Namco Bandai - CyberConnect2 partner, Solartorobo in NA not looking good, Tales of Graces Wii localization still possible

A portion of a Siliconera interview with Makoto Iwai, Bandai Label President…

S: What about CyberConnect2? Namco Bandai has a great relationship with the studio through .hack and the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series. But, now Capcom is beginning to work with them. Are you going to continue to work with them?

MI: Oh yes, of course. Our relationship has never changed. We are preparing the next Naruto. We are always working with them for the Naruto franchise and that remains the same.

S: Beyond the Naruto titles, are you thinking about Solatorobo…

MI: Solartorobo for the DS in Japan? I don’t think we have a plan to bring that title here, but we are always in talks with CyberConnect2 for future projects.

S: I know one announcement my readers are really going to be excited about is Tales. Why did Namco Bandai decide to start localizing Tales games again?

MI: Again, as Carlson mentioned there is a strong existing fanbase. The buzz became too big to ignore, in a sense. Our company’s new theme and challenge is how to embrace community. A strong fanbase is something we can’t ignore, especially with Tales. How we can embrace those people is key.

It’s been a challenge for the JRPG in the US market. As long as they are loyal to this title, why don’t we embrace them? That’s a starting point.

S: And for Tales of Graces F, is it just the PlayStation 3 version or is it the Wii version as well?

MI: We’ll see. We’re working on it. We’ll make the announcement later on.