Native name | 株式会社バンダイナムコスタジオ |
---|---|
Romanized name | Kabushiki gaisha Bandai Namuko Sutajio |
Formerly | Namco Bandai Studios Inc. |
Type | Subsidiary |
Industry | Video games |
Founded | April 2, 2012 |
Headquarters | Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan |
Key people |
|
Products |
|
Revenue | $6.8 billion (2020) |
Number of employees | 1,219 (2023[1]) |
Parent | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
Divisions |
|
Website | bandainamcostudios.com |
Bandai Namco Studios Inc.[lower-alpha 1] is a Japanese video game developer headquartered in Kōtō, Tokyo. Its offices in Malaysia and Singapore, Bandai Namco Studio Malaysia and Bandai Namco Studios Singapore, are based out of Selangor, Malaysia and Infinite Studios, Singapore respectively. Bandai Namco Studios is a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Entertainment, which itself is a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings. The company works under its parent company as a keiretsu; Bandai Namco Studios creates video games for home consoles, handheld systems, mobile devices and arcade hardware, while Bandai Namco Entertainment handles the managing, marketing and publishing of these products.
Bandai Namco Studios was established in April 2012 as the spin-off company of publisher Namco Bandai Games's video game development divisions. Originally known as Namco Bandai Studios Inc., the decision was based on its parent company's restructuring efforts and need for a decrease in development times and increase in productivity. Studios absorbed over 1,000 employees from Namco Bandai Games, and 80 employees from the defunct Namco Tales Studio division. The company opened divisions in Singapore and Vancouver in 2013 to expand operations overseas; the Vancouver division later closed in 2018. Its Malaysia division was established in 2016.
Bandai Namco Studios has worked on many successful video game franchises, including Tekken, Pac-Man, The Idolmaster, Ace Combat, Tales, and Soulcalibur, in addition to original intellectual properties such as Code Vein and Scarlet Nexus. Much like Namco developed games for Nintendo as a publisher since the GameCube, the company has also developed several games for them as Bandai Namco Studios, namely the Super Smash Bros. series beginning with the fourth installment, Wii Sports Club, and spin-offs in the Pokémon franchise like Pokkén Tournament and New Pokémon Snap. The company is a strong advocate of video game preservation, preserving master arts, design documents, and other resources for its games.
History
Established on March 31, 2006, Namco Bandai Games was the amalgamation of Namco and Bandai's video game development operations being merged and consolidated into one company.[2][3] The developer produced the majority of its video games in-house, through its subsidiaries such as Banpresto and D3 Publisher,[4][5] or lending production to external studios. However, as the company was recovering from financial losses and was undergoing a reorganization, Namco Bandai Games believed it was necessary to spin-off its game development operations into a separate division.[6] The company requested for faster development times and healthy relations between its multiple business areas, and believed the formation of a new company would remedy this.[7]
Namco Bandai's video game operations were transferred to a new subsidiary, Namco Bandai Studios Inc., on April 2, 2012.[7][8] Located in Shinagawa, Tokyo, the company was headed by company veteran Hajime Nakatani and became a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Games.[9] Its parent company stated that Studios would allow for faster development times, tighter cohesion with aligning production teams, and more creative freedom and developer skills for its employees.[7][10] Namco Bandai's consecutive financial increases in its year-over-year profits also contributed to its establishment.[11] Studios inherited 1,000 employees from Namco Bandai Games and all 80 staff members from the former Namco Tales Studio, which ceased operations a year earlier.[7] It would focus on the development of new intellectual properties and follow-ups to established franchises, such as Tekken, Pac-Man, and Ace Combat.[7][10][12] The two companies would work in conjunction with one another as a keiretsu, where Namco Bandai Studios would develop and plan games and Namco Bandai Games would handle marketing, publishing, and distribution.[13]
Namco Bandai Studios opened two international divisions on March 1, 2013: Namco Bandai Studios Singapore Pte. Ltd. in Media Circle, Singapore, and Namco Bandai Studios Vancouver Inc. in Vancouver, Canada.[14] The Singapore division was assigned as Namco Bandai's head video game development branch in Asia, and to establish working relationships with fellow developers in the region.[14] The Vancouver division was to design online network games and provide content for North America and Europe, while simultaneously focusing on contributing to the country's growing game industry.[14] Namco Bandai Studios Singapore employed several staff members from the Singapore division of Lucasarts, who had previously worked on the cancelled Star Wars 1313.[15] Its Japanese division established a working relationship with Nintendo with Wii Sports Club, a high-definition remaster of the original Wii Sports (2006) for the Wii U;[16] several Nintendo games to follow were developed by Bandai Namco Studios, including Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U (2014), Pokkén Tournament (2015), Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018) and New Pokémon Snap (2021).[17]
On April 1, 2014, Namco Bandai Studios was renamed Bandai Namco Studios Inc., following an effort by its parent company to unify the Bandai Namco brand across its international divisions.[18] The company began development on virtual reality arcade games the same month, which were designed for Bandai Namco Entertainment's VR Zone chain of video arcades. In 2016, Bandai Namco Studios released Summer Lesson, a virtual reality game designed for the PlayStation VR headset.[19] The Vancouver division closed on November 16, 2018, though a "skeleton crew" was kept to support Tekken Mobile,[20] and opened a Malaysia division in 2016.[21] Bandai Namco Studios won the "Grand Prize" award at the Japan Game Awards for its work on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as well as the "Japan Game Awards 2019 Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award" from the organization.[22] Bandai Namco Research Inc was established in 2019 with some of the research and development departments of Bandai Namco Studios being transferred to this complete new company[23]
In October 2021, Bandai Namco Studios announced the establishment of the indie label GYAAR Studio within the studio. They plan to release at least one independent game title per year, where each title will be developed by a team of creators from among the studio's young staff. Their first game Survival Quiz City will be published by Phoenixx.[24]
On November 14, 2023, Bandai Namco Studios revealed for the first time that they now have two dedicated teams called Studio 2 and Studio S for commissioned projects for other publishers, with Nintendo being the main contributor for the past works and likely for future works. The works of the team on Studio 2 have been support for Mario Kart series since 2014 and Arms, while Studio S have been mainly involved in the Super Smash Bros. series since the 4th installment as the lead development studio.[25]
Staff and design philosophy
Bandai Namco Studios identifies itself as the successor to Namco, focusing on its predecessor's design philosophies and corporate environment.[26] The company emphasizes creating unique and immersive experiences in games, and is against copying ideas from other developers. Many of its employees were originally employed at Namco:[26]
- Daisuke Uchiyama – President and CEO. Producer for many of Bandai Namco's anime fighting games, particularly those from the Dragon Ball series.[27]
- Shigeru Yokoyama – Company chairman. Designer of Galaga and Splatterhouse, and supervisor of franchises such as Xenosaga.[28]
- Kazutoki Kono – Head of Project Aces, the internal development team behind the Ace Combat series.[29]
- Minoru Sashida – Manager of the master art preservation program.[30] Artist for the Mr. Driller series, Techno Drive, and Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere.[31]
Bandai Namco Studios is a strong advocate of video game preservation.[30] In particular, it sees the master art used for supplementary material in games, such as Galaxian (1979) and Pac-Man (1980), as being of historical importance; the company believes preserving these master arts allows for further appreciation of its predecessor's games as well as the arts themselves.[30] Studios has amassed a collection of 400 master arts, including those from Xevious (1983), Ridge Racer (1993), and J-League Soccer Prime Goal (1993),[32] which it stores in an internal department named the "Banarchive".[33] Many of its pieces were originally deemed lost during its move to Kōtō in 2015, though most have since been recovered.[34] Bandai Namco Studios hopes to easily share its master arts to the public in the form of YouTube retrospective videos and a virtual reality museum through its Namco Museum of Art project.[26][35]
In addition to its master arts, Bandai Namco Studios has also preserved promotional pamphlets, source code, master models for characters, design documentation, and release dates for all video games by Namco, Bandai, and Banpresto.[26] Other divisions within Bandai Namco Holdings and external companies have used these arts for products such as apparel and posters.[34] Hisaharu Tago, the producer of the Nintendo Switch release of Namco Museum, hopes the company will be able to bring the entirety of Namco's back catalog for modern gaming platforms.[36]
Development organization
Bandai Namco Studios currently have six internal divisions in Japan dedicated to development under the company, who has shared the organization of its divisions as in 2023, being organized as the following:[25]
- Studio 1: With 257 employees, Studio 1 mainly works on the Tekken, Soulcalibur, and the Ace Combat series, with the most recent titles worked being Tekken 8 and Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, and have also worked on God Eater 3, Pokkén Tournament and in the new IP Code Vein.[37]
- Studio 2/Studio S: With 152 employees, Studio 2 and Studio S have mainly worked on Nintendo published games before at Bandai Namco Studios, be it in small/medium contract work or large contract work. Studio 2 is the one mainly working on large contract work, a.k.a leading development of their own games, with those being Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, Mario Sports Superstars and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Studio S in this case have been mainly working on small/medium contract work, a.k.a supporting titles with visual assets, graphics and design for Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 9 titles such as Mario Kart 8, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Arms and Mario Kart Tour.[38]
- Studio 3: With 377 employees, Studio 3 mainly works on the Tales and The Idolmaster series, with the most recent titles worked being Tales of Arise and The Idolmaster: Starlit Season, and have also worked on new IP such as Scarlet Nexus and Blue Protocol.[39]
- Development Enchantment Studio: This division was established in 2023 with the aim of improving the quality of developed titles and promoting internal organization and human resources development company-wide in collaboration with each division. The division includes a team in charge of user research and analysis of developed titles, as well as Gya Studio, which was established as a place for young creators to directly express their ideas and have released games such as Survival Quiz City and Goonect, among many others.[40]
- Technology Studio: With 296 employees, this division is primarily responsible for cross-organizational technology research and development that is utilized throughout the company. Specifically, they contribute to improving the game experience through motion capture, online technology, sound production, animation production, AI technology, interpretation/translation, etc., to accelerate efficiency of all types of development, and support game development thorough Bandai Namco and external partners.[41]
Games
Notes
- ↑ Japanese: 株式会社バンダイナムコスタジオ, Hepburn: Kabushiki-gaisha Bandai Namuko Sutajio
References
- ↑ "Company Overview | Bandai Namco Studios Inc". 6 February 2023.
- ↑ Niizumi, Hirohiko (September 13, 2005). "Bandai and Namco outline postmerger strategy". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ↑ Karlin, David (March 31, 2006). "Bandai and Namco Finalize Merger Details". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on March 12, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
- ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (November 8, 2007). "Sayonara, Banpresto". IGN. Archived from the original on December 9, 2007. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
- ↑ Glasser, AJ (18 March 2009). "By The Way, Namco Bandai Owns (Most Of) D3". Kotaku. Univision Communications. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
- ↑ "Bandai Namco Annual Report 2012". Bandai Namco Holdings. March 31, 2012. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Gantayat, Anoop (February 10, 2012). "Namco Bandai Forms New Development Company: Namco Bandai Studio". Andriasang. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ↑ "バンダイナムコスタジオ公式サイト". www.bandainamcostudios.co.jp (in Japanese). Namco Bandai Studios. Archived from the original on October 30, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
- ↑ Romano, Sal (February 10, 2012). "Namco Bandai forms new studio". Gematsu. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- 1 2 Gilbert, Ben (February 10, 2012). "Namco spins off internal dev studios into 'Namco Bandai Studio'". Engadget. Verizon Media. Archived from the original on August 1, 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ↑ Pearson, Dan (November 2, 2011). "Namco Bandai games sales at ¥28bn for half year". Gamesindustry.biz. Archived from the original on December 7, 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ↑ Tolentino, Josh (February 10, 2012). "Namco Bandai is founding a 1000-person dev studio". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ↑ "Company Profile". www.bandainamcostudios.com. Bandai Namco Studios. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- 1 2 3 Romano, Sal (April 10, 2013). "Namco Bandai opening Singapore and Vancouver studios". Gematsu. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- 1 2 Kuchera, Ben (February 9, 2018). "Report: Metroid Prime 4 is being developed by Bandai Namco Singapore". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- 1 2 Kyle MacGregor Burleson (October 29, 2013). "Wii Sports Club co-developed with Namco Bandai". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- 1 2 3 Craddock, Ryan (11 November 2019). "Turns Out Bandai Namco Helped To Develop Mario Kart Tour". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on 21 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ↑ Romano, Sal (January 24, 2014). "Namco Bandai changing name to Bandai Namco". Gematsu. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- 1 2 Tanigawa, Hajime (October 28, 2015). "「Unreal Engine」はバンダイナムコスタジオに何をもたらしたのか?". Game Watch (in Japanese). Impress Group. Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Kerr, Chris (16 November 2018). "Bandai Namco Studios Vancouver has shut down". Gamasutra. UBM Technology Group. Archived from the original on 26 September 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ↑ "About The Company". www.bandainamcostudios.my. Bandai Namco Studios Malaysia. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ↑ "『日本ゲーム大賞2019 年間作品部門』で『大賞』を受賞しました!". www.bandainamcostudios.com (in Japanese). Bandai Namco Studios. 2019. Archived from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ↑ "Bandai Namco Research Inc". www.bandainamco-mirai.com. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
- ↑ "GYAAR Studio WEB". GYAAR Studio WEB. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
- 1 2 "会社組織 | バンダイナムコスタジオ公式サイト". バンダイナムコスタジオ公式サイト | (in Japanese). 2023-11-09. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
- 1 2 3 4 Furuya, Yoichi (December 24, 2020). "『ギャラクシアン』や『ワルキューレ』など、ナムコ往年の名作キービジュアルはこうして救われた。バンダイナムコスタジオによるアーカイブの取り組みを聞く". Famitsu (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation. Archived from the original on February 2, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ↑ Macdonald, Christopher (August 7, 2004). "Budokai 3 Event at Metreon". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ↑ Namco Bandai Games (2011). "Galaga - 30th Anniversary Developer Interview". Galaga WEB. Archived from the original on June 6, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
- ↑ Tran, Edmond (January 26, 2017). "Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Goes Back To Its Roots". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- 1 2 3 "ゲームのキービジュアルを"読み解く"ことで再発見される価値。バンダイナムコスタジオによる制作のなかで生まれた資産の発掘と保存【CEDEC 2020】". Yahoo! News (in Japanese). September 2, 2020. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ↑ Murakami, Munjo (March 4, 2016). "「ナムコ遺伝子」を継ぐ者が大集結! 30年前の受付ロボ復活劇". ITMedia (in Japanese). ITMedia. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ↑ Yasuda, Toshiaki (September 2, 2020). "行方不明のキービジュアル原画を救え! バンナム社員が立ち上がった"ゲームの顔"の発掘と保存". Game Watch (in Japanese). Impress Group. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ↑ Murata, Sejiro (December 24, 2020). "『ギャラクシアン』や『ワルキューレ』など、ナムコ往年の名作キービジュアルはこうして救われた。バンダイナムコスタジオによるアーカイブの取り組みを聞く". Yahoo! News (in Japanese). Yahoo!. Archived from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- 1 2 Murata, Seijiro (September 2, 2020). "ゲームのキービジュアルを"読み解く"ことで再発見される価値。バンダイナムコスタジオによる制作のなかで生まれた資産の発掘と保存【CEDEC 2020】". Famitsu (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation. Archived from the original on November 2, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ↑ Nagaoka, Yori (October 6, 2020). "Android/iOS用地理情報ゲーム「PAC-MAN GEO」配信! 「パックマン」生誕40周年を記念した様々な企画が展開中". Game Watch (in Japanese). Impress Group. Archived from the original on November 20, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ↑ Parish, Jeremy (September 27, 2018). "Inside the return of Namco Museum". Retronauts. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ↑ "組織紹介/第1スタジオ | バンダイナムコスタジオ公式サイト". バンダイナムコスタジオ公式サイト | (in Japanese). 2023-11-27. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
- ↑ "Studio 2/Studio S | バンダイナムコスタジオ". Studio 2/Studio S | バンダイナムコスタジオ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-11-14.
- ↑ "組織紹介/第3スタジオ | バンダイナムコスタジオ公式サイト". バンダイナムコスタジオ公式サイト | (in Japanese). 2023-11-09. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
- ↑ "組織紹介/開発強化スタジオ | バンダイナムコスタジオ公式サイト". バンダイナムコスタジオ公式サイト | (in Japanese). 2023-11-22. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
- ↑ "組織紹介/開発強化スタジオ | バンダイナムコスタジオ公式サイト". バンダイナムコスタジオ公式サイト | (in Japanese). 2023-11-22. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ↑ "『テイルズ オブ ハーツ R』開発陣が語る"再構築"へのコダワリ【開発者インタビュー】". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain, Inc. November 30, 2012. Archived from the original on April 10, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
- ↑ "Bandai Namco Studios And Roadhouse Interactive Announce Mobile Game Development Partnership". Gamasutra. UBM Technology Group. December 5, 2014. Archived from the original on June 9, 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ↑ Drake, Audrey (21 June 2012). "Namco Bandai Developing Next Smash Bros". IGN. Archived from the original on 16 May 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ↑ Tran, Edmond (January 23, 2017). "How Tekken 7's Arcade Roots Are Shaping Its Console Form". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on August 30, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ↑ Bandai Namco Studios (Apr 30, 2015). Galaga: Tekken 20th Anniversary Edition (iOS). Scene: Credits.
- ↑ Carter, Chris (October 20, 2015). "Review: Tales of Zestiria". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
- ↑ Komatsu, Mikikazu (September 3, 2020). "Idols Enjoy Summer Time in The Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls: Starlight Stage 5th Anniversary Anime CMs". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on September 4, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
- ↑ Hernandez, Patricia (27 February 2020). "Google's Pokémon of the Year contest is a humiliating defeat for Pikachu". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ↑ Carden, Dennis (1 February 2017). "Review: Tales of Berseria". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ↑ Minotti, Mike (20 July 2016). "Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 coming for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Steam in September". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017.
- ↑ "Developer: Bandai Namco Studios". Steam. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ↑ Hancock, Patrick (August 5, 2017). "Review: Namco Museum". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ↑ "The Making of "NARUTO X BORUTO NINJA VOLTAGE" - EPISODE". 22 April 2021.
- ↑ Koopman, Daan (July 26, 2018). "Go Vacation (Switch) Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ↑ Inocencio, Jason (July 1, 2020). "'Soulcalibur VI,' 'CrossCode' Headline Xbox Game Pass Titles For July". International Business Times. IBT Media. Archived from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- 1 2 "オープン当時から稼働する人気アトラクション、期間限定リニューアル". ASCII (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation. February 9, 2018. Archived from the original on June 29, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ↑ Gardner, Matt (10 September 2019). "Review: 'Galaga Fever' Turns Namco's Iconic IP Into An Unfulfilling VR Jaunt". Forbes. Archived from the original on 22 September 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ↑ Carter, Chris (5 November 2018). "Review: Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun (Switch)". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Archived from the original on 10 October 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ↑ Romano, Sal (July 27, 2018). "Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Session! coming west on November 2". Gematsu. Archived from the original on June 10, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
- ↑ Peeples, Jeremy (January 20, 2019). "Review: Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on October 5, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ↑ McWhertor, Michael (April 20, 2017). "Here's a look at Code Vein, Bandai Namco's new anime vampire action RPG". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ↑ Soto, Frank (August 2, 2020). "Review: Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS Maxiboost ON". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on August 17, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
- ↑ West, Josh (15 June 2020). "Big in 2020: Scarlet Nexus is worlds apart from the JRPGs of Bandai Namco's past". GamesRadar+. Future plc. Archived from the original on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ↑ "Blue Protocol launches in early spring 2023 in Japan, network test set for January 14 to 16". Gematsu. 2022-11-15. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
- ↑ "BLUE PROTOCOL". BLUE PROTOCOL (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-11-15.
- ↑ "Blue Protocol adds PS5 and Xbox Series versions, launches in second half of 2023 worldwide". Gematsu. December 9, 2022.