Namco Bandai launching Generations label

Namco Bandai reinvigorated the Pac-Man franchise in 2007 with the release of Pac-Man Championship Edition. The reimagined Pac-Man gameplay has largely lain dormant for three years, but Namco Bandai will revive it tomorrow on Xbox Live and next Tuesday on the PlayStation Network with Pac-Man Championship Edition DX. As it would turn out, that release will herald the arrival of a new line of titles revisiting the publisher's classics.

Today, Namco Bandai announced Namco Generations, a new game label focused on bringing the publisher's arcade catalog to Microsoft's and Sony's digital distribution platforms. The goal of the label, according to Namco Bandai, is to "reinvent favorite Namco franchises with high-definition graphics, enhanced gameplay features, and regularly updated community news."

The aforementioned Pac-Man Championship Edition DX will be the first game to fall under the Namco Generations label. Other developments within the label include Galaga Legions DX, a sequel to 2008's Xbox Live Arcade effort, as well as Aero-Cross, an update to Namco's 1985 arcade title Metro-Cross.

Namco Bandai expects to continue to stock the Namco Generations throughout 2011.