Namco Bandai is to pull back from western-developed games after a string of commercial disappointments...

Publisher Namco Bandai is to pull back from developing games outside of Japan, according to a report from Bloomberg.

The company had hoped to capitalise on the westernisation of the industry by funding several projects developed outside of Japan, but the strategy suffered a number of commercial flops. In fact, half of Namco Bandai's releases in the last fiscal year failed to turn a profit.

The disappointments included Clash of the Titans - hoped to have sold 750,000 yet managed a measly 250,000, Dead to Rights Retribution, which managed only half of its expected 700,000, and the well-received HD adventure game Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, which Namco wanted to have sold a million units by the end of October. In reality, the high-budget game fell far short, with Namco soon revising expectations to 800,000 units, although certain outlets track the game's actual performance as far, far worse.

The publisher still hopes to crack the western market. Namco Bandai's official target is to have half of its revenue generated from overseas by 2016. Currently, 70% of its sales are accounted for in Japan.