DeNA forms joint venture with Namco Bandai for smartphone social games

BDNA set to start operating in early October, with Namco taking a 75 per cent stake.

Japanese social games company DeNA has been buying up mobile studios at a pace in recent times, but its latest announcement is more of a partnership.

The company is launching a joint venture with games publisher Namco Bandai, which will be owned 75% by the latter and 25% by DeNA.

Based in Tokyo, the new company will be called BDNA, and will focus on 'social games and entertainment content' for smartphones, with titles to be released globally rather than just in Japan.

Namco Bandai's EVP Shin Unozawa will lead the new operation, with a board of directors drawn from both companies.

This isn't the first time DeNA and Namco Bandai have worked together. They previously co-developed a mobile game called Gundam Royale for DeNA's Mobage platform in Japan, attracting three million players in the process. They are clearly now hoping to repeat this success on a global basis.