Bandai Namco & Other Game Makers Wish Fans a Happy New Year

It’s still New Year’s Eve in the States, but the year has already begun in Japan, where several developers and publishers have begun to release new year’s greetings to introduce fans to their creative leads, recap the year that was, and look forward to new games coming in 2018. While some companies are running in-game events within their most popular titles, these videos are nice ways to appreciate all of the hard work that’s been done in games this year, from people who are just as enthusiastic about it as the players are.

First up, this adorable video from Bandai Namco highlights many of the creators behind its most anticipated games of 2018, including Dragon Ball FighterZ producer Tomoko Hiroki, who even throws in a special Happy New Year Kamehameha for the die-hard DBZ fans. The video also shows off the insane decorations that line the lobby at Bandai Namco Entertainment HQ in Japan, which might put you right back into the holiday spirit if you’re not careful.

Arc System Works combined its rock n’ roll flair with the decorative traditional wear of Japanese New Year celebrations, ringing in the year of the dog with excitement for the company’s upcoming projects, including Blazblue Cross Tag Battle. The company is celebrating huge milestones this year, with the 10th anniversary of Blazblue, the 20th anniversary of Guilty Gear and the company’s own 30th anniversary celebration.

Finally, Koei Tecmo put together some of the most impressive clips from its past year in games, including something of a farewell nod to Dead or Alive 5, which met its end this year.

Outside of Koei Tecmo’s titles, all of the games mentioned in these videos have upcoming release dates within the year, so there’s plenty to be excited about as you watch these highlight reels. Now we’re just holding out for Nintendo to kick off the new year with news aboutw hen the next Direct is. Fingers crossed.