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Namco Bandai Editors Day
Klonoa Wii-make Challenge Preview: Yep, Itβs Challenging
Klonoa: Door to Phantomile is a classic PlayStation adventure game remade for the Wii that's entirely true to the original in content, color and even voice actors. More » -
playstation network
Noby Noby Boy Multiplayer Teaser Is Slightly Disturbing
Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi has dropped a Noby Noby Boy offline multiplayer teaser that leaves us feeling slightly queasy for some reason. More » -
facebook
Pac-Man And Dig Dug With A Facebook Twist
Namco Networks and J2Play announce the launch of Namco All-Stars Pac-Man and Dig Dug, two classic games for your PC with built-in hooks to the Facebook community. More » -
only in japan
Namco's Chocolate Bugs Valentines
Happy Day-Before-Valentine's Day! Japanese game maker Namco knows what's best for Valentine's Day: chocolate shaped like bugs. De-licious. More » -
bandai namco
What Sells More, Dragon Ball Or Soul Calibur?
'Tis the season for financial results. In keeping with the trend, Bandai Namco released theirs tonight, and amidst all the bean-counting, also revealed some sales figures for their tentpole franchises. More » -
NYCC '09
This Is Entirely Way Too Much Pac-Man Stuff, Namco
Square-Enix wasn't the only publisher at the New York Comic-Con trying to turn a profit. More » -
splatterhouse
Namco Confirms Ditching Splatterhouse Developers
California-based developer Bottlerocket Entertainment is no longer working on Splatterhouse for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, Namco confirmed to Kotaku today. More » -
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disturbance in the workforce
Rumor: Namco Yanks Splatterhouse From Bottlerocket
On the same day the Splatterhouse trailer debuted, Namco is rumored to have pulled the unfinished project from Bottlerocket, dooming the California-based developer.
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pac-man
Let Pac-Man Describe Your Pain
Spotted on Flickr, this handy chart asks folks to choose the Pac-Man face that best describes how they feel. I'm a little "BERRR-." You? More » -
maximum risky
"How Do I Change The Color Of SoulCalibur Female Underpants?"
This is serious stuff. Very serious. An interoffice Namco conversation regarding changing panty colors for the Dreamcast version of SoulCalibur. No, really. More » -
mods
Ms. Pac-Man Tattoo Might Limit Career Options
Lord knows we encourage enough tatting around here, but like the mafia, we don't deliberately go for the face. -
iphone
Katamari Available on iPhone
It may be called "I Love Katamari," but it's not a knock-off. Straight from Namco Bandai, you can start rolling it up with your iPhone (or iPod Touch's) accelerometer for $7.99. -
pac-man
Be A Ghost In Multiplayer Mobile Pac-Man
Namco Bandai continue to shake the last few power pills from Pac-Man's pockets, but the new mobile version of the venerable franchise does come with a cool new feature - multiplayer. More » -
hellgate
As You Were, Hellgate Not Reopening In US/EU
I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this. Contrary to recent reports, Hellgate: London will only be clawing its way out of the abyss in Asia. Fans of the game in the US and Europe will be bidding the game farewell at the end of January, as expected. More » -
tokyo game show 2008
Namco Bandai's Teenage Boy Friendly Line Up Dated
Ready the Sharpies and calendars, for Namco Bandai's upcoming wares have been dated, some loosely, for North America and the expansive PAL region. There's plenty of doe-eyed, anime and manga-inspired fodder for the inner 13-year old who still loves Dragonball in any form and is still planning on picking up Eternal Sonata on PlayStation 3. More » -
Pole Position: Remix
Namco Brings Back Pole Position On iPhone
Prepare to qualify! Namco Networks, the mobile game development and publishing arm of good old Namco Bandai has futzed around with a classic racing title and dropped it on the iPhone for a whole new generation (read: market) of gamers to enjoy. Pole Position: Remix takes the primitive gameplay of the original Pole Position, tacks on some rather nifty new controls, and charges you $9.99 for the privilege of playing it. More » -
penny arcade expo 2008
PAC-MAN Fever Mobile Tournament at PAX
I've got a fever and the only cure is more Pac-Man! If you're at PAX and you love Pac-Man, you may want to swing by Namco Networks' booth #141. Throughout the day there will be tournaments where players compete for the best score in Pac-Man. The top 4 scores of the day move onto the daily final challenge where the winner will win a nice prize pack that includes a brand new phone! If you're not ready for a challenge, you can just check out the other mobile games at the booth, such as Pac-Man, Galaga, and Pac-Man Arcade Golf. Full release after the jump. More » -
rumor
Soulcalibur IV Start Screen and Character Selection
Reader Sourside21 found four Photobucket images of Soulcalibur IV breaking the street date by about 10 days. Well, maybe. It looks like these guys are playing it in the back of a store, so maybe they're employees (or friends) playing with the stock after hours. Naturally, we don't see any gameplay. But we do see the character selection page and Kratos ain't on it. "We'll probably be getting a lot of information on how each of the characters play soon," Sourside21 surmises. Good bet. All the full size photos are on the jump. Officially, Soulcalibur IV drops on July 29 in North America, July 31 in Japan, Australia and Europe, and Aug. 1 in the UK. More » -
oddities
(RIP Soul Calibur: 1998-2008) Yoda, Vader Make SCIV Cover
First Guitar Hero kicks the bucket, now this... Soul Calibur IV has been dated and priced for Japan. That's good news! The game will be released on July 31st for Β₯7,800 (US$73). Above is the official Japanese box art for the game, box art that features Darth Vader for the PS3 version. Yoda is on the Xbox 360 version's cover. That's, well, not such good news. By putting these iconic Star Wars characters on the box doesn't it make Soul Calibur IV seem less like a Soul Calibur game and more like a Star Wars game? Yes, yes it does. You had a good run SC. Gonna miss ya. More » -
upgrades
Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Online Gets Free Update
Those who are still enjoying Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Online will be happy to hear that Namco Bandai has released a free update to the game (a point of clarification, I assume, because they've historically charged for online capabilities). The update brings Pickup Match Mode, allowing players to skip the waiting room and jump straight into continuous matches. Other than that, there are some minor interface and matchmaking optimizations along with a few bug fixes (that you can read about after the jump). Oh, and there's rumble support now...the metaphorical fat kid of the software patch world. "Wait for me guys!! I'm almost there and it's gonna be so much fun!" More » -
maximum risky
Ms. Pac-Man in Hustler Magazine
Joystick penis joke alert! Joystick penis joke alert! Above is a clip from a 2005 Hustler piece that featured a pantsu-less woman in a Ms. Pac-Man costume. The article includes lines like: More » -
namco
More Sorta New Soul Calibur IV Screens
Hinted at in the recent monthly manga Shonen Ace magazine article, here are three newish (low-res unfortunately!) screenies of pointy boob character Angol Fia. Sharp mammaries aside, spikes are fine and all, but these seem to just get in the way. She could get hurt! More » -
namco
New New Soul Calibur IV Screens, New Old Characters
As new Soul Calibur IV characters are revealed, it's nice to see, you know, old SC characters. Game site 1Up brings word that classic Soul Calibur villian Cervantes is back (but wearing too many spikes). Soul Calibur III's Zasalamel also makes a return as well. Same for SCIII's French Gothic Lolita character Amy, who appeared as a competitor in the Japanese arcade version. Screens below. Look at them! More » -
namco
New Soul Calibur IV Character, Has Sharp Nipples
The recent issue of monthly manga Shonen Ace has a first look at new spiky-bobbie Soul Calibur IV character Angol Fia. She's was designed by famed mangaka Mine Yoshizaki, best known for creating Keroro Gunso (Sgt. Frog), and Fia is somehow connected to that universe's Angol Mois. Mois's mother was named "Tia," so hrm... Hit the jump for a pin-up style look at Angol Fia, pointy nipples and all. More » -
rumor
Tekken 6 Not Coming to American Arcades
Right now, the arcade version of Tekken 6 is in loads of places, like NOT AMERICA and NOT AMERICA. Apparently, it's going to stay that way! While the game is most certainly coming to American consoles, it seems that it will not be coming to American arcades. Nothing has been officially announced, but Tekken site SD Tekken points out various reasons why the game won't be coming to American arcades, including the fact that Namco USA no longer has an arcade division and that the US arcade scene is pretty much, well, dead. Still, the cabinets are being imported. So far, Tekken 6 is playable at an arcade in Houston. Americans willing to mingle with Canadians will be happy to find the game in arcades north of the border. More » -
iphone
Galaga, Pac-Man, Bejeweled and Others Coming To iPhone
Yes, yes, everyone is jumping on board the iPhone bandwagon, and since I own an iPhone that makes me very, very happy.
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law
Should Video Game Patents Be Legal?
Over on Gamasutra, designer Ernest Adams has posted an interesting piece on video game software patents. He argues that not only are such patents morally gray, but that they are too encompassing—citing an example from Namco's PSOne version of Ridge Racer in which they patented, we kid you not, load-time minigames. He explains:The US Patent and Trademark Office has taken a much more vague approach to determining what may or may not be patented. Its guidelines for patent examiners requires that the invention produce a concrete, useful, and tangible result, and gameplay patents are being allowed.
Then he later continues: More » -
fansubs
Namco x Capcom Now In English Courtesy Of Super-Fans
Fanboy crossover RPG Namco x Capcom was destined never to be released outside of Japan. Filled with fanservice on both sides, featuring characters culled from Darkstalkers, The Legend of Valkyrie, Street Fighter, Tekken, Strider and many more Namco and Capcom franchises, the tactical action RPG would have been too great an undertaking for too little benefit for both publishers. What looked like a franchise wet dream would only be experienced by Japanese speakers. More » -
pole position
Finally, Pole Position Comes To iPod
Remember iPod gaming? Yes, it continues to be quite the punchline, but publishers are still giving it a go, with Namco releasing Pole Position Remix via the iTunes store today. The driving game controlled with the (get this) iPod wheel is receiving nothing short of piss poor to five-star rave reviews from those who have purchased the arcade remake and taken the time to comment on iTunes. Klee3 says Pole Position Remix is "[the] worst of all the iPod Games that are available now" but razor pod writes "this game is hot so fun and not very hard to control (for Me) so this game is really fun." Looks like someone's having so much fun they can't be bothered to punctuate! Very telling. More » -
xbox 360
Beautiful Katamari Rolls Onto PAL Next Month
PAL players! Well, European Xbox 360 owners! Beautiful Katamari is *finally* rolling onto at least European PAL machines this February. We imagine Australia as well. If you've never played a Katamari game, might be worth checking it out. If you have, well. You've already played it, but better. More » -
hats
Namco Meets New Era For Pac-Man Caps
Some of the more casual fashion friendly types at Kotaku Tower aren't just into t-shirts and sneakers—some of us like fitted caps, too. So when Namco teams up with cap experts New Era for a line of Pac-Man fitteds, we expect great things. Oh wait, it's Namco. Expect run of the mill things. The Namco X New Era line looks to have dropped in Japan recently, a limited edition trio of wool baseball caps that feature Pac-Man, Inky, Blinky and Pinky. Each will set fans back 6090 yen (about $55 USD). More hats, more pics, at Fuctard's online store. More » -
namco
Guncon 3 Is "Much More Accurate" Than Wii-mote
Namco's first party peripherials for its Time Crisis series are typically fantastic. The new Guncon 3 looks to be no exception. It's apparently very accurate. How accurate? Way more accurate than the Wii-mote. Time Crisis 4 producer Teruaki Minami explains: More » -
namco
Katamari Creator Thinks Gaming Has "Lost Its Direction"
When not harboring dreams of designing playground equipment, Katamari creator Keita Takahashi makes games and says kooky things. Some of those kooky things make sense, and some of them don't whatsoever. What's Keita think of creativity? More » -
retro
Ms. Pac-Man Looks Lovely on Hands
We've posted plenty of gaming shirts, but gaming rings? Aside from Square Enix's Final Fantasy costume jewelry, no gaming rings jump out at me. There are these: Ms. Pac-Man and a ghost. For those with man hands, there is also an approximately one inch version of the ghost ring. While the website dubs the ring "Ghost Ring Large," we refer to it as Blingy-Blingy. More » -
blinky attacks
Pac-Man's Power Pills 'Pparently Pirated
OK, that's 'apparently' up in the headline, but the alliteration trip wouldn't let me spell it any other way. More »



































