Namco stated that, "With the advance of technology and diversification of user preferences, the Group has expanded into new products and service domains that extend beyond its previous game business domain."
The reason given for the name change is to reflect the next stage of growth and development of Bandai Namco beyond the games market, "as it seeks to leverage its unique intellectual properties and franchises into new business opportunities and a wider network of content", according to their press release.
What this growth and development concerning their intellectual property and franchising involves is much clearer following the announcement of the movie PIXELS. However, beyond licensing and the PIXELS movie, it is hard to tell where they will go from here.
The logo has effectively stayed the same, but with Entertainment written below instead of Games, and all companies and subsidiaries of Bandai Namco Games will be affected by the name change as well. All Bandai Namco companies will be taking on the specified change (e.g. Bandai Namco Games America Inc. is now Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc., etc.), except for the Australian branch of the company which will now be known as Bandai Namco Australia Pty Ltd.
The company released further information concerning the name change this week, releasing a press letter from Bandai Namco Games' President and CEO, Satoshi Oshita, and the roles of all board members and any changes to these roles have been made effective immediately (as of March 25 2015).
These roles are as follows:
- President & CEO - Satoshi Oshita
- Executive Vice President / Aide to President / AM Business Unit - Hitoshi Hagiwara
- Managing Director / Head of Corporate Planning, Head of Business Promotion - Kazuya Kiyoshima
- Managing Director / Head of Worldwide Planning & Development, Head of Content Licensing / Chief
- Director / NE Business Unit, CS Business Unit - Hirotaka Reizei
- Director / AM Business Unit, GE Business Unit - Shinichiro Aiki
- Director / Division Director, NE Business Unit - Nao Udagawa (newly appointed)
- Part-time Director/ Overseas Business - Masaaki Tsuji
- Full-time Corporate Auditor - Jun Higashi
- Outside Corporate Auditor - Masatake Yone
- Outside Corporate Auditor - Kei Hamada
- Founder - Masaya Nakamura
- Executive Officer / Division Director, Business Promotion Unit - Yoshinori Suzuki
- Executive Officer / Executive Producer, AM Business Unit - Junichiro Koyama
- Executive Officer / Division Director, Corporate Planning Unit - Masahiro Shimizu
- Executive Officer / Division Director, CS Business Unit - Hirotaka Watanabe
- Executive Officer / Division Director, AM Business Unit - Hideki Ishibuchi
- Executive Officer / Division Director, GE Business Unit - Yuji Tsuyuki
- Executive Officer / Division Director, Content Licensing Unit - Kazunori Goka
- Executive Officer / Division Director, Worldwide Planning & Development Unit - Nobuhiro Kasahara (newly appointed)
- Executive Officer / President & COO, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe S.A.S. (loan) - Naoki Katashima (newly appointed)
Hitoshi Hagiwara concurrently serves as President & CEO of NAMCO LTD. (incumbency).
Shin Unozawa doubles as President & CEO of Anime Consortium Japan Inc. (incumbency) and Executive Officer of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc. (incumbency).
Fumiya Takeno will assume the post of President & CEO of BANDAI CHANNEL CO., LTD. (the name will be changed to BANDAI NAMCO Rights Marketing Inc. as of April 1) effective as of April 1, 2015.
Oshita expressed in the release, "Under this new company name, all the members of board are ready to strive to enhance our business performance further with a renewed determination. I would greatly appreciate your continued guidance and encouragement."
All address and contact information will remain the same following the change, effective on April 1st 2015.
