In 2011, there were rumblings that the Tales Studio, responsible for the Tales of series, was in trouble. Their numbers were looking rather grim, and then came the news that Namco Bandai would be absorbing the Tales Team into their company. Fans worried that this would be the end of the JRPG series maker.
It turns out things aren't all doom and gloom after all. In an interview showcasing plans for a western release of the latest Tales of Xillia, chief producer Hideo Baba painted a positive picture for the team, quite the opposite of the nervous tweets from a couple of years ago. "It helps that we are closer to [Namco Bandai] now," said Baba in a roundtable interview. "Not just in terms of proximity, but it gives our team the opportunity to interact with the various other teams within Namco Bandai to gain experience and knowhow for other types of games." Baba stated enthusiastically. While it's unlikely that they would be going to the Ace Combat team for airplane knowhow, or the Tekken for fighting game tech, Baba was optimistic that interaction between the various teams would allow for even better games in the future.
While he did not discuss the corporate side of things involving potential risks and drawbacks from the merging with Namco Bandai, overall, Baba shared a positive outlook on the situation and expressed his hopes for more Tales to come.
When asked if he thought Xillia was the perfect Tales game, Baba said proudly, "Yes... At least until the next Tales." adding with a smile, "Every Tales game is perfect."