Bandai Namco

v • t • e
Namco
Location	Ota, Japan
Founded	June 1, 1955
Defunct	March 31, 2006

v • t • e
Bandai Namco
Location	Ota, Japan
Founded	March 31, 2006

Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (formerly Namco Bandai Holdings and Bandai Namco Games Inc.) is a Japanese video game developer and publisher formed as a merger between Namco Ltd. and Bandai Co., Ltd.. The company was responsible for publishing the final Xenosaga game, Xenosaga Episode III - Also Sprach Zarathustra, prior to Monolith Soft's sale to Nintendo in 2007.

Namco[edit]

Namco Ltd. was a Japanese video game developer and publisher. Formed on June 1st, 1955 as a developer of coin-operated amusement machines before fully shifting development into video games with its acquisition of Atari Japan in 1974. Along with publishing Atari-developed games in Japan, Namco would start producing their own franchises.

To many, Namco is best known as one of the most prolific publishers of the "golden age" of video games, producing arcade hits such as Galaxian, Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Mappy, Rally-X, and The Tower of Druaga. Later successes of theirs include Ridge Racer, Tekken, the Tales series, and Taiko no Tatsujin. Namco would merge with Bandai in March 31, 2006 to form Bandai Namco.

Namco founded Monolith Soft as a subsidiary on October 1st, 1999, which included many employees that previously worked at Square and developed Xenogears. While under Namco, Monolith Soft would create the Xenosaga series, Baten Kaitos, and Namco X Capcom, as well as assisting with development of Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII. Xenosaga I & II was the last title published exclusively under the Namco brand before it was integrated into Bandai Namco.