Bandai Namcois reportedly canceling upcoming games, including a few of the most popular titles, such asOne PieceandNaruto. While the gaming industry is known for being quite volatile, this news may come as a bit of a shock for fans after the recent success ofDragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO.
In a statement toBloomberg, a source close to Bandai Namco did not comment on the specific cancelation of the game titles, but they have made it clear that there will be “a bit of time” before employees are given their next projects, stating,
“Our decisions to discontinue games are based on comprehensive assessments of the situation…Some employees may need to wait a certain amount of time before they are assigned their next project, but we do move forward with assignments as new projects emerge.”
Bandai Namco Is Reportedly Canceling Popular Titles Like One Piece
The Cancelation Of These Popular Titles Are Based On Company’s Assessment
The reports of these canceled games come after Bloomberg came forward with statements from sources allegedly close to the company. These statements noted that several games and titles were being cancelled or put on an indefinite hiatus. While no specific titles are mentioned in the statements, Bandai Namco has shut down multiple projects throughout the last year.Zarmena KhanatPlayStation Lifestylenoted that cancelations includedMMO Blue Protocoland the mobile gameTales of Rays.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero Review - A Near-Perfect Love Letter To An Iconic Franchise
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is set to release this week, and overall, it’s a stunning return to the Budokai Tenkaichi franchise after almost 20 years.
This news comes just after the hit success ofDragon Ball Sparking! Zero, a game that has sold over 3 million copies in 24 hours, as reported byRhiannon BhevanatThe Gamer. But this success may not be enough to provide momentum for taking on upcoming titles. Bloomberg’s source does not confirm or deny any specifics about upcoming releases, only acknowledging that the upcoming canceled projects were due to a general lack of interest. The source stated, “Our decisions to discontinue games are based on comprehensive assessments of the situation.“Bevannotes these potential canceled titles includeOne PieceandNaruto, as well as a potential project with Nintendo.
Bandai Namco Is Also Cutting Jobs
Cutting Costs Can Come At A Hefty Price
The cut titles are not the only cuts Bandai Namco is making; Bloomberg also reports that the company is pressuring employees to leave as a result of removing titles. The alleged pressure comes when the employees are sent to “expulsion rooms” or “banishment rooms”, where they are not given projects or tasks and essentially have nothing to do. Bloomberg notes how this has happened to an alleged 200 of 1300 employees, with 100 of these employees already planning on leaving. Bandai Namco denies these practices exist for the reason of encouraging employees to leave, but says some employees simply need to have downtime before taking on a new project.
While there are no specifics on what titles have been cut,Bandai Namcois certainly removing titles from the roster. Whether this truly is having an impact on the treatment of employees has not been confirmed. However, there certainly seem to be some big changes happening over at the company that will have a massive impact on their role in the gaming community down the line.
