Namco, Bandai seal European union

Pac-Man and Chibi Robo publishers consolidate their partnership, hint at ambitious plans for Europe.

Posted Oct 31, 2006 6:11 pm GMT

Japanese video game companies Namco and Bandai have integrated into one entity in Europe--a new company called Namco Bandai Games Europe. This move comes after similar integration moves in Japan and the US.

Calling itself a "formidable alliance for Europe," the company statement continues that it will be "challenging leading publishers for product market share."

Namco and Bandai are both industry veterans--Namco was set up in Tokyo in 1955 and is responsible for classic games such as Galaxian, Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Tekken, and Xevious. Bandai was also founded in Tokyo, five years earlier in 1950, and has produced games including Chibi Robo, .hack//G.U., and the One Piece series. In 2005 Bandai was acquired by Namco and the two companies joined forces to become Namco Bandai Holdings.

Masayuki Matsuo, president of Namco Bandai Games Europe, said of the announcement: "The collective strength of our two companies will allow us to position ourselves and our products more aggressively in Europe, competing alongside top tier publishers and supporting our distribution partners to maximise sales and marketing opportunities."

21 Comments

Check comments

First to Last Latest

blacksox2k6

cool

Posted Jan 11, 2007 9:30 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)

Posted Jan 11, 2007 9:29 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)

Shuzen

I WANT XENOSAGA 3 TO COME OUT IN THE UK!!!

Posted Nov 16, 2006 10:15 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)

thefjk

Cooool!

Posted Nov 1, 2006 6:51 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)

kingspam

I like this news. More chance of Tales of the Abyss and .HACK//GU getting EU ports.

Posted Nov 1, 2006 12:02 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)

paranoiasurviva

Psh, whatever

Posted Oct 31, 2006 1:38 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)

drakron

Meh, Namco have about 0 presence in europe outside arcade game machines.

Bandai is pretty much anime ...

So what does it mean? that Namco will finaly be publishing games in europe or nothing will change ... I am more inclined to the nothing will change.

Hardly gaming news ... heck hardly news.

Posted Oct 31, 2006 12:56 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)

korn18m

Schillinger wrote:
Namco Bandai have been an entity since 2005. So, what happened everywhere else over a year ago is after happening in Europe. Wow.
_____________________________________________________________
Yeah, apparently when it comes to anything related to video games, everything happens later there.

Posted Oct 31, 2006 12:05 pm GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)

Schillinger

Namco Bandai have been an entity since 2005. So, what happened everywhere else over a year ago is after happening in Europe. Wow.

Posted Oct 31, 2006 11:33 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)

kyosukeugc

interesting... does this mean we'll get a Gundam RPG? lol

Posted Oct 31, 2006 11:26 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)

Ohes noooes!!1!11 every 1 run, teh Namco n' Bandai r bringin' da WW3!!!!1!!1one!!

Posted Oct 31, 2006 11:09 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)

fantasyfacade

I woder what they will have to offer us. As far as looking at my collection goes I have a lot of games from both companies.

Gribb85

ooo and first comment aswell. Nice job charlie boy...

Nice job Bandai Namco or whoever the heck you are, was the guy who thinks up the names sick today?

Posted Oct 31, 2006 10:56 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)

Charlie2688

las time we heard "formidable alliance for Europe" and "ambitious plans for Europe" we had WWII O.o!

Posted Oct 31, 2006 10:33 am GMT
Login to rate this comment
/ (+0)