Namco Bandai Takes Another Step Toward D3P Ownership

Namco Bandai has made good on its promise to acquire fellow Japanese company D3Publisher, increasing its stake from 70 to 95.02 percent. Namco Bandai paid the equivalent of $12.55 million for the additional shares, according to a Nikkei report translated by consumer weblog Kotaku. A statement from D3Publisher publicity manager Tamara Sanderson Low indicates that the company still plans to acquire 100 percent of the company and its American and European subsidiaries, which include developer/engine creator Vicious Cycle and publishing operations. "D3Publisher operations will remain unchanged at this time. Development of our current and unannounced titles is ongoing and will move forward as planned," she said. Namco Bandai announced last month its intention to acquire D3Publisher outright and make it a wholly-owned subsidiary. Namco said at the time it saw important synergies with D3Publisher, particularly in the area of cross-media products and toy and merchandise licensing. D3Publisher is best known in its native Japan for its Simple series of original budget titles, which has born successful franchises such as Global/Earth Defense Force and Onechanbara. In the West, the company has expanded its business with licensed products such as cartoon tie-in Ben 10, original titles such as Puzzle Quest and publishing deals for some Naruto anime titles.