Big first quarter losses have been reported at Sega Sammy Holdings, the Japanese games firm, which has published a $42.8 million/2.4 billion Yen loss.

The figures for the period ending June 30 compare starkly with the last year which saw profit 2.8 billion Yen.

The losses, which seem odd as sales have climbed 11% to 95.42 billion yen, have been attributed to the money spent on research and development which Sega obviously hopes will pay dividends in the years to come.

A statement from the company commented, ‘With the continued push out of our global development initiatives R&D costs were above the comparable period's levels, and with major titles slated for release in the second half, many costs were recognized in advance during the first quarter leading to an operating loss in the segment.’

>> Link - Official Site/Sega
>> Link - Official Site/Sega Sammy