- Bandai Namco revealed new information about its Gundam metaverse project during the 3rd Gundam Conference on March 29.
- The company will “develop a metaverse for each IP as a new framework for connecting with fans.”
- Bandai Namco will form the foundation of the virtual communities before completing the whole metaverse project.
Japanese video game and toy manufacturing company, Bandai Namco, has just revealed new details about its Gundam metaverse project during the 3rd Gundam Conference on March 29.
As earlier reported by CoinQuora, Bandai Namco plans to launch its virtual world called the Mobile Suit Gundam Metaverse. The space will feature games, videos, music, among other activities related to the Gundam universe, according to the initial report.
Upon revealing its new midterm plan during the Gundam Conference, Bandai Namco will roll out said plans this April. The company disclosed that it will “develop a metaverse for each IP as a new framework for connecting with fans.”
SIDE-G, the first IP metaverse, will feature the Gundam franchise that is set in space colonies reminiscent of the artificial habitats from the Universal Century timeline of the series.
This IP metaverse will showcase video games, anime series, eSports, Gunplas (Gundam plastic models), among other things. Within SIDE-G, users have access to different colonies via avatars to interact with other users and the ecosystem.
Interestingly, Bandai Namco initially plans to gradually build the foundation of each sector rather than completing the whole virtual world. The company aims to do so by forming virtual communities for each content category.
Using the Bandai Namco IDs, these sectors will then be linked together to make up the whole metaverse project.
Gunpla colony, the first planned virtual community, will offer Gunpla related content. This colony, along with the other virtual communities, will exist within SIDE-G. The Gunpla colony will signal the official launch of the Gundam Base Gunpla Colony branch, a space committed to Gunpla entertainment. Testing is slated to begin in the third quarter of the year.
The Gunpla colony will offer Gunpla building, Gunpla online courses, and Gunpla battle, where users scan their model kits to fight.
Meanwhile, the plan to build the eSports colony is scheduled to happen in 2023. This colony is envisioned to be a global community of gamers playing Mobile Suit Gundam Battle Operation 2 and the upcoming team-based FPS Gundam Evolution.
Bandai Namco is positioning the Gundam metaverse as a main project of the Bandai Namco Group. It aims to expand the project that spans beyond 2026 — the end of the company’s midterm plan.