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NEWS > GAMES > NAMCO BANDAI DELAYS LATEST VERSION OF KATAMARI IN WAKE OF JAPANESE TSUNAMI
NAMCO BANDAI DELAYS LATEST VERSION OF KATAMARI IN WAKE OF JAPANESE TSUNAMI
March 17 2011
Tokyo, Japan – There is little doubt that the long term effects of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan are going to be just as dire as those occurring right now. True, the nuclear crisis and death toll will abate, but the country is merely on the verge of the 
destructive power of the quake that shook their country. Billions of dollars in rebuilding and billions lost in production are inevitably going to have a disastrous effect on the economy of the country which has been for a number of years teetering towards an economic implosion.
With many major Japanese manufacturers halting production, something which is affecting production facilities all across the world, the grim economic realities are starting to come clear even as the people of that nation still struggle with the trauma and human toll of the event. Virtually all aspects of Japanese business have been throttled by the crisis, something that will take years to recover. Alongside major companies such as Toyota and Sony having delayed or restricted production, smaller companies have also been forced to alter their business plans including gaming giant Namco Bandai which has delayed the release of the latest instalment of the popular ‘Katamari’ series in the wake of the massive waves that consumed so much of the country.
“This is a most difficult time in our country and first and foremost our hearts go out 
to the people who have suffered great losses in these tragic events. We share in this tragedy just as do all the people of Japan and we hope that in very short time we will all be able to recover from these events,” said a spokesperson for the company. “As a result of these events we have made the difficult decision to delay a number of products, owing in part to distribution concerns as well as respect for those lost in the tragedy. This delay will impact the long awaited release of the newest Katamari title which was scheduled for later this year. We do not have a new date as yet.”
Reportedly, the newest title in the series involved a water-based Katamari, a giant ball that the player pushes around consuming everything in its path.
“This is going to be a very tough time for all businesses in Japan and that is not a 
good thing. They need a healthy economy and any major disruption to the chain, and this is a huge one, is going to cause a serious concern for the long term health of the country and their ability to eventually get back up and running,” said Scrape TV Gaming analyst Graeme Hawthorne. “Games are of course a major part of that economy and any restriction on that production and distribution chain is going to cause a lot of long term pain for the country. ‘Katamari’ is just one of those losses amongst many.”
Other major companies including Sony and Capcom have also announced delays to titles in light of the crisis.
“It’s really a shame for Namco-Bandai as well, they had been on a roll of late and brining back one of their most beloved franchises could really have helped their bottom line. Hopefully it’s just a temporary delay and we will see the prince rolling his way across the world very soon,” continued Hawthorne. “I just hope that other companies follow this lead and show sensitivity to the events happening in the country, otherwise there could be a huge wave of anger that flow over the industry and cause long term damage.”
Namco-Bandai shares sank after the announcement.
Douglas Havermore, Games Correspondent
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