Bandai Namco has announced plans to invest 15 billion yen (or just under £96 million) to develop an ‘IP Metaverse’ for its library of games.
As first spotted by VGC, Bandai Namco has three main goals for growing its business. They want to connect with fans through its IP, increase IP value, and to make its projects spread out worldwide to improve sales outside of Japan. And a part of this includes an ‘IP Metaverse.’ The plan reads “Bandai Namco will develop a metaverse for each IP as a new framework for connecting with fans.
“In this IP Metaverse, 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.
“We are aiming for open frameworks that provide venues for connections with and among fans and business partners. Through the IP Metaverse, we will establish communities among Bandai Namco and fans, as well as among fans themselves.”
It goes on to say that through communities and content, it plans to build deep connections that are long lasting. And it also wants to make sure those connections are high quality. What Bandai Namco specifically plans to include in its metaverse project is unclear. Whether or not it will directly connect its various IPs, or simply make some kind of hub for them, is also up in the air.
The metaverse is also frequently mentioned in tandem with blockchain and NFTs. But neither are mentioned in the plans. So it could be that Bandai Namco has other ideas on how to go about its take on the metaverse.
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Featured Image Credit: FromSoftware