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SCEE has backed Tecmo Koei Europe to become a significant player in the European video games market.
The newly-formed publisher was officially revealed last week, and has pledged to grow its presence in the West by developing new IP and making its established franchises, including Dynasty Warriors, more accessible to the European market.
The company’s first game is PS3-exclusive Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, which will arrive before the end of the year.
PlayStation’s relationship with its third-party partners has always been and always will be critical to our success,” said SCEE president Andrew House.
The relationships between Koei, Tecmo and PlayStation have been there since day one. As PlayStation grows ever stronger in Europe, it is great to see Tecmo and Koei growing and strengthening in Europe also. In its new form of Tecmo Koei Europe we expect to see these great Japanese games companies continue to be important partners to SCEE for many years to come.”
SCEE VP Jim Ryan added: We are really thrilled to welcome Tecmo Koei to Europe. They have been great partners for PlayStation over many years. And the fact that we can make properties such as Dynasty Warriors, Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden more accessible to the UK market is fantastic news.”
Other titles set to arrive from Tecmo Koei includes Undead Knights for PSP, Quantum for PS3 and Warriors: Legends of Troy for 360 and PS3, and it is these original properties that are tasked with growing the firm’s Western presence.
The European video game market is expanding very rapidly, while Japan has stood still,” Tecmo Koei Europe president and COO Kenji Matsubara told MCV.
Our European business is not so big at the moment, but we see many opportunities for us to expand the business, and this is why we’ve created Tecmo Koei Europe. With this office we want to establish a major brand image and also major publisher status throughout Europe.
To do this we need titles. We already have some big brand games like Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive and Dynasty Warriors, but to be a major player in Europe we need new intellectual properties. So we will release new IP for Western audiences and reinforce our existing brand titles in the region. That is our strategy.”
