Bandai Namco has announced a 31 billion yen loss for fiscal 2009, after previously predicting 8.5 billion yen in profits; the company announced its intent to sack almost 10% of its 7,000 strong workforce to stem the flow of red ink, some 630 people.

Explaining the losses, Bandai blamed it in particular on its gaming division (but also on its failing amusement facilities and the cost of sacking its more useless employees):

"Especially regarding our game content division’s console titles, our biggest title for the period, “Tekken 6,” met expectations, but amidst a depressed market our other major titles underperformed, causing these adverse results"

Suspicions soon fell upon its latest Tales release:

Tales of Fantasia – 249,000 (SNES ’95)

Tales of Destiny – 829,000 (PS ’97)

Tales of Eternia – 669,000 (PS ’00)

Tales of Destiny 2 – 763,000 (PS2 ’02)

Tales of Symphonia – 323,000 (GC ’03)

Tales of Rebirth – 596,000 (PS2 ’04)

Tales of Legendia – 343,000 (PS2 ’05)

Tales of the Abyss – 556,000 (PS2 ’05)

Tales of the Tempest – 206,000 (DS ’06)

Tales of Innocence – 246,000 (DS ’07)

Tales of Symphonia – 212,000 (Wii ’08)

Tales of Vesperia β – 203,000 (360 ’08)

Tales of Hearts – 259,000 (DS ’08)

Tales of Vesperia – 338,000 (PS3 ’09)

Tales of Graces – 189,000 (Wii ’09)

Possibly remaking the same game a dozen or more times is not such a wise strategy after all. Wii owning Tales fans might also be wary of participating in a paid beta-test for Tales of Graces’ presumed PS3 release.

Of course, none of this can explain a 40 billion yen (450 million dollar) drop in profits.

They lost money because they didn't release enough Master Grade Zaku recolours.