When Namco Met Bandai

The merger of the console veteran with the toy and TV giant has produced some interesting results. SVP Makoto Iwai tells us more

by Colin Campbell

The merged entity consists of a console veteran of everything from Pac-Man to Tekken with a massive toy, TV and children’s IP giant. “The corporate cultures were a little different, so it has taken some time to get used to each other,” jokes Makoto Iwai, SVP of the company’s US-based development group.

In the most simplistic terms, the new company hopes to benefit from Namco’s ability to develop and Bandai’s ability to produce. “If we can synergize the full producer ability and developer ability then that will be a benefit,” he says.

Namco Bandai has managed to produce two launch games for PS3, Ridge Racer 7 and Gundam. Iwai calls this “a miracle” adding “a simultaneous release in Japan and the US with two titles has never happening before for us, and so it’s something to be proud of”.

He says Ridge Racer was a no-brainer as a launch title. “History shows that there is merit in launching a Ridge Racer game with a PlayStation launch. There are also a bunch of people who have to get the console and titles together and we like to embrace those people.” The game has topped sales charts in Japan.

He also says the Gundam launch is designed to add some impetus to a brand that is much bigger in Japan than in the US. “Gundam is a challenge the for the US market but we are releasing it in Japan where it has a big following, so why not try for the US market as well?”

Sony Relationship

He says Namco has always benefited from a close relationship with Sony, which includes being there at launch. “To make things happen you need to have a really good connection with the first party. Sometimes the information you need as a developer doesn’t just come to you. You have to go out and get it. I don’t mean by sending emails, but by getting up and going to see them.  Not everybody can do that. Relationship matters.”

In the past, Namco’s relationship has included console exclusives, but these are likely to be few and far between in future. “Next generation costs a lot of money. It’s getting very difficult for all the publishers to think about a console exclusively. In the past, exclusivity could work for everybody but now it’s getting more difficult. Having said all that, I’m not saying we’re not going to do exclusives where appropriate.”

The company has more plans for PS3 games, which will be based on its classic franchises and on Bandai brands. Iwai says, “Namco has big franchises in big genres so you can imagine what kind of games we’ll be making for next-gen.”

He has been brought over to Namco Bandai to oversee US development efforts, a new direction for the company which has traditionally focused its efforts in Japan. Iwai has previously worked with development teams in Korea and Japan.

I wonder if there are differences with working with a US-based team? “Only insofar as the market is different. In Korea, everyone is very focused on online. In Japan you can say maybe there is more of a focus on action RPG aspects of gaming. But the similarity is that everybody’s got a passion for games and for exercising their creative skills. I have heard people say American developers are more businesslike, but I don’t think so. It’s all about passion.”
 
While many publishers are focusing on creating new IP, Namco Bandai has so much unexploited IP that it will be seeking to renew. “Creating new IP takes time and costs a great deal. It’s very risky. We have a bunch of the IP from the coin-op era and from Bandai’s properties. So we are more interested in revitalizing our own IP. We have names that everybody remembers, so why not utilize it? But even that is a very big mission.”

About Pac-man

But how do companies take really classic properties and update them for ultra-sophisticated next-gen systems? He explains, “Pac-man is Pac-man, right? Everybody has got the strong, clear image, and it’s not smart to make a 3D Pac-man or a platform Pac-man. It might be better to stay as Pac-man. So it really depends on the IP. This is a wild idea, but for instance a next-gen Galaga shooting game would be interesting. If we could make a 3D space shooter using the Galaga name, that might be great.” He cautions, “That doesn’t mean we are making such a game but it shows that there are great possibilities for all the IP that belongs to us.”

One area in which Namco IP is flying is on Xbox Live Arcade, where the likes of Frogger are doing a brisk business. “It’s been far better than our expectations. We’ve been pleasantly surprised. It’s like ‘Wow! They’re still playing it’.  Everybody is talking about the next-gen, so everybody thinks about the big games, spending millions on development. But here is a way to provide entertainment, secure revenues with relatively little development outlay.”

Provided by Next Generation—
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