Namco Bandai completes purchase of Atari's PAL distribution

Namco Bandai has announced that it has completed its purchase of the global PAL distribution operation owned by troubled company Atari, who recently reported a $319 million loss for the 2008/2009 financial year.

The new entity has been renamed Namco Bandai Partners and will distribute titles worldwide from Namco Bandai Games, Atari, and other video game publishers. The outfit will operate in 50 countries, but not in North America or Japan.

One of the first titles taken on by the company is the upcoming city builder Cities XL from Monte Cristo, which Namco Bandai Partners will distribute throughout much of Europe, as well as Australia and New Zealand, this October. Namco Bandai Partners has promised to issue an updated release schedule "shortly" for other titles it has picked up.

This isn't the first time Namco Bandai has taken something from Atari. Last week the Tekken maker announced it had acquired the rights to the Dragon Ball franchise (previously a staple of Atari's library) and would be publishing the upcoming Raging Blast for the Xbox 360 and PS3, Revenge of King Piccolo for the Wii, and Attack of the Saiyans for the DS.