Namco Bandai to open Singapore studio in June

VANCOUVER — Gaming studio Namco Bandai Studios will be opening a Singapore studio in June this year, Namco Bandai announced in a press release today. The studio will be based in Mediapolis and will have a capital of S$1 million.

Namco Bandai aims to “develop content derived from local cultures and trends as well as those in Japan”, and they also “hope to establish the organisational structure for delivering to customers across the globe”.

"Namco Bandai Studios Singapore is positioned as the leading development center for Namco Bandai Studios in Asia, and further reinforces relationships with development partners in the region," said the press release. The studio aims to develop "content for customers in (the) Asia Pacific".

"At the same time, (the studio) will advance human resource development and recruitment in collaboration with the Singaporean Government and educational organisations to contribute to further revitalisation of the game industry cluster which is evolving rapidly," adds the press release.

The Singapore studio will be staffed by experienced personnel from Namco Bandai Studios (Tokyo) and "locally-hired employees with in-depth knowledge on the local market and trends".

Namco Bandai, which is based in Japan, is well known for Dark Souls, the Tekken and Soulcalibur series, and gaming adaptations of popular Japanese anime series such as Naruto and Dragon Ball Z. Namco Bandai will also be opening a studio in Vancouver at the same time, and the studio in Vancouver will be focusing on social games, said the British Columbia Government in a seperate press release.It is unclear what games the Singapore office will be focusing on.

The news comes after Disney’s LucasArts game devlopment studios was closed earlier this month, where an ex-employee said “50 to 70” staff were affected.