Peter-Skerritt-Jr-The winds of change are blowing again in the gaming world, as Bandai has announced a merger with Namco. Bandai will assume 57% of the stake in the newly-formed Namco Bandai Holdings Inc., which will come to fruition on September 29th. Some of the reasons cited for the merger include a shrinking consumer base, higher development costs, and decreasing game prices at retail. The chain of command will see Bandai president Takeo Takasu assume the presidency of the new corporation, followed by current Namco vice chairman Kyushiro Takagi, who will assume the titles of chairman and director.
Namco, of course, is no stranger to Sony fans. The company has supported all of Sony’s gaming platforms, beginning with ports of popular arcade games like Ridge Racer, Tekken, Ace Combat, and Cyber Sled. The company still has plans to release Soul Calibur III for the PS2 later this year, among other titles which will be shown at E3 later this month.
Bandai, meanwhile, has delivered familiar toys and games to audiences everywhere. From Tamagotchi, to Gundam-related toys and games, the .hack anime and video game series, to Digimon, Bandai is familiar with video gaming. In fact, Digimon World 4 is due for release for the PS2 from Bandai later this month.
This situation will certainly bear watching as more details become available, and we’re more than happy to do the watching for you. Stay tuned.