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The European arm of Japanese publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment has announced a global partnership with Docomo Digital, an m-commerce platform.
The deal is expected to give Bandai Namco new areas for sales, especially in emerging markets, and bring more monetisation to their games.
The Bandai Namco portfolio is also expected to be expanded upon as well with HTML5 mobile games to be co-created by the publisher and Docomo, which will be exclusive to its networks.
London based Docomo Digital will also be using its distribution channels to aid discovery of Bandai Namco’s freemium games, especially in markets where the mobile carrier is the payment method for digital content (as opposed to the Apple Store or Google Play).
"As part of our ongoing strategy to provide more fun for everyone, we believe this important partnership with Docomo Digital and their network will allow us to reach emerging markets more easily where we see a continued growth of interest for entertainment, said Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe CEO and president, Naoki Katashima.
"Bandai Namco has constantly delivered innovative games and we are delighted to partner with them to enhance mobile gaming experiences and payments for users," added Hiroyuki Sato, CEO of Docomo Digital. "For us, the partnership is a huge step towards our growth strategy."
There has been no announcement on what games or licences will be involved in this deal, or who will be developing any titles, outside of the HTML5 games with Docomo’s involvement. However, the lead image suggests that Pac-Man could be a potential title, as it’s certainly one of the most recognised globally, and has previously been ported to many different mobile handsets.
