Square Enix has embarked upon an aggressive approach in expanding its operations. Known mostly for its niche line of Japanese role-playing games, Square Enix has taken steps to flesh out its catalogue by purchasing British publisher Eidos, as well as signing a handful of Western studios, such as Gas Powered Games, Wargaming.net, and Double Helix to development deals.

Square Enix's annual earnings report (see here) shows that things are looking pretty good for the company. Net sales for the six months ending September 30, 2009 were up 33 percent over the same period last year to 91 billion yen ($1 billion), while operating income was also up by 39 percent to 13 billion yen ($144.5 million) over the same period last year. It's not all roses and Dragon Quest IX sales, however — net income was down almost 58 percent to 2.7 billion yen ($30 million).

As part of a Reuters Japan report translated by GameSpot, Square Enix plans to more heavily target China's online gaming market, in addition to the West. According to CEO Yoichi Wada, the move will help Square Enix double its recurring income over the next three to five years to ¥50 billion ($554 million). Currently, the Japanese company expects to bring in ¥25 billion ($277 million) for its fiscal year ending March 31, 2010, having set a company best in the metric with ¥26.2 billion ($290 million) in 2007.

One of the biggest profit drivers, of course, will be Square Enix's highly anticipated release of Final Fantasy XIII. As part of the interview, Wada said that he expects the game to ship more than 6 million units worldwide. The Japanese executive also noted that Dragon Quest IX has shifted 4 million units domestically since its launch on the DS in July. Square Enix has yet to indicate a release window for the West.

Final Fantasy XIII will ship for the PlayStation 3 as a stand-alone product, as well as part of a ceramic-white PS3 Slim bundle in Japan on December 17. The game is expected to arrive in North America and Europe on the Xbox 360 and PS3 in spring 2010.

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