COMP NEWS – Oh, pay raises.
Bandai Namco, the publisher of one of last year’s most acclaimed video games, Elden Ring, announced that it will give a pay raise to every single one of its employees.
Bandai Namco is giving everyone a raise. That’s according to a recent press release posted on the publisher’s Japanese site.
Bamco said it’s improving worker pay “with the aim of improving workability by stabilizing employee income.” All employees are receiving a 50,000 yen raise (roughly $435 USD), and the starting salary for new employees has been raised from 232,000 yen per month ($2000) to 290,000 yen per month ($2500). All changes will be effective as of April 1, 2022.
Additionally, Bandai Namco is also looking to change how the company works on top of improving employee pay. “In order to increase employee autonomy and creativity, we have introduced ‘Activity Based Working (ABW)’ that allows you to choose the time and place to work according to your purpose, and an opportunity to input entertainment for young employees.”
On the heels of Bandai Namco’s runaway success, Elden Ring, which has sold over 20 million copies so far, the Japanese publisher is using its traction to invest both its employees and in creating a new “IP Metaverse” for its fanbase to connect with each other.
The Japanese publisher announced last month it will spend $130 million to create an “IP Metaverse” which will help fans connect in virtual spaces. Details of that plan were also not disclosed, but it at least sounded like similar announcements put forth by other major game publishers.
In the meantime, Bandai Namco is riding high on Elden Ring’s recent release. The game had an exceptional release with critical acclaim and great sales numbers that put it at the top of the UK sales charts. Elden Ring also hit number six on Steam’s top concurrent player charts and topped Twitch’s viewer charts on release day.
Japanese companies across multiple segments have been doling out pay raises, including Toyota and Sega. With both Sega and Bandai Namco leading their industry charge on pay raises, now is the time for publishers one and all to bear witness and turn their sights toward developing competitive compensation structures.
To read more about the Elden Ring publisher’s pay raises, click here.
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