Elden Ring Publisher Raises All Employee Salaries in Japan

ign.com:

Elden Ring publisher Bandai Namco has informed its Japanese staff that they will all receive a pay increase from this April. The average monthly salary will be increased by 50,000 yen.

Announced to staff on February 28, the publisher said in a press release (translated by IGN Japan) "Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. will increase the ratio of basic salary to annual income from April 2022, with the aim of improving working conditions by stabilizing employee income. We will introduce a new compensation system that raises the basic salary by an average of 50,000 yen per month for all employees. In addition, the starting salary will be raised from the previous 232,000 yen per month to 290,000 yen per month."

The press release outlines Bandai Namco's aim to "connect with fans" via its games. "In order to realize this vision, it is essential to promote the active participation of diverse human resources in multiple fields, which is why we have decided to make this revision."

The average boost for Japanese employees at Bandai Namco will be 50,000 yen, but the press release notes that those on the new graduate starting salary will see a 58,000 yen per month increase as their pay goes up to 290,000 yen. This salary includes a 10,000 yen allowance awarded for the "Entertainment Input Opportunity Provision System", a scheme recently introduced as part of Bandai Namco's "Activity Based Working" system. Alongside this input opportunity scheme, the system is designed to allow staff the ability to choose when and where they work depending on their project goals.

The announcement follows a strong release for Elden Ring, which launched to fantastic reviews and keeps getting bigger on Steam. The publisher has had to apologise for