Sega Sammy Holdings has announced its revenues and profits were down slightly for the first nine months of the current fiscal year.

Representing all divisions, compared with the same period in 2010, companywide revenues stood at US$4bn down half a per cent, while profit fell six per cent to $449m.

Sales of slot-type machines such as pachinko remained steady, as did domestic Japanese sales of amusement equipment and home video games. The company's weak spot remains video game sales (both coin-op and consumer) in the US and Europe.

Although Sega Sammy officials termed the amusements market "solid," they also reported net sales down 11.3 per cent and operating income down 40.2 per cent compared with the first nine months of 2010.

The company said final projections for fiscal 2011, ending March 31 of this year, are expected to show revenues down nearly 11 per cent to $5.8bn and profits down 8.5 per cent to $498.7m year-over-year.

Sega's Japan-based arcade chain held steady, with sales ticking up one half of one per cent for the period. Sega closed six arcades last year, operating 247 arcades by the end of 2011.