a wide range of generations overseas, while leveraging the strengths of Japanese animations and new technologies.

Q7: I would like to ask if you have a region that is focusing on Tsuburaya’s overseas expansion.

A7: First, it will steadily promote profitability in China and other Asian region. Thereafter, the company intends to make full-fledged advance into North America.

Q8: I would like to give you a rough perspective on how much the “SHIN ULTRAMAN” would benefit you if you could achieve your performance.

A8: Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, who are involved in the production of “SHIN ULTRAMAN,” have worked on the series of “EVANGELION new theater edition” and “Shin Godzilla” in the past. The EVANGELION new theater edition has been shown in three parts, namely "JO," "HA", and "Q", and each time the movie is displayed, it has been boosted to ¥2 billion, ¥4 billion, and ¥5.3 billion, respectively. “Shin Godzilla” in 2016 recorded a revenue of over ¥8 billion. Based on these results, we believe that “SHIN ULTRAMAN” is at a level that aims at the same performance to approximately ¥10 billion, and if so, we can expect that it will contribute significantly to our group’s benefits.

Q9: I would like to ask why there is no net sales assumption.

A9: Due to the difference in sales methods (distribution sales/agency sales) in our PS sales, we have decided not to disclose the forecast of net sales from the previous fiscal year because of the expected volatility in the recording of sales.