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Pre-E3: Namco Bandai Announces E3 Lineup
by Jason Dobson [PC, Console/PC]
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May 3, 2006
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Namco Bandai has confirmed the titles it will have on the show floor for next week's Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. In total, the company plans to showcase 19 different games at its booth, including the latest sequel in the Ace Combat franchise, and Flagship Studio's highly anticipated PC role-playing game, Hellgate: London.
Namco will feature several franchise sequels in its lineup this year, including PlayStation 2 role-playing games Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra and Tales of the Abyss. Also set to be unveiled are Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception and Tekken: Dark Resurrection, both of which take popular console series to the PSP. The Legend of Heroes, the Japanese RPG that launched late in 2005 for the PSP, is also getting a sequel at E3 with The Legend of Heroes II: Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch.
The company will also have Pac-Man World Rally on display, which features a number of Namco Bandai mascots in a kart racing game for the PS2, PSP, GameCube, and PC. In addition, Namco also plans to build upon its already popular Gundam line with Mobile Ops: The One Year War, the first next-generation entry in the series for the Xbox 360. Mobile Ops lets players experience the conflict of the Gundam universe on foot, in a number of different vehicles, or as the pilot of one of the series' massive mecha.
Namco will also show several PC titles, including Hellgate: London, which is being developed by former Blizzard North developer Bill Roper and his Flagship Studios development team. Other expected PC offerings include Mage Knight Apocalypse, based upon the popular board game, and Warhammer: Mark of Chaos, an upcoming RTS based in Games Workshop's popular fantasy universe.
Other future releases announced as being shown include licensed properties such as The Fast and The Furious for the PS2 and PSP, Snoopy vs. The Red Baron for the PS2, PSP, and PC, and Charlie Brown’s All-Stars for the PS2 and PSP. Finally, the company will have a number of games based on popular anime franchiese at E3. Titles announced include Naruto: Ultimate Ninja, Zatchbell!: Mamodo Fury, .hack//G.U. Vol.1: Rebirth, IGPX, One Piece: Grand Adventure, and Eureka Seven Vol. 1: The New Wave. Other next-gen titles may be showing behind closed doors, but have not yet been announced by the firm.
“This year’s E3 marks the debut of our integrated title line-up and exemplifies the industry strength behind the Namco Bandai merger,” said Genichi Ito, president and CEO of Namco Bandai Games America Inc. “Our strong commitment to extending popular franchises, creating original content and developing strategic partnerships with key licensors allows us to deliver quality games for all ages, interests and platforms.”
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