Despite the recent successful launch of Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero, which sold 3 million units in 24 hours, it looks as though Bandai Namco is pressuring 200 of its 1,300 employees in Japan to voluntarily resign in what is being called a short-sighted move to boost profits. According to a recent Bloomberg report, the Japanese game developer is skirting strict labor laws in Japan by removing all work responsibilities from 200 of its employees. Allegedly, nearly 100 of those staff being pressured into resignation have already left the company. Along with the layoffs, Bandai Namco has apparently cancelled three new games that were in development, namely, new Dragon Ball, One Piece, and Naruto games.

This shift at Bandai Namco comes in spite of a booming Japanese game industry, which will reportedly grow by 6.66% annually until 2029. Game Developer attributes Bandai Namco's coerced "voluntary" layoffs to the losses generated by the consistently underwhelming performance of the company's online division, which supposedly generated a net loss of an equivalent to $51.35 million in the last fiscal year. If our recent reporting is any indication, there seems to be a shift in the overall gaming market, in which younger audiences predominantly seem to prefer multiplayer (specifically PvP) games. Second to PvP is single-player gaming, which was consistently the preferred game type for more than 30% of gamers, regardless of age groups. This latter niche is seemingly where Bandai Namco's strengths and audience seem to lie, along with many of its other Japanese game studio competitors, like From Software, Nintendo, and Capcom.

Earlier this month, the world lost a one-of-a-kind creative talent with the news of Akira Toriyama's passing. While Dragon Ball will always be Toriyama-sensei's best-known work, he leaves behind a legacy full of many other imaginative worlds across games, anime, and manga. Before leaving us, he worked with Bandai Namco to flesh out one of his short manga creations further: Sand Land. Alongside a new anime series, Toriyama-sensei gave input on a videogame adaptation of Sand Land that would allow players to explore this unique world for themselves.

The classic manga Sand Land lives on in Bandai Namco's new game, which ventures beyond where the original story concludes. Read on to find out what new adventures await our mech-powered demon hero in the wetlands, caves, and Forest Land. Speaking of Forest Land, we also have a reveal of new gameplay from the woodland biome.

Bandai Namco has released a new action-packed trailer revealing the existence of Forest Land! This new world and characters have been imagined by creator Akira Toriyama specifically for the video game and animated series, expanding the world of Sand Land with new adventures. Beyond the dunes and the scorching desert sun, lies a lush and green nation called Forest Land. Although peaceful at first glance, this place is governed by a ferocious army opposing Sand Land. Leading this force is Muniel, fearsome despite his childlike features, he is determined to save his land by getting his hands on a supply of Aquanium, a powerful but dangerous resource, and he will not back down without a fight.

This is another challenge for Beelzebub, his friends and his new allies, promising a handful of explosive battles against each of the Forest Land's army generals. Supported by Ann, players will be able to count on her courage in battle and her excellent mechanical skills to make their vehicle more efficient and powerful. Sand Land is set to release on 26th April 2024 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and PC. A demo is available now on all platforms to take your first steps in Sand Land.

The stage is set and the anticipation palpable as DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO adds new names to its latest lineup of fighters. Power and speed are often worthless without precision and timing. These new characters are well aware of that. In the DRAGON BALL universe, you have encountered characters who seamlessly blend both speed and power, creating a formidable fusion of strength and agility. However, among all of them, some make their raw strength or rapid movements their defining trait. The newly revealed characters are charted below.

Producer Jun Furutani revealed more details about the game's mechanics
DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO brings back enhanced gameplay elements that the franchise has been known and cherished for, making battles even more spectacular, faster, impressive and authentic to the anime. Evolved features such as "Skill Count", "Revenge Counter" and "Vanishing Assaults" have been added, giving chances for players to counterattack their foes, and add more strategy to their fights. As you discover more about DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO, ask yourself: will you prefer raw, overwhelming power or lightning-fast agility?

Bandai Namco Entertainment has announced the release of a playable demo on consoles and PC for Sand Land, the upcoming action RPG based on Akira Toriyama's original work (Dragon Ball, Dr. Slump). Sand Land is coming to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam on April 26, 2024. For more information visit Sand Land's official site; pre-orders for Standard, Deluxe and Collector's Edition of the title are available now.

Beelzebub, Rao, and Thief are just about to hit the road. Fancy tagging along?
This explosive new demo invites players to experience a slice of the exciting vehicle and melee combat and exploration in Sand Land. Step into the roles of the Fiend Prince Beelzebub, his chaperone Thief, and the fearless Sheriff Rao as the band of heroic misfits journeys across this colorful world via Battle Tanks, Battle Armors, and Motorcycles. Fans who play the demo will receive 30 B-grade steel and 30 B-grade bolts in the final game after launch, which can be used to enhance vehicles in Spino.

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. is inviting potential CRADLECOFFIN Drifters to participate in the upcoming SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada closed beta test, with registrations now open. The extraction shooter, set in a dystopian futuristic world where humans and AI must cooperate to survive, will have limited slots available for players to be among the first to venture into the ruins of Amasia to fight both environmental threats and human enemies, reap rewards, and escape with all the AO Crystals they can carry.

As a CRADLECOFFIN mech pilot, players will be able to bring their choice of Magus into battle—an AI companion that provides useful combat information including radar locations, resource tracking, combat assistance, and more. They can also select from a wide variety of chassis, arms, and legs, with two weapons as well to optimize their loadout for each sortie. The CBT for SYNDUALITY Echo of Ada will run March 28 through April 1 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

It's been three-and-a-half years since Reflector Entertainment and Bandai Namco Europe unveiled Unknown 9: Awakening with a teaser trailer at Gamescom 2020. Well, we're back and ready to share the fruits of our labor with the world! We are thrilled to unveil Unknown 9: Awakening's Announcement Trailer, which reveals our tough-as-nails protagonist Haroona, a first look at the gameplay, and a Summer 2024 release. We'd love to get you up to speed on the game, share what we've been up to behind the scenes, and explain why you should join the quest to uncover humanity's best-kept secrets, so let's dive in!

Your Unknown 9: Awakening Refresher
The third-person action-adventure title centers on Haroona, a truth seeker with a troubled past whose connection to a shadowy dimension known as the Fold has blessed her with powerful abilities. The last time the world caught a glimpse of the game's heroine, she was just a child left to fend for herself on the streets of Chamiri, India, unsure of what to make of her unearthly gifts. Fast-forward to today, and Haroona is all grown up. She's embraced her unique talents and continues to learn the ways of the Fold.

Explore, fight and ride epic vehicles in this first SAND LAND gameplay overview. In a distant future, humans and demons live together in a desertic world deprived of water: the SAND LAND. To restore balance to the world, the Fiend Prince Beelzebub forms a strange trio with his chaperone Thief and the human Sheriff Rao. Together, they will set off on an epic journey, in search of the Legendary Spring. SAND LAND is an immersive and exciting Action-RPG, based on the manga by Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball. In this article, you will discover its environments, gameplay systems, and unique elements that will make your adventure unique and memorable.

EXPLORE TWO UNIQUE WORLDS
The long-lasting desert is yours to explore. Encounter unique creatures, dive into unique biomes such as canyons and dungeons, loot essential materials, but beware of a challenge that awaits: the King's Royal Army, commanded by the Supreme Commander Zeu, is coming… No respite allowed! The end is only the beginning, as beyond the dunes lies an unknown lush world to explore, populated by even more unique and dangerous enemies to overcome. Be ready to dive into an epic adventure!

Beelzebub and company are rolling out onto PlayStation 5 & 4, Xbox Series X|S and PC on April 26! In this action-RPG players will be able to explore a vast map with a wide array of vehicles in a world developed by the creator of Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama. Become the main character, Beelzebub, and lead your company of heroic misfits on an extraordinary adventure in search of the Legendary Spring hidden in the desert. Between bandits, fierce wildlife, and the Royal Army, reaching the spring won't be easy! The latest trailer shows new story elements and exciting vehicular gameplay. Watch the release date trailer below along with PS Blog exclusive info on the newest revealed vehicles in SAND LAND!

Hovercar
As its namesake would imply, the Hovercar is a medium sized vehicle with the ability to hover, allowing it to easily traverse over wetlands and rough terrain. It can also use its boost to float to a greater height to elevate over ledges and cross gaps. When you find an area which seems to be difficult to drive through, like a quicksand biome, try the Hovercar to get out of a tough situation.

After 10 years, we return to fight once more. This is where your souls belongs. The reviews are in. Armored Core is back. Ready to take Rubicon by storm? Suit up, Ravens. Success in Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon comes from tinkering with highly customizable mech builds, a signature feature of the series, and learning the right strategies and techniques such as staggering enemies with the right weapons, combining ranged and melee attacks, and taking every advantage in battle.

A new action game based on the concept of the Armored Core series that uses the knowledge gained from FromSoftware's recent action game development. Combining FromSoftware's longstanding expertise in mech games with their signature action gameplay, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon brings a brand-new action experience to the series.

Global video game publisher and developer Bandai Namco Europe S.A.S. announced today the latest addition to the Little Nightmares franchise. Developed by Supermassive Games, Little Nightmares III will be released in 2024 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.For the first time in the franchise, players can face their childhood fears with a friend, as the game will be playable in online co-op, letting players take on the role of one of the two new characters, Low or Alone, in this dreadful world. The game will also be fully playable in single player with AI controlling the second character.

In Little Nightmares III, players will follow the journey of Low and Alone, two friends looking for a way to get out of the Nowhere. They will travel through the Spiral, a world filled with dangerous threats such as Monster Baby in the Necropolis. Each character carries its own iconic item - a bow and arrow for Low, a wrench for Alone - that they will use to solve puzzles and help them in their quest to escape.

The new story trailer for ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON shows players the exciting and dangerous world awaiting them. The realities of turning a profit on Rubicon 3 are fraught with peril, especially when Handler Walter is involved. Watch as Walter's Hounds execute their mission with ruthless tenacity and get a glimpse of the events that will lead up to the beginning of ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON.

Combining FromSoftware's longstanding expertise in mech games with their signature action gameplay, ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON brings a brand-new action experience to the series. A new game based on the concept of the ARMORED CORE series that uses the knowledge gained from FromSoftware's recent action game development.

Go beyond the fun with PARK BEYOND available now. Bandai Namco Europe and Limbic Entertainment are proud to announce the grand opening of Park Beyond, their theme park management simulation, available now for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. A free two-hour trial version is also available on Xbox Series X|S, as well as PlayStation 5 for PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers. Park Beyond has something in store for all types of players. Are they visionneers looking to find the future of amusement parks?

Impossification will allow them to transform rides, shops and event staff, making the mundane, incredible. Is management in their blood? A vast array of control panels will help them follow every parameter and penny spent to make sure their park runs perfectly, and visitors are thriving. Are they creative at heart with big ideas? Modular building with its extensive library of asset will give free reigns to their left brain to create amazing scenery for visitors to wander, while the roller-coaster creator will allow them to build the ride of their dreams.

Take advantage of the Open Beta and secure the exclusive Golden Omnicar. Park Beyond is park management, where you can build and manage the parks of your dreams. Whether you love to manage your staff, build crazy roller coaster, or decorate your own theme worlds. Park Beyond has something in store for you. PC gamers can download and play the Open Beta on Steam. This test period will be open until June 15 (3 PM). Be creative!

Park Beyond is a theme park simulation game that gives you the freedom to create and manage the Parks of your Dreams! Whether you love to manage finances and visitor experience or just create fun and cozy parks, the game has something in store just for you! In Park Beyond, you are the creative force behind a series of amusement parks, a Visioneer! You're a combination of a creator, a manager, and a designer, wrapped up in one powerful package. Every aspect of developing and maintaining successful theme parks will be under your control.

A recent Bandai Namco investor report has indicated that FromSoftware's hugely popular action action role-player has sold a total of 20.5 million units, which is highly impressive when you consider that the game launched last February. The publisher and developer's preceding Dark Souls series, as a whole, was reported to have sold 27 million copies in total by mid-2020. Bandai Namco states that uptake of its recently released games titles have not met company expectations, but FromSoftware's smash hit seems to be picking up the slack: "Repeat sales of existing titles such as Elden Ring were strong, especially overseas, worldwide sales reaching 20.5 million. New worldwide titles got off to slow starts, but smaller more medium-sized products moved steadily."

The report suggests that interest in Elden Ring is expected to dip: "We expect a pullback in repeat Elden Ring sales, which made a particularly large contribution to this previous year." The Elden Ring twitter account boasted about hitting the 20 million sales mark back in February 2023, so it can be assumed that a mere 500,000 units have been sold in the interim period between then and this month's investor report. Bandai Namco's document states that an Elden Ring DLC/expansion is in the works, but no further details are provided about the content or release time frame.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, the latest high-octane action game by FromSoftware, Inc. and Bandai Namco Europe S.A.S. will release globally on August 25. Combining the 25 years of experience developing the ARMORED CORE franchise and action games in the Elden Ring, and Dark Souls franchise, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is full of mech action, including fast-paced battles, in-depth customization, and thrilling boss fights. The game is coming to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam, and is now available to pre-order at participating retailers and on Bandai Namco Store.

A mysterious new substance called "Coral" was discovered on the remote planet, Rubicon 3. As an energy source, this substance was expected to dramatically advance humanity's technological and communications capabilities. Instead, it caused a catastrophe that engulfed the planet and the surrounding stars in flames and storms, forming a Burning Star System. Almost half a century later, Coral has resurfaced on Rubicon 3, a planet now contaminated and sealed off by the catastrophe. Extra-terrestrial corporations and resistance groups fight over control of the substance. The player infiltrates Rubicon as an independent mercenary and finds themselves in a struggle over the substance with the corporations and other factions.

Today - noblechairs proudly presents the magnificently designed HERO - ELDEN RING Edition. Just a few days ahead of the worldwide launch of the highly anticipated fantasy spectacle ELDEN RING by game developer FromSoftware and publisher BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, we are proud to announce that we are now offering the official gaming chair with original artwork for pre-sale - available from many authorised resellers and our online shops. The uniquely designed chair in a black and gold colour scheme incorporates many elements of the eagerly awaited game and takes its users on a journey through the Lands Between. Let yourself be drawn into the spell of the fascinating world and take a seat in comfort and style.

The classically elegant appearance of the HERO - ELDEN RING Edition features golden accents, ornamental embroidery, and fits seamlessly into every Elden Lord's throne room. In addition to the original lettering on both sides of the backrest, the embroidery central on the back, with a lot of detail, features many elements that can be discovered in ELDEN RING, giving every fan the feeling of becoming part of the new world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R. R. Martin straight away.

Leading interactive entertainment company BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. today celebrates PAC-MAN's 40th birthday with upcoming activities and partnerships to commemorate this momentous milestone with fans around the world. The video game and pop culture icon steps into his 40s more relevant than ever as he stars in a bevy of new video game offerings, product partnerships, and brand collaborations.

Born on May 22, 1980, PAC-MAN immediately rose to meteoric popularity, first in video game arcades, then on the pop culture stage with hit song "PAC-MAN Fever" and through an array of branding and entertainment appearances throughout the 1980's and 1990's. With a brand recognition rate of 90% around the world, PAC-MAN's image and brand continues to be one of the most recognized on the planet.

Trained on 50,000 episodes of the game, a powerful new AI model created by NVIDIA Research, called NVIDIA GameGAN, can generate a fully functional version of PAC-MAN — without an underlying game engine. That means that even without understanding a game's fundamental rules, AI can recreate the game with convincing results.

GameGAN is the first neural network model that mimics a computer game engine by harnessing generative adversarial networks, or GANs. Made up of two competing neural networks, a generator and a discriminator, GAN-based models learn to create new content that's convincing enough to pass for the original.

Bandai Namco first teased their upcoming Shonen Jump crossover fighting game, JUMP FORCE, at E3 2018 and has since been releasing a snippet of info here and there. With Paris Game Week ongoing, they saw it fit to release a new trailer for the game which provides more information including a new stage and two new characters- Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star, and Ryo Saeba from City Hunter. The trailer embedded below showcases some of their moves as accessible in the game, and we also now know that the game will release February 15, 2019. Pre-orders for the game are also up now with costume and lobby accessory bonuses, although not on PC yet. History tells us to expect a Steam page sooner than later for those interested in the game.

In a continued effort to support the PC platform, BANDAI NAMCO previously announced they would be releasing Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown on PC. At the time, there was no mention of what the game's system requirements would be. However, thanks to an NVIDIA blog post, we now know not only the game's system requirements but an estimate on system performance as well- at least with their own graphics solutions.

Overall, the minimum and recommended requirements appear to be quite reasonable. BANDAI NAMCO even went so far as to make note that the recommended requirements are representative of what is needed to run the game at the 1920x1080 resolution with max settings. NVIDIA's own testing backs up those claims with the GeForce GTX 1060 offering a comfortable 100 FPS at 1920x1080, and 60 FPS at 2560x1440 resolutions. Meanwhile, those wanting to push the game at 4K will need a GeForce GTX 1080 Ti or better which should offer a steady 60+ FPS.

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced a new digital distribution platform for PC games - the Razer Game Store - which goes live globally today. The Razer Game Store offers instant access to thousands of digital games and rewards customers with every purchase. Games are delivered in the form of Steam or Uplay product keys. With Razer's global leadership in gaming peripherals, laptops and software, the Razer Game Store is the next step in its expanding ecosystem for gamers.

Get Games, Get Rewarded
When gamers buy games from the Razer Game Store, they get access to exclusive offers, Razer Game Store vouchers, discounted Razer peripherals on the RazerStore or other perks. In addition, gamers will also earn zSilver loyalty rewards credits with each purchase on the Razer Game Store, including credit card transactions. Paying instead with zGold grants even larger zSilver rewards. With its unique rewards system , buying a game from the Razer Game Store grants more value than in any other digital store as gamers are then able to redeem their rewards for other Razer products and more each time they checkout.

Bandai Namco has revealed some official screenshots of Dark Souls: Remastered that will launch on May 25 for PCs and consoles. While the original was limited to 720p resolution, PC players will be able to enjoy the remastered version in native 4K resolution at a frame rate of 60 FPS if they have the necessary hardware to run it, of course. Unfortunately, Bandai Namco hasn't officially released the system requirements for Dark Souls: Remastered. However, the overall textures, lighting, and effects have been improved in the remastered version. The level of quality should be similar to that of Dark Souls 3. The minimum system requirements for Dark Souls 3 were set at an Intel Core i3-2100 processor, 4GB of memory, and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti graphics card. We can expect similar system requirements for Dark Souls: Remastered.

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe invites players back to the treacherous land of Lordran with DARK SOULS: REMASTERED, available on 25th May, 2018 for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, and PC. Re-experience the genre-defining title that kicked off a worldwide gaming phenomena in stunning high-definition detail. DARK SOULS: REMASTERED marks the DARK SOULS series debut on a Nintendo platform, and for the first time ever can be played on the go with the unique capabilities of the Nintendo Switch console.

Developed by FromSoftware Inc., DARK SOULS: REMASTERED allows players to explore the twisted ancient land of Lordran in the first title of the critically acclaimed action role-playing series like never before. Experience the rich world of DARK SOULS in upscaled 4K resolution with 60FPS when playing on a PlayStation 4 Pro system, Xbox One X, and PC. Also, 1080p resolution with 30FPS is available when playing the game on Nintendo Switch with its TV mode. From their first timid steps to absolute mastery, players will build their characters by strategically adapting to daunting foes, exploring haunting locations, and amassing a large collection of weapons, armor and magic spells to utilize for a truly unique playstyle.

BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. returns to the stage of history with SOULCALIBURVI for the PlayStation4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, and STEAM for PC. Enter into a new chapter of weapons-based 1 vs 1 fighting with returning fan-favorite characters and all-new gameplay systems.

The SOULCALIBUR franchise has been the premier 3D weapon-based fighting series since the original SOUL BLADE released in arcades in 1995. SOULCALIBUR VI retains the series' signature 8-Way Run movement system, providing super smooth 3D movement, while integrating new gameplay systems such as the exciting Reversal Edge. Reversal Edge enables characters to clash against each other and follow-up with powerful counterattacks based on their opponent's actions. Challenge the computer AI, compete against friends, or challenge fighters from around the world in high-speed dynamic battles with jaw-dropping visual effects.