Bandai Namco changes its name for the second time this year

Bandai Namco Holdings’ board of directors made another name change official today: As of April 1, 2015, 20 company subsidiaries will be rebranded from Bandai Namco Games to Bandai Namco Entertainment.

“With the advance of technology and diversification of user preferences, the Group has expanded into new products and service domains that extend beyond its previous game business domain,” a press release (PDF link) announcing the change explains. You can see the subsidiaries affected in the image below.

This is the second name change for the company this year. In February, the parent company rebranded from Namco Bandai Games to Bandai Namco Games.

Bandai Namco’s latest decision is not without precedent. In January 2007, on the same day that Apple revealed the original iPhone, the company changed its official name from Apple Computer, Inc. to Apple, Inc. to reflect changes in its product line.