Splatterhouse publisher Namco Bandai has defended its decision to remove original developer BottleRocket Entertainment from the project, saying it was done over a "performance issue" with the studio.

Following the removal, BottleRocket issued a statement saying that Namco "showed up with a U-Haul truck, took all [the team's] assets (dev kits, etc.) and informed management that the title was being pulled from Bottlerocket."

But Namco says the U-hauling was necessary due to quality concerns over the game, a revival of the 1988 arcade action hit.

"The only reason why publishers pull the project out from the developer is when the developer isn't really meeting the requirements," said Namco vice president Makoto Iwai to Gamasutra. "So, unfortunately, this was the case."

He continued: "I have to be very careful so we don't make any direct comment on it because whatever we say, people will try to be on the developer side. You know, 'The developer is an independent developer trying hard, and evil publishers are trying to get rid of the business by doing whatever they feel like.' That's not the case. I just want to be 100 percent clear. There was a performance issue."

Sonic the Hedgehog co-creator Hirokazu Yasuhara is bringing classic gaming character Pac-Man back for a new game, according to a Gamasutra report.

"We are in the midst of making Pac-Man come back because his 30th anniversary is in 2010 actually," said Namco Bandai Games America EVP Makoto Iwai.

"As a group, we feel like we should do something to make him come back. So, there's one project that we started working on, and [Yasuhara is] part of it."

Iawi explained that Nacmo Bandai's internal development team split into several groups following Afro Samurai's release, with one division being tasked with the Pac-Man title and lead by Yasuhara.

Though the news has been floating around for a while, Namco Bandai today made it official: the Dead to Rights series, last seen in 2005, is coming to PS3 and Xbox 360.

Due out this fall, Dead to Rights: Retribution is a prequel to past Dead to Rights games, offering a look at how protagonist Jack Slate and his canine companion Shadow met. Amusingly enough, Dead to Rights II was a prequel to the original Dead to Rights.

As with past entries in the action franchise, players will be able to use Shadow to aid them in their all-out battle against the criminal underworld. After the dog helps locate enemies and flush them out of cover, Jack can beat them senseless or shoot them.

This time around, Namco promises a new combat system that "puts the full combat potential of a highly trained, highly agitated law-enforcement officer into players hands," including options for cover, disarm moves, melee combos, and counterattacks.

Reservoir Dogs developer Volatile Games will be handling Dead to Rights: Retribution. The series was previously developed internally at Namco.

Soul Calibur publisher Namco Bandai is making a grab for Puzzle Quest pub D3 Publisher, according to a Japanese release translated by Adriasang.

Namco has already secured 70% of D3 shares, and hopes to acquire the remaining 30% for full control of the company.

D3 Publisher is known in America for publishing titles such as Dark Sector, Puzzle Quest, Earth Defense Force 2017, and various Naruto and Ben 10 titles.

Namco hopes that the acquisition will allow for the two publishers to cooperate in their overseas expansion efforts, in addition to maximizing the value of D3's content with Namco's toy, amusement, video and networking divisions.

Update: Namco Bandai has confirmed that BottleRocket Entertainment is no longer involved with Splatterhouse, which is still due on PS3 and Xbox 360 this year.

"We have decided to part ways with BottleRocket Entertainment but we are committed to bringing Splatterhouse to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 later this year," Namco told Kotaku. "At this time, we are not ready to discuss specific development details about the game and wish BottleRocket the best of luck in their future endeavors."

No reason was given for the sudden shift, though tipsters tell Kotaku that the game has suffered from missed deadlines and content that didn't meet Namco's expectations.

Meanwhile, BottleRocket has issued a statement of its own, telling Gamasutra that, "last Friday, Namco showed up with a U-Haul truck, took all their assets (dev kits, etc.) and informed management that the title was being pulled from Bottlerocket."

Original: Publisher Namco Bandai has released a new trailer for Splatterhouse, with rumors that developer BottleRocket has been pulled from the... Read more

Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network are set to receive the over-the-top brawler Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao, Namco Bandai Games revealed today.

Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao is said to feature "highly stylized hand-to-hand action", with new combat abilities unlocking as you progress through the game's story mode. Co-op play is supported, while the game's Endurance Mode has you taking on an endless stream of enemies under certain time limits. Development of Invincible Tiger is taking place at Blitz Arcade, which was responsible for the trio of Xbox Live Arcade Burger King games and more recently PowerUp Forever.

Pricing was not announced, nor was a release date.

The good news? Namco's Wii remake of its beloved 1997 PlayStation platformer Klonoa: Door to Phantomile will arrive in North America later this year. The bad news? We still have no idea what Klonoa actually is. Some sort of long-eared dog? A rabbit?

Its title shortened to just Klonoa, the Wii release packs the same two-button gameplay as the PlayStation original, with a fresh new coat of paint, some "new secrets," and motion controls, such as moving the Wii Remote to throw an enemy.

Fortunately, those motion controls are purely optional, as the side-scroller supports a variety of control schemes, including the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, Wii Remote only, Classic Controller, and even the Nintendo GameCube controller.

"Klonoa's return marks an exciting re-boot of this beloved franchise with old-school gameplay, spectacular graphics and an instantly recognizable character," said Namco Bandai marketing director Todd Thorson. "Klonoa's time-tested gameplay and intricate level design make for an awesome experience on Wii."

Western gamers, prepare to be satiated. Namco Bandai has just announced Surge, a new studio and publishing label it says will provide "cutting-edge, genre-defining games that are targeted at satiating the appetite of western gamers."

Afro Samurai (PS3, 360) will mark the first Surge release when it hits on January 27. More Surge games will follow later in the year, with the company stating that they will cover "a wide assortment of categories and platforms."

"Through passion and innovation, Surge will complement our portfolio of established franchises and intellectual property while positioning the company as a creative force," said Namco Bandai marketing VP Andrew Lelchuk.

Surge "personifies our commitment to deliver compelling content for the discriminating player who is looking for games that are not only groundbreaking but also push the envelope," Lelchuk added.

Namco Bandai just wrapped up its fiscal Q2 2009, and the results were nothing short of bad: the games division lost 4.4 billion yen ($45.5 million) from last year dropped to 337 million yen ($3.4 million), making for a 92% year-over-year drop.

The publisher saw the bulk of its sales on the PlayStation 2, according to numbers appearing on GamesIndustry. The platform was responsible for 2.4 million Namco game sales while the new Dragon Ball Z Burst Limit (360, PS3) managed to break 700,000 copies sold. Nintendo DS games also accounted for 1.5 million units in sales.

Namco Bandai joins Sony in reeling from the economic climate's heavy toll on Japan. The credit crunch has made the yen soar relative to other currencies, making Japanese exports too expensive for customers in the rest of the world.

Namco Bandai has announced plans to bring its beloved 1997 PlayStation platformer Klonoa: Door to Phantomile to the Wii, 1UP reports.

Built around the "easy to learn, difficult to master" mentality, the game sported a two-button control scheme, allowing its long-earned dog-rabbit-thing protagonist Klonoa to jump and grab enemies. The Wii version will unsurprisingly pack a graphical revamp, and will have players holding the Wii Remote sideways to replicate those controls.

Though a traditional side-scrolling platformer at heart, the game's path had players weaving in and out of the landscape in 3D-like manner. And while many assumed Klonoa to be a light-hearted romp due to its colorful graphics, the original packed an oddly sobering tale.

The series has remained mostly dormant since its 2001 PlayStation 2 sequel, only living on through some Game Boy Advance spin-offs. A volleyball offshoot was also produced for the original PlayStation, but never arrived in North America.

Klonoa Wii will hit Japan on December 4, priced at 4800 yen ($45). A North American release has yet to be announced.

Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2 will come to North America next year for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 2, publisher Namco Bandai announced today.

The Omega Force-developed sequel will send players back into space in the Gundam universe's robotic "mobile suits" for more Dynasty Warriors-derived battlefield hack-and-slash gameplay. The new game will feature new suits, new weapons, new moves, and online multiplayer.

Gundam 2's first screenshots accompanied today's announcement as well as some concept art.

With the fate of Hellgate: London (PC) uncertain following significant layoffs at developer Flagship and the halting of the game's subscription service, publisher Namco Bandai appears to be stepping in to continue support of the online action-RPG

"The game is up, the servers are not going away in the short term and any major changes to status will be communicated in advance," Namco Bandai senior business development director Zack Karlsson wrote on the game's official forum.

"Many things are in flux and we don't have all the information yet," he continued, asking for "patience as we try to figure it all out and chart a new course" and stressing that "in the short term, please do not worry."

Namco Bandai was originally slated to publish the game in North America. However, as the game's release neared, publisher EA handled most of the title's promotion for Namco, with the logos of both companies appearing on the game's cover.

The recent happenings at Flagship Studios have been mired by... Read more

Much to the delight of series fans worldwide (pictured left), everyone's favorite block-buster Mr. Driller is on his way to Xbox 360.

Microsoft and publisher Namco Bandai confirmed the title's existence on the official Japanese Xbox site, which included several slightly fuzzy screenshots.

The downloadable Xbox Live Arcade puzzle-action title sports both six playable characters across its single-player and four-person online multiplayer modes.

The specialized Quest Driller mode provides solo players with additional challenge beyond the traditional race to the bottom, while Tag Battle, which is new to the series, requires players to work together for victory.

Mr. Driller Online is slated to arrive in Japan this spring. While a North American release has not been announced, the abundance of English text in the tutorial shots indicates an English localization is well underway, suggesting the possibility of simultaneous worldwide release a la most Xbox Live Arcade titles.

Namco Bandai is developing a WiiWare title all about the wonderful stress-relieving pleasure of popping bubble wrap, IGN reports.

Titled Ouchide Mugen Puti Puti, the title brings the world's favorite pastime of utterly destroying bubble wrap into the interactive realm. The game is based on Bandai's Mugen Puti Puti, a popular Japanese keychain toy which provides the thrill of popping bubble wrap in a plastic, portable and reusable form.

The WiiWare adaptation will make use of the Wii Remote's speaker and rumble features to recreate the sound and feel of the act. Few gameplay details were made available, but Namco Bandai did reveal that Ouchide Mugen Puti Puti would include 40 unique stages, a mind test mode to check stress levels, and two-player competitive play.

Ouchide Mugen Puti Puti is scheduled for release in Japan this June, priced at 800 Wii Points ($8). A North American localization is expected, but has not yet been announced.

Namco Bandai will be bringing the two latest entries in its renowned Tales role-playing series to North America, the company has announced.

Both Tales of Vesperia (X360) and Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World (Wii) will arrive later this year. Dawn of the New World acts as the sequel to the first Tales of Symphonia, which originally released on GameCube, while Vesperia sports a revised look for the action-RPG series.

The two titles sport enhancements and tweaks to the franchises' traditional action-based combat, with Dawn of the New World featuring the Pokemon-like ability to capture, train and evolve over 200 monsters for battle.

"The Tales series is one of our most successful and well-regarded franchises, and we're celebrating its 10th anniversary in a big way with two new games that redefine role-playing on the Xbox 360 and Wii," said Namco Bandai marketing director Todd Thorson.