Docomo partnership to open new mobile markets for Bandai Namco

Bandai Namco Entertainment has secured a new partnership that will help expand its mobile presence in other markets around the world.

The firm has teamed up with "m-commerce enabler" Docomo Digital to help release titles in emerging markets and monetise them with alternative payment methods such as direct carrier billing. Essentially, the partnership aims to give Bandai Namco an advantage in regions where the Apple App Store and Google Play aren't as dominant.

The partnership will also see the two companies working together on new games. These will be built using HTML5 and delivered directly to users via Docomo's network of mobile operator partners. Docomo will also handle marketing for these new games.

Bandai Namco is particularly keen to target emerging markets such as Africa, Latin America and India with these new titles, as well as previously released ones it will be able to bring to alternative app stores through Docomo.

A number of the publisher's established free-to-play games will also be directly affected by the deal, with Docomo taking over distribution in order to bring them to different markets where direct carrier billing is more common.

"As part of our ongoing strategy to provide more fun for everyone, we believe this important partnership with DOCOMO Digital and their network will allow us to reach emerging markets more easily where we see a continued growth of interest for entertainment," said Naoki Katashima, president and COO of Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe. "We hope that our products and services will help increase and enhance social activities in these territories."

The partnership follows last month's news that Bandai Namco had co-founded a brand new studio dedicated to creating HTML5 games in a further effort to reach new customers.