Tokyo, Japan (December 21, 2015) – BANDAI NAMCO Studios Inc. the leading development division of the BANDAI NAMCO Group, announces that Julien Merceron will be joining the company in December 2015 as Worldwide Technology Director, championing and pursuing the development of core technologies for content and production pipelines for various platforms.

Merceron is renowned as a world-class engineer within the video games industry. Prior to joining BANDAI NAMCO Studios, Merceron has worked for many major gaming companies in various key roles of development. Merceron also serves as a board member for the Game Developers Conference and CEDEC.

【Comment by Hajime Nakatani, CEO】

I am very happy to welcome Mr. Merceron as part of BANDAI NAMCO Studios. The studio will continue to accelerate its efforts worldwide. In line with the evolution of information-communication technology, innovative services through VR/AR/IoT are being created, and we are facing a chance to create a lifestyle and entertainment that has never been imagined. In such revolutionary times, in order to create the best product for the world, we would like to evolve the studio together with Mr. Merceron.

Please look forward to the future of BANDAI NAMCO Studios.

【Comment by Mr. Julien Merceron】

I’m extremely excited to be given an opportunity to make a difference within the amazing BANDAI NAMCO Group, so well-known for its iconic IPs! I’m looking forward to empower the teams I’ll be working with and accelerate growth, innovation and creativity. The reach of this group goes well beyond games, it is a true Multimedia and Entertainment Group, so I know I will learn a lot too!

Working with so many experienced people and friends and focusing on a wider range of entertainment forms is the chance of a lifetime! Within BANDAI NAMCO Studios, there is a true opportunity to have a worldwide reach with Original Content.

【Career Summary: Julien Merceron】

Merceron began his career as a programmer for the Atari Jaguar in the early 90s. He joined Ubisoft Entertainment in 1999 where he worked on numerous teams before his promotion as the company’s Worldwide Technical Director. Merceron was a key member who drove the success of several famous triple-A brands.

In 2006, Merceron joined Eidos as the studio’s Worldwide CTO, crafting core technology strategies, and helping establish Eidos Montreal and Eidos Shanghai. Eventually, Merceron became the Worldwide Technology Director for the whole Square Enix Group, developing a variety of engines for major franchises.

In 2013, Merceron joined Konami as their Worldwide Technology Director.

In 2016, Merceron joins BANDAI NAMCO Studios to bring further innovation to the world.