Bandai Namcohas revealed it is working on a new development project, one that could see characters and settings fromDark Souls,Dragon Ball Z, andElden Ringall collide in a single shared universe. The project also hopes to be a way for fans of these games to connect as well.
Bandai Namcois one of the most prolific video game publishers in the world, with a large back catalog of IPs fromPac-ManandSoulCalibur, to thesoon-to-be releasedElden Ring, it also holds the game publishing rights to many famous non-video game franchises likeDragon Ball Z.
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On Tuesday the company revealed it was planning to invest ¥15 Billion, around $130 Million, in an “IP metaverse” known as the “All Bandai Namco Concept.” The concept would see all Bandai Namco’s IPs connected in virtual spaces. The announcement came through an investors' presentation that shared the company’s mid-term plan for the next 3 years. This project hopes to be a “new framework for connecting with fans” as well as “maximise IP value over the medium to long term” with the money going into “data foundation” and the “development of content.”
“Metaverses” are becoming a popular trend in the entertainment industry, with companies like Disney and Microsoft reportedly planning to jump on the bandwagon headed by Meta, formerly Facebook. A company like Bandai Namco might lack the resources of these industry giants but focusing on IPs could be the way forward. A virtual space inspired by the world of a beloved game could prove more enticing to that game’s fans than an empty social space. Using the morepopular games likeDark SoulsorElden Ringas an “in” could also lead players to pick up more Bandai Namco games they might not have tried.
As primarily a publisher of video games it is unclear how many of the IPs in Bandai Namco’s library will be available to it or even useful for its “All Bandai Namco Concept.” IPs such asDark Soulsbelong to Bandai Namco, butwere developed by FromSoftware, who likely will have no part in the “metaverse” project. The irony for the publishers of certain beloved games is that although they own the IP, fans may not accept anything done with it without the original developer’s involvement.
Bandai Namco also holds the video game publishing license for many non-video game IPs but do not own the IP itself. It is not certain that any of these licenses extend outside the specific games published by Bandai Namco or whether development of an “IP metaverse” even falls under the category of a video game. If not, new deals will have to be made with all of these IP holders before Bandai Namco can put characters or locations from them in its “All Bandai Namco Concept.” So, don’t hold out for that Solaire, Goku,Peppa Pig crossover just yet.
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