The huge global success that was Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots was always going to be tough act to follow – and so it has proved for publisher Konami with year-on-year revenues steeply down for the quarter ending June 30th 2009.

In total sales dipped by 45 per cent compared to the same period the year before at YEN 24.6bn. Revenues at Konami’s gaming division saw a decline of 21 per cent.

North America remained Konami’s largest single territory with sales of 2.59m units, though it was also the region with the biggest drop – 80 per cent in this case. European sales fell by 50 per cent to 1.16m whilst Japanese sales hit 1.2m – a 38 per cent drop.

Konami’s big hope for the latter half of 2009 is Pro Evolution Soccer 2010, whilst other titles scheduled for Konami’s current financial year include Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker on PSP and Castlevania: Lords of Shadows.