Bandai Namco has been behind numerous successful video game franchises worldwide, including the hugely popular fighting series Tekken. However, it seems that the company is currently going through an unexpected and unfortunate phase.
Recently, we have got to know that Bandai Namco is reportedly cutting its workforce and canceling several projects, including games based on popular anime series One Piece and Naruto, as well as a contracted project with Nintendo.
Importance: Bandai Namco is one of the largest giants in the gaming industry, and if they are indeed pressuring employees to resign, it could significantly undermine everything the company has built over the years.
This information comes from a Bloomberg report citing sources familiar with the situation. The company is allegedly adopting a “traditionally Japanese approach” to downsizing staff, where workers are sent to rooms and given no tasks, a practice known as oidashi beya.
This tactic pressures employees to resign voluntarily rather than being let go with severance. According to the report, Bandai Namco Studios has already moved 200 workers to such rooms, resulting in nearly 100 resignations.
A Bandai Namco representative told Bloomberg that decisions to cancel games are based on comprehensive assessments, but denied the use of oidashi beya. They stated,
“Some employees may need to wait a certain amount of time before they are assigned their next project, but we do move forward with assignments as new projects emerge. There is no organization like an ‘oidashi beya’ at Bandai Namco Studios designed to pressure people to leave voluntarily.”
The oidashi beya practice is often used by Japanese companies to isolate employees by removing their work duties, essentially forcing them to resign of their own accord.
In contrast to these cutbacks, Bandai Namco’s latest release, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, has seen great success. The game, developed by Spike Chunsoft, sold over 3 million units within 24 hours of its worldwide launch, according to the publisher.
So, while the truth behind these claims is still uncertain, we hope they turn out to be untrue, as the gaming industry already faces numerous challenges. We’re hoping for a more positive and exciting future for the gaming world, filled with entertainment and innovation.
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