Like most video game publishing and development studios, Bandai Namco is affected by the current crisis. The Japanese studio canceled this summer Blue Protocoland MMORPG already available on the archipelago, but which had to be published by Amazon Games in the West. The servers will close at the beginning of next year, but the studio would now suffer a new blow.
According to a survey of Bloomberg (via PC Gamer), Bandai Namco would have indirectly fired 200 of its 1,300 employees. As Japanese law is particularly strict on layoffs in companies, Bandai Namco would not have fired these employees, but he would have placed them in a oidashibeyaan austere office, without stimulating activities or projects, in order to encourage them to leave on their own. According to Bloombergaround a hundred employees have already resigned, others are expected to follow suit in the coming weeks.
As if the cancellation of Blue Protocol was not enough, Bloomberg states that Bandai Namco would also have canceled games with characters from One Piece et Narutoas well as a project commissioned by Nintendo. As a reminder, the two studios have already worked together on big games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mario Sports Superstars, New Pokémon Snap or even Pokkén Tournament.
For his part, Bandai Namco issued a press release to Bloomberg to defend itself, the Japanese studio declared:
Some employees may need to wait a while before being assigned their next project, but we move forward with assignments as new projects emerge… There is no organization like an “oidashi beya” at Bandai Namco Studios designed to pressure people into leaving voluntarily.
Bandai Namco comes as a reminder to launch DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZEROavailable at €62.99 on Amazon and which sold very, very well upon its release. A mysterious Death Note: Killer Within has also been in the news for a few days.
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| Clint008 Editor – Tester |
