Namco picks up Afro Samurai @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on August 30, 2005

News: Afro Samurai... starring Samuel L. "BMF" Jackson.

Namco and Japanese animation studio GDH have announced that Namco has acquired the video game rights to Afro Samurai. Over the next five years Namco will be able to publish two titles based on the comic (originally published in November 2004) and the upcoming anime and live-action movie.

"'Afro Samurai' is a visually striking and rich story." said Jeff Lujan, business director at Namco Hometek Inc. "With its gritty and unique mix of hip-hop and samurai styling, 'Afro Samurai' is perfectly suited for video games. We are looking forward to working with GDH in bringing this exciting new property to life."

Namco has provided a story summary as well. As ridiculous as the title Afro Samurai sounds, the plot sounds pretty cool:

"Afro Samurai" follows the story of one man's journey of bloody hardship and pain. After witnessing the cold blooded murder of his father, Afro devotes himself to the path of revenge. He sheds no tears, knows no love and stops at nothing to achieve his goal. Forever chased by powerful enemies in a lawless technology-speckled dystopia, he evades bullets and blades to reach his final prey: a man who will not die.

The story was created by Takashi Okazaki and Samuel L. Jackson has signed on to voice the Samurai in the upcoming anime and will play him in the live-action movie that will come after that. I can't picture anyone else playing someone named Afro Samurai, can you?

No release details or platforms are known for the eventual Afro Samurai game at this point, but we'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, you may want to check out the official Afro Samurai website, AfroSamurai.com