Japanese game developer and publisher Namco Bandai Studios Inc., the company behind games like Pac-Man and Galaga, is opening a Vancouver subsidiary in June, the company said Wednesday.

Namco Bandai Studios Vancouver will develop online social games for the North American and European markets and next-generation entertainment platforms, with support from the company’s Tokyo office. Namco Bandai said it would also launch a Singapore studio in June with a similar structure that develops content from local cultures and trends.

“British Columbia has demonstrated a deep understanding of the digital media and game industries, especially in Vancouver, which has a long history as a pioneer in game development,” said Namco Bandai Studios CEO Hajime Nakatani in a statement. “This makes it a perfect choice for our first step forward in establishing our global network. I am confident that we will be able to achieve  new and amazing feats in Canada, thanks to a great talent pool, leading edge academic and research institutions and pro-business federal and provincial governments,” he added.

The B.C. government provided subsidies to launch Namco Bandai operations in the province, through B.C.’s Trade and Investment office in Tokyo, Investment and Company Attraction Branch in Vancouver and Major Investment Office hosting program.

The new studio will be located in The Centre for Digital Media (CDM), a collaboration of UBC, SFU, Emily Carr and BCIT which offers a professional graduate program in digital media.

The Vancouver subsidiary will work with local government and educational institutions like CDM and others to attract staff and energize the game industry cluster, the B.C. government said in a release.