Namco Bandai collects Dragon Ball rights

Publisher goes Super Saiyan, grabs five-year exclusive license for games based on license across all major consoles and handhelds.

In fiscal 2008, the Dragon Ball franchise accounted for roughly half of Atari's sales. Beginning next year, that percentage will drop to zero.

Want more DBZ? Namco Bandai has you covered until 2015.

Namco Bandai Games America today announced that it has obtained the exclusive North American rights to publish Dragon Ball games on all major consoles and handhelds, starting in January 2010. The deal--struck with rights-holders Toei Animation and FUNimation--will run for a five-year term.

This is not the first indication that Atari's tenure with the license was coming to an end. Last month, Namco Bandai announced that it would be publishing a trio of games based on the Dragon Ball series this fall. The first, Dragon Ball: Raging Blast, will see release on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, while Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo will be available exclusively for the Wii, and Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans will head to the DS. At the time, neither Atari nor Namco Bandai answered GameSpot's questions about publishing rights to the series.

Even before that news, there had been friction between Atari and the Dragon Ball rights holders. FUNimation and Atari fought briefly over the Dragon Ball game license in October 2007, with Atari resolving the issue by extending its licensing agreement for the franchise through January 2010.

212 Comments

  • loung747

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 10:47 am PT

    tenkaiichi not bad only hate the invisible walls, unable create ur own z fighter. they should make sim z town and random players join to team up or destroy ur town and u'd have to protect it. that would be kick awesome game

  • TheTHCGamer

    Posted Jul 7, 2009 11:58 pm PT

    lets face it anime games get taking advantage of by developers and never get the treatment they deserve. just lackluster fighting games with lackluster sequels that are released almost every year if not every year. how much you want to bet this fighting game wont be on par with actual fighting games that are released. its just going to be another game developer taking advantage of another anime franchise. i mean tell me one game thats based on an anime thats as good as some of the best games in its genre? you can because there arent any. for example since were on the subject of DBZ theres probably never been a fighting game based on an anime thats been on par with some of the better fighting games on the market. i know for a fact as fun as some of the DBZ games were (before they got played out with releasing the same games with more characters every year) none of them were on par with the better fighting games on the market. what can i say im just keeping it real. nintendoboy16 is right namco/bandai is just going to do the DBZ games as the naruto games.

  • hockeygamer17

    Posted Jul 7, 2009 12:07 pm PT

    DBZ games are so crappy now days, as though they are done half-ass and sold at a ridiculous price. Even this upcoming Raging Blast looks like a PS2 Tenkaichi game being placed on the PS3 platform. The only DBZ game I still carry is Budokai 3, from a time where they would implement new ways of playing the game. The story mode was done very nicely and you could build your character the way you wanted to make them. Now look and there is no more creativity, It's all the same.

  • maaly81

    Posted Jul 6, 2009 5:38 pm PT

    dude seriously, stop making DBZ where you fight through sagas and do all that crap. Just gimme a DBZ or a DBGT game with all the characters and fusion enabling and all that, and make a new story other than what has always been. I have watched and played enough DBZ to where it has been the same type of game over the years with minor tweaks.

  • blackdragonfist

    Posted Jul 6, 2009 3:48 pm PT

    Why is everyone attacking Atari they only published the games dimps and who ever makes tenkaichi made the games they should be the ones people are griping at. I personally liked the budokai series and burst limit wasn't bad it had it's flaws but I liked the fact you couldn't be cheep and just charge and teleport all the time you had a penality for doing to much plus fact you can do a beam attack without having to put in a pp kk combination and it was online. Raging blast is just another tenkaichi I hate tenkaichi it doesn't feel like a fighting game at all . All the characters had the same attacks and the controls didn't feel right.

  • odoggCR

    Posted Jul 6, 2009 9:20 am PT

    looks like all the other DBZ games

  • Droopy14

    Posted Jul 6, 2009 8:02 am PT

    Dante2710

    budokai 3, was actually a good game and well worth my purchase. Its average score was 8 i believe

  • Dante2710

    Posted Jul 6, 2009 7:57 am PT

    too bad none of the dbz games have been good

  • can_drive_55

    Posted Jul 6, 2009 7:50 am PT

    keitaro, budokai 3 was friggin awesome. can't wait for revenge of King Piccolo and Attack of the Saiyans, lol.

  • sieg6529

    Posted Jul 6, 2009 7:34 am PT

    I gotta agree with atwaxin. I've rented several DBZ games, but none of them have yet been good enough to warrant a $60 purchase. Full saga, free world, all characters, team mode.

  • atwaxin

    Posted Jul 6, 2009 3:17 am PT

    if one day they can make a dragon ball z game that is worth buying and not being ashamed and sad over...i'd of course buy it...but many characters, roaming free world, online multiplayer, trophies, and a FULL FREAKING GAME...not just 1 saga..but all of them put together nicely...because the movie sucked and i dont see why they would want to destroy such a wonderful franchise even more...it'll become the next mortal kombat if they continue to mess it up..

    does anyone else agree with me? add anything positive or negative please

  • ninjaa93

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 11:18 pm PT

    ninjaa93

    Posted Jul 6, 2009 12:56 am CT

    how come they dont make a new story line like they do in naruto ultimate ninja games yeah should really listen to that one who wants to play the same story for the 100th year either that or make it the best story mode ever close enought to the anime

  • Phya52

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 11:07 pm PT

    Hopefully this means no more Budokai/Burst Limit games and more Tenkaichi. We really need the video game franchise to keep evolving, and Tenkaichi/Raging Blast is the only series to be doing that. Burst Limit was a HUGE step backwards for the franchise. Let's go Spike, and give us 3 vs 3 battles like in the old DBZ Legends days!

  • ninjaa93

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 10:56 pm PT

    how come they dont make a new story line like they do in naruto ultimate ninja games

  • KCKING23

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 9:20 pm PT

    bleach for 360 and ps3 please

  • Lay5354

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 8:47 pm PT

    The body shapes look really great but there is something i can't seem to point out that makes them look really bland. Is it because the black lines are too thin perhaps? I'm not sure. I looked at the gameplay and found that the bashes to the wall is a really awesome idea... but they don't have that perfect sphere indenting like they do in the original animation which was what i was really hoping for.

    *Hair also seems to lack something... maybe because they're just SSJ or w/e.... just seems to lack something perhaps not dark enough yellow

  • Rashgod

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 8:27 pm PT

    Namco Bandai has had publishing rights for Dragonball games in Japan since... well, pretty much since Dragonball began. And the fighting games we've been getting in America, the Budokais, the Budokai Tenkaichis, Burst Limit, those are the exact same games they have in Japan. Obviously, they were localized for America, but Bandai America will localize the games in more or less the same way as Atari.

    So I don't understand why people are getting excited about this from that perspective. On the other hand, the other games were far less likely to arrive here without Bandai, so it's still good news.

  • ninjamaster209

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 7:58 pm PT

    well it seems we all like fighting games but one thing for sure is dragon ball Z Raging Blast will be kick ass for ps3 considering if you played dragon ball z burst limit

  • Setsuka13

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 6:32 pm PT

    Namco is good. Tekken and Soul Calibur are arguably two of the best fighting franchises out there right now. Yeah. This should be very good.

  • Sins-of-Mosin

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 5:50 pm PT

    Well, seems at least five PS3 owners are jealous that the Xbox 360 had the great Naruto: The Broken Bond!

  • demon107

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 5:48 pm PT

    dbz game are stating 2 suck bad

  • keitaro0516

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 5:28 pm PT

    budokai 3 + burst limit graphics plz =)

  • brian_13un

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 4:37 pm PT

    great

  • mrklorox

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 3:43 pm PT

    Sweet. Don't see many non Z series Dragon Ball games today. Too bad they're probably gonna suck.

  • Whitegold101

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 3:03 pm PT

    My favorite dbz game to date still in budokai one. Dont know why but I still like to go back and play it.

  • Kratos4

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 2:53 pm PT

    I hope Namco brings back Dimps to continue making dbz burst limit games.

  • chopperlink

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 2:01 pm PT

    Although I don't play much DBZ anymore, I hope that Namco can fix what Atari screwed up on. Atari never was that good at making good games...

  • sckisback14

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 12:44 pm PT

    i'm looking forward to what namco is going to bring to the dragonball games, they made tekken so they have alot of experience with fighting games.

  • Solid_Heroes

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 11:24 am PT

    @ MOUGATUU

    they are doing that its gonna be for PC but the question is its when is it going to be released in other countries cuz so far its a japan only

  • C_Boy115

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 11:18 am PT

    Nice. This'll be awesome.
    I also hope they bring out a bleach game on the 360.

  • Blueforce1746

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 10:16 am PT

    Raging Blast looks like Budokai Tenkaichi 3 in HD. lmao

  • Al3xn

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 9:49 am PT

    This looks to be a promising and probably the best Dragon Ball game up to date !

  • diggyman

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 9:05 am PT

    Trust me guys. These new DB games will be much better. Atari sucks... bad. Remember, Namco Bandai brought you "Soul Calibur" and "Tekken." I love Capcom too, and that would've been nice, but I'm not complaining. as long as no one named "Atari" gets the rights.

  • xXDante666Xx

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 7:48 am PT

    Just for the record I agree with you kavadias. They have needed something new for a long while and that is one of a few things that would make me buy the ticket.

  • playa42018

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 7:26 am PT

    It'd be nice if Capcom was the one to pick up the rights and make a decent fighting game based on DBZ characters for once. DBZ vs. Capcom vs Marvel.

  • skywalkerforce

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 6:28 am PT

    I hope Namco Bandai can spice up the game series, don't let us down.

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 6:19 am PT

    This is why I feel like they should give us a way to alter the storyline depending on our in-game actions, e.g. You choose to destroy Dr Gero with Piccolo rather than follow the story. What would happen? Since Cell was still there and all. Or rather than follow the story and remain normal SSJ you choose to transform to SSJ2 Gohan against Dabra and blow him apart? No Majin Vegeta? Boo gets unleashed but not at full power? Makes you wonder and it would be nice to have those options. Also to 100% the game you have to discover all the possible storylines. Great for completists. I personally really like the idea. Anyone agree that we need something like that or similar?

  • Number_One_360

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 5:13 am PT

    No more Burst Limit? Only Tenkaichi's? Goodbye DBZ gaming world...

  • sj_nehama

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 5:12 am PT

    i just wish there were something new in these games...
    i already know all the setting, all characters, powers and abilities, stages.... all i dont know is what will be enabled and what wont.

    these games need something refreshing to really catch the attention of people playing dbz since final bout era....why dont they pimp out DBZ AF? everyone would love that, and if the games came out with some episodes of it, i would buy for sure.

  • Blue-Sky

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 2:04 am PT

    RIP Atari

  • Meises

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 1:46 am PT

    @jackster567

    Actually it is an anime. It was first released in Japan before anywhere else. Americans just dubbed over it, and to be truthfully honest the english dub was much better...

  • Zerobeam

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 1:45 am PT

    I'm a huge DBZ fan (got all nine seasons on DVD and the first three budokais for PS2), but I feel like enough is enough. If you don't think so, count every DBZ game to release since the first Budokai, across all platforms, even the GBA and PSP titles...but I guess you can't blame 'em, its a cash cow and they'd be dumb not to milk it

  • mostafa94

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 1:34 am PT

    l can't wait

  • mostafa94

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 1:33 am PT

    this game is going to be the best dbz everrrrrrrrr !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • jackster567

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 1:23 am PT

    but dragonball z isnt anime, why fix somthing tha aint broke

  • HUNTER-VENOM

    Posted Jul 5, 2009 12:30 am PT

    OH yeah! I hope from now on every game looks like Naruto UNS that would be awesome. Right now I'm only interested in the new DB games for the Wii and DS because Raging Blast looks like the same crap they keep releasing. They need to make it more like the anime.

  • onikrulz

    Posted Jul 4, 2009 11:22 pm PT

    Speaking of ideas, if Dragon Ball Z games had an adventure mode that was much larger and detailed than Budokai 3's one and you could free-roam cities and do gigantic battles, as well as have more than 2 characters in one battle like WWE's matches it would be awesome wouldn't it? 4 on 4 without needing to change characters to allow others to come in? That would ROCK

  • onikrulz

    Posted Jul 4, 2009 11:19 pm PT

    I've been following Dragon Ball Z games in Playstation 2 and SNES emulator on pc (to play old DBZ games on SNES). I upgraded my pc and now that almost every game comes out for both consoles and PC and PC gets sharper graphics, I would like to see this one on pc too. Fairly I know consoles make it more fun for these types of games I wouldn't mind using my gamepad. Just like Street Fighter IV rocks on PC without a single issue, this game wouldn't suck or be too demanding for PC. But that's just my idea.

  • JDog335

    Posted Jul 4, 2009 9:44 pm PT

    i think raging blast has potential if they dont do to it what they did to burst limit (update the grapics but same gameplay). thats why i hated burst limit it was like buying budokai 3 again for $20 more. and don't get me started with infinite world...

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