Summary
New trademarks fromBandai Namcohint at potential revivals for classic titles such asMs. Pac-Man,Galaga, andSplatterhouse.Bandai Namcomay be taking cues from some of SEGA’s upcoming reboots and remakes, as both companies have been renewing trademarks for a slew of classic IPs.
Bandai Namco recently canceled five gamesthat were in development, with the company looking to restructure its internal process for evaluating games. The rising cost of game development is cited by Bandai Namco as one of the main reasons for the cancelation of these games. In addition, Bandai Namco wants to improve the overall quality of its releases, afterNaruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm ConnectionsandJujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clashdrew criticism and mixed reactions from players. The emphasis on quality is evident in the upcomingDragon Ball: Sparking Zerogame, which is garnering attention and excitement fromDragon Ballfans around the world with each new reveal and trailer. The company’s future plans might also involve remasters, remakes, and all-new games based on classic titles from the 1980s and 1990s.
Twitter user and video game researcher Kurakasis found more than 20 new trademarks forclassic Bandai Namco titleson Chizai-Watch, a Japanese trademark search website. These trademarks includeNamco History,Splatterhouse,Summon Night,Ms. Pac-Man, and many more classic Namco arcade titles that Bandai Namco could potentially revisit in the future. All of them were registered in the video games category, while some were also filed for merchandising, such as toys and clothes. Although the new trademarks were likely just upkeep on Bandai Namco’s part, the possibility of revivals for these classic games remains.
Bandai Namco Trademarks for Possible Classic Game Revivals
Some of the new trademarks apply to arcade games that were exclusively released in Japan, such as 1979’sCutie Qand 1988’sMirai Ninja. A number of titles, includingGalagaandBurning Force, are already available on current-gen platforms thanks to Hamster Corporation’sArcade Archivesseries of ports. These classic games are also available on PC, allowing players to use a variety ofcontrollers that are ideal for retro gaming.
Bandai Namco could follow a similar business model to SEGA and invest in its catalog of IPs, but the company will more than likely focus on its restructuring of internal development processes. In addition, From Software’snewElden Ring Shadow of the Erdtreeexpansionlooks to be a major release for Bandai Namco’s next fiscal year, which starts on April 1. The expansion could help influence Bandai Namco’s future release plans since it’s projected to be very profitable.
