Bandai Namco is a video game entertainment company that aims to make “play” a natural part of life. As of this year, it is the world’s third largest video game company after Sony Interactive and Nintendo.
The company’s history goes back to 1950 in Tokyo, Japan, when Bandai Games was founded to make toys and action figures. Five years later, Namco was founded separately to make coin-operated amusement rides and arcade games, acquiring Atari in 1974 and introducing its first major hits, Galaxian in 1979, and Pac-Man in 1980. The two firms merged in 2005 to form Bandai Namco. In addition to Pac-Man, who remains mascot today, the firm’s additional video game franchises include Tekken Gundam, Ace Combat, The Idolmaster and Dark Souls.
This Knowledge Leader identifies intellectual property as the core of its innovation strategy. It relies on proven IP to deliver lasting entertainment via network and home console games, and at Bandai Namco, even video game characters are considered IP.
In 2020—the same year it marked the 40th anniversary of Pac-Man–the firm reorganized around its intellectual properties, mapping out future experiences and discoveries for fans beyond just games alone. Since then, it has been investing for the arrival of the Web 3.0 era, last year opening its “MIRAIKEN studio” in Japan, an immersive, augmented virtual reality experience dedicated to searching for new ways to deliver next-generation games and anime. “We want to connect with our fans around the world in deeper, wider, and more complex ways,” said CEO Yasuo Miyakawa.
Last year, Bandai Namco joined the UN Secretary-General’s “Playing for the Planet Alliance,” committing to reduce carbon emissions by 35% by the year 2030 and become carbon net-zero by 2050.
As of 9/30/22, Bandai Namco Holdings was held in the Knowledge Leaders Strategy.
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