Namco and Bandai merge

[Great Rumbler]

Namco's official Japanese site discloses further details. The merged company, Namco Bandai Holdings, Inc., will be established on 29 September 2005. Kyushiro Takagi (Representative Director of Namco) will act as Chairman and Director and Takeo Takasu (Bandai President and Director) will assume the role of President and Representative Director. These two head honchos will be joined by three other directors from each company, as well as others from outside of either company.

The official report also iterates Namco Bandai's plans to focus on both companies' strengths. Most importantly for American gamers, this means that the company will play up Bandai's strong merchandising muscle and Namco's software development skills.

I'm not sure if this is a really good thing, or a really horrible thing.

Planet Gamecube

[OB1]

That can only mean better Gundam games.

And doesn't Nintendo have a bunch of Bandai stock?

[Great Rumbler]

They have some, I don't remember how much. That was why I alluded that this could be a good thing, but remember that when a videogame company gets taken over [even if it is a merger] it's not usually a good thing for the company. But, the head guy is from Namco so maybe it won't be a bad thing.

[OB1]

And Bandai doesn't make good games, while Namco does. So either Bandai's crappiness will destroy Namco's greatness, or the other way around. I'm rooting for the latter, personally. Hopefully this won't affect their relationship with Nintendo in a bad way.

[Great Rumbler]

Why would you root for anything else?

[OB1]

I don't know, man, some people are just crazy.

*looks at 99% of Tendo City*

[A Black Falcon]

For the one person out there who LIKES getting lots of mediocre Gundam games?

[Great Rumbler]

I know I don't!

[OB1]

I'd like a good Gundam game. There are a few pretty good ones.

[Great Rumbler]

There's a Gundam Wing fighting game on the SNES that's pretty cool. It was only released in Japan, so you'll have to find a ROM.

[OB1]

There have been a couple of pretty good PS2 Gundam games.

[EdenMaster]

I don't know, man, some people are just crazy.

*looks at 99% of Tendo City*

Don't look at me, I love Namco! I hope they turn Bandai around.

[OB1]

No I meant in general.

[Great Rumbler]

Baten Kaitos is pretty cool.

[Smoke]

Bandai's anime liscenses + Namco's game developer talents = Great anime based games! I already heard one suggestion that sounded good: A Cowboy Bebop space shooter.

So throw out some ideas here people.

[OB1]

We need a Bebop game that's like Freelancer or Privateer. A linear shooter wouldn't be as good. Let us bounty hunt! Please!

Same goes for a SW game. I don't know why they haven't done that yet*.




*don't mention that stupid mmo

[A Black Falcon]

If you're going to have the character be part of the Empire or the Rebellion, a linear mission path (or perhaps a branching one) is really the only way to go. So X-Wing, TIE Fighter, etc. are best the way they are. Having a linear mission path also allows for better storytelling... I don't mind it at all in space sims.

Now, I haven't played nearly as much of the Privateer (X, Elite, Freespace, etc) style of space sims as I have the TIE Fighter style, but from what I've seen of them, I think I prefer TIE Fighter (Freespace, I-War, etc). Doing campaigns seems more interesting than trading goods... but I'm sure those games are good too.

Anyway, there isn't a SW game like that because Totally Games made all the Star Wars flight sims (Rogue Squadron isn't a flight sim. Neither is Star Wars Starfighter. :)), and they make linear-campaign games. Though there is some choice in the last one, X-Wing Alliance... some semi-optional missions, I believe. Not certain, I didn't get too far into that game...

[OB1]

A Han Solo space combat/smuggling or Boba Fett space combat/bounty hunting game would be awesome and you know it, open-ended-games-hater.

[A Black Falcon]

I just think that open-ended games have as many drawbacks as advantages when compared to an equally good more linear title...

[Great Rumbler]

They both have advantages and disadvantages and some game types are more suited to one or the other.

[OB1]

Any good space combat game can become about ten million times better with more freedom to explore and do what you want.

It's a crime against humanity to put the player in control of a space shit but limit them to a tiny box of play area! A CRIME!!11

[Great Rumbler]

space shit

[OB1]

Fuck, that is hilarious. I meant to write "ship".

[Great Rumbler]

That's what I thought, still funny though. :)

[OB1]

Yes.

[A Black Falcon]

"Do what you want"? It's always an illusion. You can only do what they let you do. And when they're spending a lot of time on making more variety of things to do, there's less depth in each one... just look at TES! It's the same with space sims. Sorry, but I'd rather play a series of carefully crafted missions... it allows for much better storytelling as well.

[Great Rumbler]

TES is fun though.

[OB1]

ABF is just repeating what I told him once, but that's not exactly what I meant...

[A Black Falcon]

I'm not just repeating things you said... I'm saying my opinion...

[OB1]

That's something I told you... but you kind of took it too far.

[A Black Falcon]

No, it's just common sense.

[OB1]