Namco not happy about PS3 sales, states new plan
Namco Bandai shot out a statement recently that went over their latest software plans for the next-gen consoles. Citing slower sales than expected from the PS3, they imagine their Gundam Musou title (Dynasty Warriors: Gundam outside of Japan) will only sell 300,000 copies instead of their previously estimated 500,000.From their statement: "PS3 did not make a good start, which will make the transition from the old game console to the next generation system more prolonged than we had earlier thought. This will keep a lid on sales of our video games in the first half, although we believe that sales of PS3 will increase in the second half (to March 2008)."
Namco Bandai announced a total of 23 PlayStation 3 titles in that time frame (24 for the 360) and the Nintendo Wii gets the majority of 37 titles. This translates to one thing: multi-platform. If the PS3 sales are slow, which they are, then Namco Bandai isn't going to stick around and keep making exclusive titles on Sony's platform. Why else would there be more for the 360 than the PS3? They've got one exclusive, we think, and most of the others will be multi-platform. Whatever the case, let's hope sales pick up so Namco Bandai can make a fantastic game utlizing the full potential of the PS3.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Strike Man @ May 11th 2007 9:01PM
@ poster: For what it's worth, we can probably dismiss at least half of those games right off the bat, as the flood of generic anime-licensed titles appeal to only the hardcore Japanophiles.
That being said, you'd have to be wearing blinders to not see this coming. To make a decent looking game on a "next gen" system is simply too bloody expensive to limit to just one system, especially when two of them are relatively equals, each with their own ups and downs. Financially speaking, unless Microsoft or Sony is willing to cut a large check to keep an exclusive or two, it makes no sense for them to do so.
thatpspkid @ May 11th 2007 9:17PM
Yes the lack of ps3s out there do play a role in how many games are sold but maybe, just maybe, if namco makes an awesome game, then it can sale whatever their target estimate is. Just maybe...
3cubedminus3squared @ May 11th 2007 10:12PM
Maybe they are making another baten kaitos for the Wii. Or is this another company?
WhackMushroom @ May 11th 2007 11:34PM
too bad gundam sucked ass ... ridge racer well is played out and everything else they released was pretty much bullshit ... boo hoo
Anonymous @ May 12th 2007 12:18AM
Come on Namco Bandai, give us that next-gen Gundam goodness on our 360's. COME ONNNNNNNN BANDAI
Next-Gen-Gamer @ May 12th 2007 6:09AM
"NEW HEADLINE: PS3 fans not happy with Namco Bandai; states new plan!"
Have anything to do with boycotting every PS3 game that comes from NamBan?
Joking aside, there haven't been good games from Namco-Bandai in awhile.
Oh, and either kingofwale doesn't get on during the weekends, or 'Stiq dropped the ban hammer on him. I think his final comment was on the God of War cell phone game, in which he said the graphics were "Wiitastic". Between that and picking a fight with Chris Grant, I wouldn't be shocked if he's gone, for now at least.
kingofwale @ May 12th 2007 8:12AM
Why would Joystiq ban me for NOT acting all Wii-loving? I suppose if they change their name to "Wii-stiq" ;)
>Incoming kingofwale post about how Namco Bandai doesn't make good games anyway,
well, not ALL their games can be killer titles with great catchy names like "Dynasty Warriors: Gundam" you know. ;)
and they expected 500K? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? This would be like Red Steel expecting to sell 1 million copies. but then again, PS3 owners aren't idiots.
I would MUCH rather if they just stop making crappy games. Yeah Namco, go make crappy games for Wii or 360 for a while please.
Quality over Quantity ANYTIME!
Gausser @ May 12th 2007 12:09PM
@kingofwale
I read a post of yours earlier where you were
complaining that you were labelled a 'fanboy' because you stated a rational opinion that differed from that of other people. From your above comment, it's obvious that you are a fanboy. You just love to put
down Wii owners and that system.
But lets look at facts. If the PS3 had sold the way many people predicted, the Dynasty Warriors title would have sold 500 000 copies. But with the PS3 install base being so small, that is practically impossible.
Namco/Bandai does make some good games. Soul Calibur 2 was one of the best fighting games of the last generation. I thought the Baten Kaitos games on the cube were awesome experiences. Some of the naruto games were good as well.
You say PS3 owners aren't idiots. I say anyone that spends so much on a gaming system that really doesn't have the games yet is an idiot. (see, I can do that too). BTW 'quality over quantity' is the Gamecube owner's mantra from the last gen.
WebMaster @ May 12th 2007 1:17PM
@ Poster
Boy of boy, you do know KoW.
KingofWale hit for Massive Damage by Gausser.
Pwn3d.
Popfrogs @ May 12th 2007 1:46PM
In other words, NamcoBandai completely forgets to support the US and Euro market through the PS Store while the Japan PS Store constantly has downloads for their games (RR7 I'm looking at you).
Don't support the vast majority of the PS3 install base and what happens? Low sales. Gee what a big surprise. Then they release the first Gundam game which was panned as horrible by every respectable game site.
I like NamcoBandai and wish them luck in the future but they're going to have to step up and do much better than they are now if they expect to make games that sell 500,000.
Kspraydad @ May 12th 2007 2:00PM
Maybe I'm missing something but Red Steel (somehow??!!) actually has sold close to a million units. Inexplicable but true.
http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5371&Itemid=2
Next-Gen-Gamer @ May 12th 2007 3:12PM
"Why would Joystiq ban me for NOT acting all Wii-loving? I suppose if they change their name to "Wii-stiq" ;)"
I don't know. Why did Chris Grant put the verbal beatdown on you? Maybe because your comments have nothing to do with the topics you're responding to over at Joystiq. See, here you get away with it, because you mention the PS3, so everything is 'okay'. You do it on Joystiq, its hardly ever on-topic, and everyone calls you a troll. I guess what I'm saying is, if you keep posting troll crap over at Joystiq, you're probably going to get banned.
Rabish12 @ May 12th 2007 10:08PM
@kingofwale: How could they NOT expect Dynasty Warriors: Gundam to sell 500,000? I'm surprised that's ALL they expected given that it's labeled as part of a very popular series of games and leaching off of one of the biggest anime licenses of all time. Normally, that would be enough to make half a million, easy.
The_Unsane @ May 13th 2007 3:52AM
Namco needs to downsize. You can tell they are trying to keep everyone at the company employed and they are not enouhg of a dynamo of a company to do that anymore.
Namco should fire everyone, rehire the best of the best and shuffle them into two development teams and then keep the second tier on as freelancers. The rest can get kittens. They aren't worth anything.
And they should never release an anime game as a flagship title. That is sad. Capcom is wiping the floor with Sega and Namco. It wouldn't shock me if a Capcom exec is running Namco in a few years. They seem to be the only Japanese independent company who knows what they are doing at the moment.
If I was Nintendo, there is no way I would let a company like Namco release 37 games for my system. They aren't worthy of that anymore.
[edited by NickyD -- who wouldn't want kittens?]
GL @ May 18th 2007 2:58AM
NEW HEADLINE: PS3 fans not happy with Namco Bandai; states new plan!