Multi-award-winning independent animation studio Aardman and leading global video game developer and publisher BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe are joining forces to develop a brand new IP, driven by a shared vision on the future of entertainment.
The collaboration’s first major project exists across multiple media, and the team will be approaching partners in early 2021 with the development materials. Aardman’s talent in creating characters and worlds will be used, in collaboration with BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe’s expertise in publishing and development, to create stories tailored for current and future platforms.
“As modern storytellers, the formats we create for are fundamentally changing year on year. This creates a space bubbling with potential, the chance to weave worlds with many windows, allowing people to play, watch or even perform with the IPs we create,” Aardman’s Daniel Efergan, ECD of Interactive, suggests. “But no matter what the format, no matter what the platform, the need for characters to fall in love with, epic universes to explore, and ultimately great storytelling, will always be front and center.”
Sean Clarke, Managing Director of Aardman, comments, “Interactive Entertainment is a huge growth area within the entertainment world, and with new emerging technology blurring the lines of watching and playing, we are keen to develop strategic partnerships with partners such as BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe that share our vision of creating new IP that embraces this new world and cement our studio’s reputation as a multi-disciplinary creative hub.”
“This new partnership with Aardman is a dream come true, as it opens up a world of possibilities,” said Hervé Hoerdt, SVP of Digital, Marketing & Content at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe, “The teams at Aardman and BNEE are a perfect cultural and creative fit to build a successful long term partnership, and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.“
More details on the collaboration will be announced at a later date.
Co-founded in 1976 by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, Bristol-based Aardman produces feature films, series, advertising, games and interactive entertainment. Aardman’s work in interactive storytelling includes the 2018 BAFTA-nominated game 11-11: Memories Retold, and the soon-to-launch Wallace & Gromit: The Big Fix Up, a brand-new immersive AR experience created in collaboration with Fictioneers and backed by funding from U.K. Research & Innovation (UKRI).
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe S.A.S. part of BANDAI NAMCO Holdings Inc. is a leading global publisher and developer of interactive content for platforms including all major video game consoles, PC and mobile. The company is known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises, including Pac-Man, Tekken, Soulcalibur and Dark Souls, as well as new franchises such as Little Nightmares and The Dark Pictures Anthology.
aardman.com | en.bandainamcoent.eu
