Namco Bandai has opened a studio in Vancouver, B.C. that will serve as a base for creating mobile and online games.
According to the Vancouver Sun, the Tekken and Pac-Man publisher launched the studio Tuesday afternoon, with hopes of employing around 30 people. In June, Namco Bandai announced the launch of its Vancouver studio, which will now be known as Namco Bandai Studios Vancouver Inc. The studio will be located at the Centre for Digital Media at the Great Northern Way Campus.
Namco Bandai Studios president Hajime Nakatani told the Vancouver Sun through an interpreter the city of Vancouver was chosen for its “cluster” of digital artists and engineers. The cities of Toronto and Montreal were runner-ups.
“The market is quite big in North America—there is room to grow for us,” Nakatani said. Nakatani also added the company is focused on the production of mobile and online games, in which he says account for a fifth of the company’s titles.
Centre for Digital Media director Richard Smith says opening a studio in Canada is a smart choice because development talent won’t jump ship to cities such as San Francisco or Los Angeles.
“And, more importantly for [Namco] Bandai, it can be a team of North Americans that can help them design games that North Americans want to play,” Smith said.