One of Namco Bandai’s strategies for Western expansion is partnering with other Japanese developers. In 2009, they made a deal with Game Republic to distribute titles such as Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom and Knights Contract. This year Namco Bandai partnered with From Software to bring Dark Souls and Armored Core V overseas.
Their latest partnership is with one Japan’s fastest growing developers, Level-5. Namco Bandai will publish Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch in North America and Europe in 2012. (Read our hands-on impressions here!)
"For us, if you look at the course of what we’ve done last year, we’ve narrowed our slate to really good titles. We focused on less is more," said Carlson Choi, Vice President of Marketing at Namco Bandai, in a Siliconera interview. "When started talking to Level-5 — look guys we have a great opportunity. We have a great team in the States and we can maximize the potential of the game in the West. Those are the kinds of things we brought to the table because at the end of the day we want to bring the best games to the market."
Since deals with Game Republic and From Software were multi-title agreements, I asked Choi if Namco Bandai plans on publishing other games from Level-5. "That is still in discussion," he replied.
Level-5 revealed a number of titles earlier this month such as Guild01, Fantasy Life, and Youkai Watch, and Time Travelers.
