Finnish group Sulake, owner of the Habbo Hotel virtual world, said it made a record net profit of €1.6m in 2010, on revenue up 20% at €56.2m, driven by sales of virtual goods and games.
The Helsinki-headquartered company said 2010’s numbers represented the best annual financial results in its history, and that its profit for the fiscal year came out to €1.6 million ($2.3 million) — Sulake has not disclosed profits for 2009, but the firm said its profitably increased this year.
Now in its 10th year of operation, Habbo Hotel attracts 11 million unique users each month in over 150 countries, and is available in 11 different languages. Sulake hopes to further expand the virtual world’s audience this year by launching new social games and features, and releasing Habbo mobile apps.
CEO Timo Soininen said: “New social games and features inside Habbo Hotels and Habbo mobile apps, in particular, are a significant growth opportunity for us this year.”
Sulake also announced that it will sell off IRC-Galleria, its Finnish social networking service for young adults, to its current management as part of its “new social gaming strategy and Habbo Hotel focus.” The company acquired IRC-Galleria from Dynamoid Oy in 2007.
“2010 was a record year for Habbo Hotel in many ways. Not only did we celebrate our 10 year anniversary, but our user base, sales and profitability continued to increase,” he added.
“The growth was a result of several successful new product features and improvements, like new virtual pets, marketplace tools for virtual item trading, an all new Habbo Club experience and the launch of user customized games.”