Namco spending big on Enslaved launch

Namco Bandai UK will dedicate its biggest marketing spend to the launch of new IP Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.

And yes, that includes the money it spent on last year’s blockbuster brawler, Tekken 6.

TV advertising is planned, while a huge print and online marketing campaign has already begun.

Enslaved is a Ninja Theory-developed action adventure for Xbox 360 and PS3, which is due for release on Friday, October 8th.

Namco Bandai has billed Enslaved as its biggest launch of the year. It stars Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings and King Kong) in the lead role, a story written by Alex Garland (28 Days Later, The Beach) and has been scored by Mercury music prize winner Nitin Sawhney.

Meanwhile, previews from the likes of Eurogamer and CVG have been very positive.

Enslaved really is the cream of British talent uniting for an epic video gaming experience,” said PR and marketing manager Lee Kirton.

Ninja Theory is a truly brilliant studio that has done a remarkable job creating a totally believable story in this futuristic post-apocalyptic world.

We really want this title to stand out amongst the crowd as not just a brilliant gaming experience, but also as one of the greatest stories told within an interactive universe – if it doesn’t win awards then I’m going to eat my joypad.”

Although releasing a new IP in Q4 is a risky strategy, retailers who saw the title at a recent Namco Bandai retail showcase are optimistic.

I’ve played it and I have to admit it is one of my personal Q4 favourites,” said Play.com’s games buyer Keith Sharpe.

Every year there’s a surprise success and Enslaved stands as good a chance as any to be that hit.”