Namco Bandai will join a growing list of game companies headquartered in Japan and setting their sights on becoming more relevant in the "Western" gaming market. That means promoting North American game development, and to this end Namco Bandai will form a new publishing label dubbed "Surge". It's likely Surge will tap into Namco Bandai's existing internal development team based the U.S., currently responsible for the Afro Samurai game adaptation.  Indeed, Afro Samurai will become the first title published under Namco Bandai's Surge label.

"SURGE presents a significant milestone for NAMCO BANDAI as it personifies our commitment to deliver compelling content for the discriminating player who is looking for games that are not only groundbreaking but also push the envelope," said Andrew Lelchuk, executive vice president of sales and marketing at NAMCO BANDAI Games America, Inc. "Through passion and innovation, SURGE will complement our portfolio of established franchises and intellectual property while positioning the company as a creative force."

Getting internal development to produce titles more focused on the Western market is only one part of the equation, as other Japanese companies like Square Enix are also teaming up with North American companies for publishing deals.