Taiko no Tatsujin being considered for U.S. gamers

TOKYO--Namco is on the verge of casting a wider net with its wildly popular drumming game Taiko No Tatsujin. Bloomberg Japan is reporting that Namco, so impressed with the game's sales in Japan, is in the process of localizing the product for a North American release. The English-language version will swap out the game's current play list for selections geared toward American gamers.

Namco also plans on extending the drumming game's franchise in Japan by releasing two sequels during the year. And, an electronic toy based on the game is in the works. That product will come out of a partnership with Tomy.

Taiko No Tatsujin first appeared in Japanese arcades in early 2001. It was ported to the PlayStation 2 a year later. The game is played by hitting a drum-shaped controller with two sticks to the beat of various songs. Namco had originally estimated that the home version would sell 100,000 units at most. The game, however, became a huge seller for Namco. Its success was attributed to the simplicity of the game and the wide range of songs--which span the gamut from anime themes to J-Pop. So far, Taiko No Tatsujin sold a total of 2 million units on the PS2. The series is currently in its third version and Namco continues to manufacture the drum-shaped controller at the pace of 200,000 units per month.

Namco's plan to release Taiko no Tatsujin in America is seen as a movement towards focusing its game lineup on overseas market. According to Bloomberg, the company will also establish a larger presence in England this year. That facility will focus on developing games targeted to overseas markets (outside of Japan). The new studio will also oversee relationships with third-party developers in both North America and Europe.

A Namco spokesperson in the U.S. was unable to lend additional details to the news.