Namco was a forerunner during the Golden age of video arcade games. Pac-Man, its most famous title, went on to become the best-selling arcade game in history and an international popular culture icon.
Masaya Nakamura founded the company as Nakamura Manufacturing in 1955. Based in Tokyo, the company started out by running children's rides on the roof of a department store in Yokohama. The business eventually expanded throughout the Tokyo area. Nakamura Manufacturing was reorganized in 1958 and underwent a slight name change to Nakamura Manufacturing Co., which would later be used to form the acronym Namco. In 1970 the company produced a coin-operated mechanical driving simulator called "Racer".
Atari Japan, the Tokyo-based subsidiary of Atari, was struggling financially by 1974. General manager Hide Nakajima was left in charge of the company after his boss had quit. Nakajima claims that employees had been stealing money and that he had contributed funds from his personal savings in order to pay creditors and stave off bankruptcy. Though Nakajima wanted to try saving Atari Japan, owner Nolan Bushnell was already struggling to keep the parent company afloat due to undercapitalization and was looking to sell the Japanese subsidiary for some badly-needed cash. Sega, then a manufacturer of pinball machines, offered to acquire Atari Japan for $50,000. Nakamura put in a bid for $800,000 and shocked others out of competition. The deal was finalized at $500,000 and Bushnell was glad to take it. Debts inherited from Atari Japan would take Nakamura two years to pay off, but the deal had also secured for him an exclusive license to distribute Atari's games in Japan for ten years. Nakamura would follow up by opening video arcades featuring Atari games.
Nakajima was promoted to vice president in 1978, and on his recommendation Namco opened a subsidiary, Namco America, in the United States. The location he chose was across the street from Atari's former headquarters in Sunnyvale, California. At the time, games were not released in the U.S. under the Namco label. Namco America existed mainly to license Namco's games to companies such as Atari and Midway Games for distribution in the U.S.
In 1985, after the video game crash, and after previously having been sold to Warner Communications, Atari had been split into two corporate entities: Atari Corporation, which took over the home computer and console hardware business; and Atari Games, which retained the arcade game business. Namco America acquired a controlling interest in Atari Games for $10 million, against the advice of their accountants at Price Waterhouse. Disagreement over how to run the Atari Games subsidiary led to a falling out between Nakamura and Nakajima. Nakamura considered Atari to be a competitor. Back in Japan, Namco still held distribution rights for Atari's games, and Nakamura refused to sell them to other arcades. Nakamura also resented sharing ownership of Atari Games with Warner. Nakajima grew increasingly frustrated with his boss, and in 1987 the two arrived at a means to part ways: Namco would sell part of its interest in Atari Games to Nakajima and the Atari Games employees, and the rest back to Warner. Nakajima and Wood then resigned from Namco to head Atari Games.
By 1989, games for the Nintendo Entertainment System accounted for forty percent of Namco's sales. As Nintendo's first licensee, Namco had previously been given privileged terms, such as the right to manufacture their own cartridges. However, upon renewal of the license, these special terms were revoked, prompting Nakamura to publicly criticize Nintendo for monopolistic behavior. In addition, Nakamura announced that Namco would support Sega's Mega Drive/Genesis console.
Later expanding into the amusement park business, Sennichimae Plabo was opened in Osaka, featuring a new concept of large-scale arcade amusement, and Namco Wonder Eggs, a theme park, was opened in Tokyo. Additional amusement parks were opened, including Namco Wonder Park Sagamihara and Namco Wonder City.
In 1996 Namco acquired a controlling share of the Japanese film company Nikkatsu, but its interest would be sold during the merger with Bandai.
In September 2005, Namco merged with Bandai to become "Namco Bandai Holdings", the 3rd largest video game entity in Japan. On March 31, 2006, Namco's game development operations absorbed that of Bandai's. From then on, the part of the company that was most closely associated with the Namco label would become Namco Bandai Games. The Namco Ltd. name was retained by its Japanese arcade management division, and now operates as part of Namco Bandai's Amusement Facility SBU.
Namco's first original video game was Gee Bee (1978). Galaxian (1979) revolutionized the industry as the first video game to use RGB color graphics. It was Pac-Man (1980), however, that would become definitive of Namco's legacy, going on to become a fixture in popular culture. Galaga (1981), a follow-up to Galaxian, was one of the most successful sequels of the era. Dig Dug (1982), Xevious (1982), and Pole Position (1983) continued Namco's success in establishing iconic franchises during the so-called Golden Age.
Namco was the industry's first manufacturer to develop and release a multi-player, multi-cabinet competitive game, Final Lap, in 1987. This game allowed up to 8 players to compete when four 2-player cabinets were linked in a simple network. By 1988, the company's capital exceeded 5,500 million Yen. In 1989, another racing simulation game, Winning Run, was released; that same year, the company's expertise with driving simulation matured with the development of the Eunos Roadster Driving Simulator, a joint venture with the Mazda Motor Corporation, followed by an educational program for traffic safety developed with Mitsubishi. In a bid to win over a new kind of audience, Namco started up business for the elderly and the disabled with "Talking Aid" in 1985.
In 1989 it was revealed that Namco was developing a true 16-bit game console inspired by the success of NEC's PC Engine. In its July 1989 issue, Electronic Gaming Monthly reported that "Namco has a machine comparable to the Super Famicon almost completed, but is unsure which way to market it with so many other game machines already in the marketplace." . Namco decided to partner themselves with NEC to release their Super System as the PC Engine 2. However, talks fell apart because NEC's other partner, Hudson Soft feared that NEC would abandon them in favor of Namco. Hudson pushed the completed, but technically inferior version of the PC Engine 2, which came to be known as the ill fated SuperGrafx.
In 1993, Ridge Racer, a driving simulation game, entered arcades, featuring 3D computer graphics; the game was later released for the PlayStation. Another of the company's most famous games, Tekken, was released in 1994, which was also soon ported to the PlayStation. In 1995 the game Soul Edge (Soul Blade in the PAL region) was released. With its Tekken and Soul franchises, Namco has been dominating the 3D fighting game market. Some light gun games were also released such as Point Blank and Time Crisis.
In 1977, Namco launched its first international arcade subsidiary, Namco Enterprises Asia Ltd., in Hong Kong. Further expansion in Asia would follow in 1993 with Shanghai Namco Ltd., based in mainland China.
Namco purchased the arcade operations of Atari Games in 1990, renaming it Namco Operations Inc. With the purchase, Namco began its arcade management business in the United States. Namco Operations managed several large facilities in venues such as Pier 39 in San Francisco, California, and Church Street Station in Orlando, Florida.
In 1993, Namco purchased the Aladdin's Castle arcade chain from Bally and merged it with Namco Operations to form Namco Cybertainment Inc. The merger produced the largest arcade operator in the United States. Arcades were branded under the principal trade names of Aladdin's Castle and Cyberstation. Throughout the 1990s, NCI continued to merge or purchase several arcade companies. Chief among them was Edison Brothers Mall Entertainment (operating under the Time-Out and SpacePort names) in 1996. Also in the late 1990s, Namco acquired Diamond Jim's and in the early part of the new century purchased Pocket Change.
The Namco Bandai merger had little effect on the Namco Cybertainment subsidiary, which continues its original mission of operating arcades in the U.S. It has been organized under the parent company's Amusement Facility SBU.
Namco Cybertainment's corporate offices reside in Bensenville, Illinois. Its sister company, Namco America, which manufactures the arcade cabinets, relocated to Elk Grove, Illinois, in 2008.
Sparking
NAMCO SOUNDS Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Doing the best I can
Where are you now?
Did your dreams come true?
Here we go...
Get out, get out
SPARKING!
SPARKING!
What does the word "peace" mean?
There should only be a smiling face?
Answer me, reticent God
But the sun rises again
When will that time return?
Swear you won't give up!
Break out!
Anything day by day
Freak out!
Anything step by step
Live the sin, and let me know live the sin
Break down!
Make my story
Get down!
They're called history
My heartbeat gonna be faster
Shout, shout, shout, shout, soul
Destiny or deadly
I don't care which one's walking this way
They're nothing together
What if I go back to zero?
Get power of infinity
All men together make one man
At the time of an important decision,
Please do not lose your vision.
You're the one
Show me only your dance in earnest.
Even if wrapped in the darkness,
Light is beyond the horizon.
SPARKING!
Believe your own energy!
SUPER KING!
Get by my hands!
SPARKING!
Now open your wing!
SUPER KING!
You can do it!
Get up, get up, get up, get up, get up
Take it to top of the world...
SPARKING!
The song "Sparking" by Namco Sounds is a motivational track that encourages the listener to live their life to the fullest, and not give up on their dreams. The song starts with the singer questioning the listener on whether their dreams have come true, then encouraging them to do their best, and "spark" their life to greatness. The first verse also introduces the idea of the sun rising again and asking when that time will return, which could represent a difficult time that the listener has faced, and a desire to return to a better time.
The second verse of the song uses strong language to encourage the listener to break out of their shell and live their life to the fullest. The lyrics "Live the sin, and let me know live the sin" could be interpreted in different ways, but the overall message seems to be to embrace life and take risks without worrying about the consequences. The lyrics also touch on the idea of starting from scratch, going back to zero, and not being afraid of the unknown.
The chorus of the song is where the message of the song really shines through. The lyrics "Get out, get out, sparking" seem to represent breaking free from one's own limitations and shining bright like a star. The word "sparking" could also mean igniting a fire within oneself and becoming passionate about what one does. The chorus also includes the lyrics "Believe your own energy, get by my hands, now open your wing, you can do it," which further emphasizes the idea of taking charge of one's life and achieving greatness.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm here now
I am present and ready to face whatever is in front of me.
Doing the best I can
I am putting forth my best effort to achieve my goals and succeed.
Where are you now?
I wonder where you are at this very moment and what you are doing.
Did your dreams come true?
I am curious if you were able to achieve what you set out to do in life.
Here we go...
It is time to embark on a new journey or adventure.
Get out, get out
Leave your comfort zone and take risks to achieve your dreams.
SPARKING!
Ignite a fire within yourself to take action and achieve your goals.
What does the word "peace" mean?
I am questioning what the true meaning of peace is.
There should only be a smiling face?
Is the only way to achieve peace through constant happiness?
Answer me, reticent God
I am calling out to God for answers to my questions.
But the sun rises again
Each day brings new opportunities and chances for success.
When will that time return?
I am longing for the return of a time when things were better.
Swear you won't give up!
Promise to yourself that you will never give up on achieving your dreams.
Break out!
Break free from the constraints holding you back from success.
Anything day by day
Make progress every day towards your goals, no matter how small.
Freak out!
Try new things and take risks to discover your passions and purpose.
Anything step by step
Make progress towards your goals by taking small steps each day.
Live the sin, and let me know live the sin
Experience life to the fullest, and let me know what that feels like.
Break down!
Break down the obstacles blocking your path to success.
Make my story
Create the story of your life through your experiences and achievements.
Get down!
Get ready to take action and pursue your goals with determination.
They're called history
Your successes and achievements will be remembered and become a part of history.
My heartbeat gonna be faster
I am excited and passionate about pursuing my goals to the fullest extent possible.
Shout, shout, shout, shout, soul
Express your emotions and passions through your actions and achievements.
Destiny or deadly
No matter what the outcome, I am willing to pursue my goals with determination and passion.
I don't care which one's walking this way
I am not concerned with the potential risks or downsides of pursuing my goals.
They're nothing together
The obstacles in front of me will not stop me from achieving my goals.
What if I go back to zero?
I am not afraid to start over and try again if I fail.
Get power of infinity
Harness the limitless potential within yourself to achieve great things.
All men together make one man
We are all working towards the same goals, and together we can accomplish more than we ever could alone.
At the time of an important decision,
When faced with a critical decision that could impact your future, think carefully about your options.
Please do not lose your vision.
Do not lose sight of your goals or the path that you need to take to achieve them.
You're the one
You have the power within yourself to make your dreams a reality.
Show me only your dance in earnest.
Express your emotions and passions through your actions and achievements.
Even if wrapped in the darkness,
Even when things seem bleak or hopeless, do not lose sight of your goals.
Light is beyond the horizon.
There is always hope for a brighter future, no matter how difficult the present may seem.
Believe your own energy!
Have confidence in yourself and your abilities to achieve your goals.
SUPER KING!
Embrace your potential and your ability to achieve great things.
Get by my hands!
Let me help guide and support you on your journey towards success.
Now open your wing!
With hard work and determination, you can spread your wings and achieve your goals.
You can do it!
Believe in yourself and your abilities to overcome any obstacles and achieve greatness.
Get up, get up, get up, get up, get up
Rise from any setbacks or failures and keep moving towards your goals.
Take it to top of the world...
With hard work and determination, you can achieve greatness and reach the pinnacle of your success.
Writer(s): Nbgi(担当:神前暁)
Contributed by Mason H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.