Bandai Namco Entertainment UK Ltd.

Moby ID: 544

AKA +
  • Bandai Namco Games UK Ltd. (from 2014-02-25 to 2015-03-26)
  • Namco Bandai Games UK Ltd. (from 2013-06-25 to 2014-02-25)
  • Namco Bandai Partners UK Ltd. (from 2009-07-22 to 2013-06-25)
  • Atari UK Ltd. (from 2003-05-07 to 2009-07-22)
  • Infogrames UK Ltd. (from 1998-01-30 to 2003-05-06)
  • Ocean Software Ltd. (from 1983 to 1998-01-30)
  • Spectrum Games Limited (from 1982 to 1983)

Overview edit · view history

Bandai Namco Entertainment UK Ltd. is the United Kingdom branch office of BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., responsible for the distribution of Bandai Namco games into Europe - but even before that, it was one of the most successful European gaming companies of its time, as Ocean Software Limited.

Founded in 1983 as Spectrum Games and based in Manchester, England, Ocean was a hugely successful label up to the mid-90s, operating mainly on home computer systems. Ocean is responsible for a huge amount of arcade conversions, ports from other platforms and also original PC games. They released many film licensed games, most of which were either several-different-sections-each-loosely-resembling-a-part-of-the-film or walk-left-to-right-shoot-repeat type. Although widely ridiculed, these titles did extremely well, and helped fund their arcade conversion licenses and original products. However, once the Atari ST and Amiga scene faded, Ocean struggled to establish themselves on the newer systems, and were ultimately bought out by Infogrames.

The last game published by the company as Ocean was GT 64: Championship Edition for the Nintendo 64 in April 1998. After that, it became Infogrames United Kingdom Limited, and then Atari UK Ltd. in 2003. The company served as Infogrames/Atari's UK branch office until 2009, when Bandai Namco, who was a minority owner of Distribution Partners along with Atari SA, acquired both Atari UK Ltd. and Atari SA's stake in Distribution Partners.

Bandai Namco Entertainment UK Ltd.'s office is located in southwest London, in the Richmond district.

Credited on 587 Games from 1983 to 2021

Displaying most recent · View all

Little Nightmares II (TV Edition) (2021 on Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4...)
Little Nightmares (Six Edition) (2017 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Knights Contract (2011 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
Ace Combat: Joint Assault (2010 on PSP, PS Vita)
Easy Piano (2009 on Nintendo DS)
Demigod (2009 on Windows)
The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (2009 on Windows, Xbox 360, Macintosh...)
Ready 2 Rumble Revolution (2009 on Wii)
One Piece: Unlimited Cruise 2 - Awakening of a Hero (2009 on Wii)
Race Pro (2009 on Xbox 360)
Afro Samurai (2009 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
RollerCoaster Tycoon 6 Pack (2009 on Windows)
Alone in the Dark: Inferno (2008 on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Now)
Legendary (2008 on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
Neverwinter Nights Legends (2008 on Windows)
One Piece: Unlimited Cruise 1 - The Treasure Beneath the Waves (2008 on Wii)
Driving Theory Training (2008 on Nintendo DS)
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 2 - The Phantom Fortress (2008 on PSP)
Alone in the Dark (2008 on Windows, Xbox 360)
Alone in the Dark (2008 on PlayStation 2, Wii)

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History +

May 7, 2003

As a result of Infogrames world wide re-branding, Infogrames UK changes its name into Atari UK.

June 1997

New development division, Eutechnyx, formed in a joint venture between Ocean Software and former development unit of Merit Studios Limited (Europe).

1996

Infogrames acquires Ocean Software, thus enabling it to increase its software development capacity, product line-up and geographical reach.

1984

Acquired the rights to the Imagine name, and their license for Konami arcade titles.

1982

Company founded.

Trivia +

Runner up Software House of the Year 1988 in the "Golden Joystick" Awards organised by the magazine Computer and Video Games (reported issue #79, 1988/5). Only UK software houses were included in the Awards.

Ocean's previous website address: www.ocean.co.uk

Location and contact information (May 2016):

Bandai Namco Entertainment UK Ltd.

37-39 Kew Foot Road

Richmond, Surrey, TW9 2SS

England

[ view all ]

Related Web Sites +

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