Namco Bandai Games has Japan locked down with Gundam, Tekken, Tales and Tamogotchi, but now it wants you, John Q. Western Gamer. Today it announced Surge, a new studio and label aimed at Westerners.
The Surge label, according to Namco Bandai, is "dedicated to providing cutting-edge, genre-defining games that are targeted at satiating the appetite of western gamers" just like you. The first appetite sating game that will cut edges and define genres is hyper-violent Afro Samurai video game, due in January. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 title is being developed by a team built from the ground up by Namco Bandai, which may have contributed to the new identity.
More titles under the Surge label are slated for 2009. We'll assume they will be logo appropriate in the electrifying edginess and style. Press release, which is making me thirsty for a citrusy soda, is after this.
NAMCO BANDAI GAMES ANNOUNCES NEW ‘SURGE’ PUBLISHING LABEL
SURGE Represents Robust Line of Titles and Audience Expansion
Santa Clara, Calif., (December 4, 2008) – Leading video games publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., today unveiled the formation of SURGE™, a new studio and publishing label dedicated to providing cutting-edge, genre-defining games that are targeted at satiating the appetite of western gamers. SURGE will deliver quality interactive entertainment across a wide assortment of categories and platforms.
“SURGE presents a significant milestone for NAMCO BANDAI as it personifies our commitment to deliver compelling content for the discriminating player who is looking for games that are not only groundbreaking but also push the envelope,” said Andrew Lelchuk, executive vice president of sales and marketing at NAMCO BANDAI Games America, Inc. “Through passion and innovation, SURGE will complement our portfolio of established franchises and intellectual property while positioning the company as a creative force.”
Afro Samurai®, the high-style title that blends urban hip hop culture with traditional Japanese aesthetics, will be the first game to launch under the new label when it is released on January 27, 2009. Additional IPs currently in development and slated for 2009 will also be published under the SURGE label.
For more information about Afro Samurai and other NAMCO BANDAI Games products, please visit: http://www.namcobandaigames.com.