In early 2005, Namco began merger talks with Bandai, a toy and anime company.[172] The two discussed a year prior about a possible business alliance after Namco collaborated with Bandai subsidiary Banpresto to create an arcade game based on Mobile Suit Gundam.[173] Bandai showed interest in Namco's game development skills and believed combining this with its wide library of profitable characters and franchises, such as Sailor Moon and Tamagotchi, could increase their competitiveness in the industry.[173][174] Nakamura and Namco's content development division advisors pushed against the idea, as they felt Bandai's corporate model wouldn't blend well with Namco's more agricultural work environment.[173] Namco's advisors were also critical of Bandai for focusing on promotion and marketing over quality.[173] As Namco's financial state continued to deteriorate, Ishimura pressured Nakamura into supporting the merge.[173] Bandai's offer was accepted on May 2, with both companies stating in a joint statement their financial difficulties were the reason for the merge.[175][174]