Bandai Namco Games and Sony Computer Entertainment have agreed to set up a joint venture named Cellius. As the company's name suggests, the new entity will focus on utilizing the PlayStation 3's CELL Broadband Engine to create new "surprising" entertainment content. Today's announcement, however, only specifically mentioned the development, sale and distribution of voice, movie, and computer software. Japanese commentators speculate that with the creation of Cellius, Sony Computer Entertainment also plans to strengthen its ties with (game) software makers. That being said, the company's applications will not only target Sony Computer Entertainment's next-gen hardware, but also other (yet-to-be-released) products equipped with the CELL processor.

Reportedly, the idea for Cellius' foundation came up during a meeting of executives from Bandai Namco Games and Sony Computer Entertainment last summer. 51% of the company's capital will come from Bandai Namco Games, with SCE providing the remaining 49%. Cellius' president will be Isao Nakamura. Nakamura has previously worked on Bandai Namco's MotoGP series. The company's three directors are: Shin Unozawa, Bandai Namco Games executive vice president; Sony Computer Entertainment chairman and CEO Ken Kutaragi; and Akira Satou, Sony Computer Entertainment vice chairman.

• Reuters
• Nikkei Net