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North American Operations Working to Expand the Digital Business KOJI FUJIWARA President and CEO Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.

Transitioning to a system for promoting marketing activities in the North American region

Groupwide Sales in the North America Our business model for the Digital Business in North America to date has focused on implementing local marketing activities for games developed in Japan, in accordance with marketing plans created in Japan. However, overseas markets have become a major position for game sales, and gaming culture and effective ways to market games differ by country and region. For this reason, starting in FY2025.3, we have shifted to a structure that focuses on expanding sales worldwide through marketing activities based in North America, while coordinating with Japan. Under this structure, we will strategically examine both initiatives that cater closely to local needs and resource allocation as we work to expand sales over the long term. With that said, against the backdrop of longer development periods for games, it will take a certain amount of time before we can achieve results with game titles originating overseas. To that end, we will make concerted efforts to fully realize the results of our structural transition during the period of the next Mid-term Plan.
In selecting game titles, the increasing global popularity of Japanese IPs, driven by the rise of online streaming services, is a favorable trend for Bandai Namco. Leveraging popular IPs for title development is a core strength of Bandai Namco, and moving forward, enhancing our presence will depend on how effectively we can diversify IP offerings.
For FY2025.3, the final year of the Mid-term Plan, our major home console game titles include the DLC ELDEN RING SHADOW OF THE ERDTREE, released in June 2024, and DRAGON BALL Sparking! ZERO, due for release in October 2024. Both of these titles, which leverage IPs and have recorded particularly robust repeat sales, will have medium- to long-term sales plans formulated and promoted, including marketing and promotional activities, to ensure they continue to perform well during the next Mid-term Plan.
Also, following the merging of the offices of the Digital Business and the Toys and Hobby Business in April 2022, there has been greater communication between them. Through the frequent holding of collaborative events and exhibitions, we have been able to implement a broad range of promotions. These kinds of activities lead to more expansive contact points and selection options for IPs and steadily create added value for fans. By openly sharing know-how between the Digital Business and the Toys and Hobby Business to generate positive synergies, we will further strengthen our overall North American operations under the ALL BANDAI NAMCO concept.

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