Namco prepares to celebrate 50th anniversary next year

Japanese publisher Namco has announced plans to commemorate its fiftieth year of operation next year, with a special 50-year logo to be used on a variety of promotional campaigns and advertisements.

Founded in 1955 as a manufacturer of fairground rides in the port city of Yokohama near Tokyo, Namco was originally known as Nakamura Corporation, and did not adopt its current world-famous name until 1977 - three years before the launch of the game which rocketed it to the top of the games industry, Pac-Man.

The logo which has been decided upon for the company's 50th birthday celebrations includes an image of a fairground wooden horse - designed to symbolise the firm's origins in that industry.

Namco says that it will be using the logo on a variety of advertisements and campaigns over the coming year, although it's not yet been revealed exactly what form these promotions will take.

Fifty years old may seem like an incredible age for a videogame company, but many Japanese publishers have their origins in far older areas of the entertainment industry - such as Nintendo, which this year celebrates 115 years of operation.