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Publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment has teamed up with Life is Strange developer DONTNOD Entertainment in a “strategic partnership” agreement. According to Bandai Namco’s press release, this partnership “will allow for the creation of a new IP based on a brand new narrative adventure experience.”
This year we’ve been seeing the publisher move further into the indie market with the release of games like Little Nightmares and Get Even, both of which released to positive reviews. Now Hervé Hoerdt, VP of Marketing and Digital at Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe, is hopeful the new partnership with DONTOD will “advance the rolling out of our strategic plan to create local content targeted to new market segments.” Oskar Guilbert, CEO of DONTNOD Entertainment, stated “they are as passionate as we are! This new project allows our studio to expand, create a new team and continue to develop our know-how.”
Known for its unique use of narrative elements in Life is Strange, DONTNOD seems like the perfect choice to assist with these goals. When the episodes of Life is Strange released throughout 2015, players were drawn not only to Max’s story and her rewind powers, but they were also taken by the well-curated indie music and the scenic town of Aradia Bay in late October. All of those elements made for an overwhelmingly positive reception for the 5-part episodic adventure, and it has slowly made Max Caulfield and Chloe Price two recognizable figures in gaming.
No further information has been revealed about the new IP that will come out of the Bandai Namo and DONTNOD partnership, but Bandai Namco has stated more information will be coming in 2018. There were some interesting photos included with the press release, though.
With the announcement of a second season of Life is Strange and the new IP Vampyr, as well as the upcoming release of Project Cars 2 and Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, the two companies have exciting projects on the horizon. Let us know what you think of this new partnership in the comments, or if you have any guesses as to what the upcoming project could be about. You can check out the full press release here.
Tori is a writer and gamer originally from Vault 111, but now she resides in Chicago. She has an MFA in creative writing-fiction, runs primarily on coffee, and is an expert on AMC’s The Walking Dead. Follow her on Twitter @torithatnerd.
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