Namco Bandai opens Vancouver studio

Japanese developer and publisher Namco Bandai has officially opened its new studio in Vancouver.

The Canada branch, announced in April earlier this year, will work on mobile and online games.

Previously the company said it would be working on social games.

As reported by The Vancouver Sun, the developer will house around 30 staff in its office based in the new Centre for Digital Media on Great Northern Way.

Namco Bandai president Hajime Nakatani said the number of digital artists and engineers in the region was one of the reasons the studio decided to set up shop in the region, as opposed to the neighbouring provinces Montreal and Toronto.

“One of the things that is attractive about Canada, I think, is the people are just as skilled and they are less likely to jump ship and disappear like in San Francisco or LA,” said Centre director Richard Smith.

“And, importantly for Bandai, it can be a team of North Americans that can help them design games that North Americans want to play.”