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Bandai Namco, a renowned video game developer, has collaborated on several notable titles, including Elden Ring, Tekken 8, and the recently released Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero has reportedly decided to reduce its workforce by scaling back employee headcounts, with plans to “cancel or pause” the growth of several job titles.
According to a Bloomberg report, Microsoft is allegedly forcing employees into idleness by sending them to empty rooms, thereby creating unnecessary stress and pressure on them to resign.
According to the report, Bandai Namco has relocated approximately 200 employees from its original staff of around 1,300 to designated “oidashi beya” or “expulsion rooms”, with almost 100 having opted for resignation.
The primary objective of such rooms, given the strict employment laws prevalent in our industry and the unfortunate tendency towards mass layoffs we’ve witnessed in Western gaming, is to encourage a natural attrition rate that minimizes the financial burden on companies when it’s time for employees to depart.
The decision allegedly stems from the developer’s intention to put on hold or discontinue several video game projects, including those featuring characters from popular anime franchises like Naruto and One Piece, as well as a project commissioned by Nintendo. Unfortunately, that’s a wrap, folks – no more exciting updates about anime or Nintendo for now, so anime enthusiasts and Nintendo fans will just have to wait it out.
Bandai Namco initially decided to shut down its massively multiplayer online (MMO) game, Blue Protocol, in January, potentially scrapping any plans for a global release developed in collaboration with Amazon Games.
According to Bandai Namco, decisions to discontinue video games are rooted in comprehensive evaluations of the situation, a spokesperson explained to Bloomberg, noting that some team members may need to wait briefly before being assigned their next project, but the company promptly moves forward with new initiatives as they arise.
“The unique ‘oidashi beya’ group within Bandai Namco Studios is engineered to encourage employees to leave the company willingly.”
Following its highly anticipated launch last week, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, the latest game from Spike Chunsoft and Bandai, received largely positive reviews upon its release last week. For our take on this exciting new title, simply click here.
