Report: Namco Bandai staffs up on Splatterhouse devs

It appeared as if the final word had been delivered concerning Namco Bandai's dispute with BottleRocket Entertainment. In February, Namco Bandai confirmed reports that it had pulled the California developer from development duties on the survival horror beat-'em-up Splatterhouse. A month later, the publisher explained that the move was the result of "performance issues," a claim BottleRocket took strong objection to.

Today, however, a new wrinkle in the apparently ongoing dispute has emerged. Variety reports that Namco Bandai has staffed a new studio in San Diego with between 10 and 20 staff members previously employed by BottleRocket. Namco Bandai had not responded to requests for comment as of press time.

According to Variety's sources, the group comprises designers, artists, programmers, and producers and has been tasked with completing Splatterhouse. Previously, development duties on the project were said to have been shifted to the team behind Afro Samurai. However, development difficulties related to the switch reportedly necessitated the BottleRocket hires.

Splatterhouse is expected to arrive for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 later this year. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.