The latest videogame company to announce metaverse plans is Bandai Namco as part of its mid-term plan that’ll run from April 2022 to March 2025. This will see it invest ¥15.0 billion Yen ($130 million USD) in an “IP Metaverse”, designed to create communities and content fans with their favourite Bandai Namco franchises.
With an IP library of videogames that includes Dark Souls, Soul Caliber, Pac-Man, Gundam, the upcoming Elden Ring, and virtual reality (VR) titles such as Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown and One Piece Grand Cruise VR, Bandai Namco has a rich roster to pick from. Then there’s all the anime content.
The “metaverse” is quite the buzzword at the moment, with most tech and videogame companies expressing some interest in developing a metaverse plan. Alongside the ¥15.0 billion that’ll help “Establishment of data foundation (data universe), [and] development of content,” Bandai Namco will also incest ¥25.0 billion (approx. $215 million) in new IP creation and “Groupwide IP projects.”
“In this IP Metaverse, we are anticipating virtual spaces that will enable customers to enjoy a
wide range of entertainment on an IP axis, as well as frameworks that leverage Bandai Namco’s distinctive strengths to fuse physical products and venues with digital elements,” stated Bandai Namco’s mid-term plan, first reported by VGC.”
“Through the IP Metaverse, we will establish communities among Bandai Namco and fans, as well as among fans themselves. Through these communities and content, we will build deep, broad, multifaceted connections that continue for long periods of time, and we will focus on the quality of those connections. In this way, we will work to maximize IP value over the medium to long term.”
This isn’t Bandai Namco’s first dalliance with the metaverse though. During the Tokyo Games Show (TGS) in 2021 as part of its digital component, the company had a massive presence in the Digital Area where guests could learn all about its latest videogames.
Could the Bandai Namco metaverse be one homogenous whole or a fragmented selection of IP’s, at the moment that’s unknown? When details do arise, gmw3 will let you know.
