The metaverse concept has been tossed around quite a lot in the gaming sphere. While it may not incite the same ire as NFTs in games, the metaverse still does cause some to roll their eyes, as the fundamental ideal is yet to be fully realized.
Yet for Bandai Namco, the acclaimed publisher behind the Souls series of games, anime brawl experiences, and Dark Pictures Anthology franchise, the metaverse is viewed as a mere tool to aid in the connection of fans across the world. Bamco explained to shareholders on Tuesday morning, Feb. 8th, this so-called 'IP Axis Strategy' is the company's mid-term play for April 2022 to March 2025.
The company relays it will invest ¥15 billion ($130 million) to "develop a metaverse for each IP as a new framework for connecting with fans," which shall only enhance the company's standing in the industry. The Bandai Namco games metaverse strategy is a threefold move, aiding in the improvement of software sales beyond Japan, elevating its IP value, and, at the forefront of the endeavor, bridging fans together via its various IP.
"In this IP Metaverse," Bandai Namco Entertainment's official document reads, "we are anticipating virtual spaces that will enable customers to enjoy a wide range of entertainment on an IP axis, as well as frameworks that leverage Bandai Namco's distinctive strengths to fuse physical products and venues with digital elements."
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Just last week, Bandai Namco likewise announced the production of an internal game engine, which will undoubtedly only aid in expanding its metaverse plans. The publisher also once more altered its logo on Tuesday morning, further cementing its ever-evolving stance on global domination.
Being situated largely within the Japanese market, given the publisher's array of anime-based experiences, a metaverse strategy with "open frameworks that provide venues for connections" proves the play is a long-term aspiration. This isn't merely for anime and Souls fans. Bandai Namco sees its IP Axis Strategy as a business incentive, a ploy to bridge consumers, investors, gamers, and the like together under various spaces dedicated to their favorite experiences.
Much in the same way, Nintendo recently viewed options pertaining to the metaverse. For the family-friendly, mainly mobile-based company, a metaverse is only an option when it can find the perfect way to implement Nintendo-based designs the right way into its digital space. Bandai Namco seems already well ahead of the curve, vying to realize a "data foundation (data universe)" that utilizes "multifaceted connections" to "maximize IP value."
Given its foothold in beloved experiences, like Dragon Ball Z, Dark Souls, and much more, this long-term IP axis strategy only makes sense and, depending upon its implementation, may well see its own contenders in the form of Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony soon enough.
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