It seems like Dragon Ball based video games with be returning home to where they were first developed, Namco Bandai Games. The Japanese company has just bought the rights to develop the games back from Atari, who had been developing and publishing the games for the last several years.

Dragon Ball, for those who are unfamiliar, is a Japanese anime that had been localized for the United States since the 1980’s. The creator of the series also had a major role in the creation of other beloved game series, like Dragon Quest. The Dragon Ball series has spanned over 11 years of manga, 500 television episodes and 23 feature length films. Talk about a cash cow. I do know that the recent releases were average at best, but sold well and probably needs an update. I believe Namco Bandai Games and their partners can service the anime’s fan base well in the coming years.

I personally believe that investing in a very established IP was smart on Namco Bandai’s part. With a bunch of delays including the release of Splatterhouse, the company could use a good selling game for the Fall season and beyond. This agreement will run for the next five years, starting in January of 2010. For now, Namco Bandai Games has secured the rights to publish the following titles:

- Dragon Ball: Raging Blast for the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3
- Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo exclusively for Wii
- Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans exclusively for Nintendo DS

For all you Dragon Ball fans, your IP is safe and back in the hands of a Japanese publisher. I don’t know if that makes you feel any better, but let us know in the comments below about your thoughts on the deal.

See more at namcobandaigames.com.

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