Bandai Namco, the Japanese company behind countless hit franchises such as Ace Combat and Tekken, has announced that it is updating its logo for the first time since 2005’s merger. Unfortunately, nobody seems to be a fan of it—while the original logo wasn’t exactly a masterpiece, users all over social media are saying that the new logo seems bland and empty in comparison, being just text surrounded by a dialog box. Bandai Namco explained that it decided to update its logo in order to better reflect the company’s “new purpose.”
“Fundamental to our Purpose is the idea of connecting and working together to create things,” said Bandai Namco Holdings president Masaru Kawaguchi Bandai. “Namco’s entertainment connects fans all over the world. By delivering fun to the people everywhere, we put smiles on their faces and help them achieve happiness. That’s why Bandai Namco exists.”
Bandai Namco’s explanation for the design behind the new logo:
The new logo’s speech bubble motif, “Fukidashi” in Japanese, expresses the potential of the brand to connect with people around the world and inspire them with amazing ideas. The speech bubble also represents Japan’s manga culture that has become so popular everywhere. The logo stands for our determination to communicate with fans worldwide, to connect with our fans, and to create entertainment unique to Bandai Namco. The magenta used as the motif color not only represents diversity, but also creates a bright and fun impression and is easy to reproduce.
Some comments from Japan’s largest bulletin board, 2ch:
- They really thought this was good?
- It’s just letters.
- This is so dull.
- This looks like something I could make.
- No personality.
- When I look quickly at it, I can’t tell it’s Bandai Namco.
- This for real? It’s so shitty.
Source: Bandai Namco (via Kotaku)