Namco Bandai Networks Europe has announced the launch of Namco Arcade, its new digital delivery channel, on Facebook.
Namco Arcade allows users to try mobile games on the popular social networking site. Should a user decide to then purchase a game they can have it sent directly to their mobile phone. The venture is in partnership with social network discovery firm, Mplayit.
Titles confirmed for the service include Pac-Man CE, Katamari, Namco Arcade Golf, Pac-Man Pinball 2, Time Crisis Elite. Ridge Racer Drift will be launched on the service at a later date.
Barry O’Neill, president of Namco Bandai Networks Europe, said, “Namco Arcade is a great way for us to complement the traditional carrier channels of our distribution partners with an alternative channel for users to try and buy our games.”
He continued, “Integrating social networks into our distribution channels was an obvious move. Facebook has a user base of 350 million, many of whom love casual gaming. Namco Arcade is a great way for us to reach a whole new audience, and allows us to reduce the overall cost to customers, while offering a new level of service and interactivity. The ability to discover and share games easily will be a key driver for the mobile games market in the future.”