As a devoted fan who has grown up with Naruto and One Piece, this news hits hard like the final blow of Pain’s Rinnegan or Whitebeard’s Gigant Bomb. It’s like Luffy’s dreams are being crushed by an Atlantis Dragon, or Naruto’s by a giant meteor. The cancellations and pauses feel like Orochimaru has infiltrated Bandai Namco and is causing chaos from within.
It’s unfortunate for fans of Naruto and One Piece, as Bandai Namco has chosen to either cancel or postpone several games related to these franchises indefinitely. This includes a project that was specifically developed for Nintendo, which unfortunately won’t be moving forward.
As a passionate gamer, I’ve noticed a trend lately in the gaming industry – companies are making tough decisions due to staff reductions, also known as layoffs. Recently, Bloomberg reported that weak sales demand has led Bandai to trim their workforce and put several upcoming projects on hold.
The company’s rep told Bloomberg that their choice to stop producing games is made after thorough evaluations of the circumstances.
Bandai put considerable resources into developing mobile games, unfortunately without much success. Regrettably, the gacha game Tales of the Rays, a spin-off from the popular Tales series, was closed down in July this year. Despite its connection to the well-known franchise, it struggled to gain popularity among players.
Blue Protocol, an anticipated MMO set for Western release by Amazon Games in late 2024, has unfortunately been canceled due to dismal initial performance. By January 2025, it will be marked down significantly.
I must say, things aren’t all doom and gloom for the company we both adore. Just last week, Bandai dropped a gem with Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero, and it’s been nothing short of amazing. Critics are raving about it, and more importantly, it’s been a commercial triumph. Bandai and developer Spike Chunsoft announced that the game sold over 3 million copies in its first 24 hours. That’s quite a sparkling start!
It’s a mix of sweet and bitter emotions, watching the consequences unfold from different perspectives. On one hand, it’s disheartening to witness job losses among developers and the cancellation of promising projects. But on the other, there’s an element of excitement when considering the possibilities that arise now that Sparking! Zero has demonstrated there’s still demand for high-quality anime arena fighters.
It appears that Naruto and One Piece enthusiasts might need to exercise some patience right now. Things could potentially worsen, but it’s a relief compared to the plight of Jujutsu Kaisen fans who had to endure the disappointing Cursed Clash at the start of the year.
By the looks of things, that could very well be the one and only Bandai title they’ll be getting.
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2024-10-16 02:42