Brighton's 'One Piece' card shop represents growing interest in card games, says Bandai Namco

A new One Piece card game shop has opened in Brighton, and represents an “evolution”, Bandai Namco has said to NME.

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The store opened on North Street in Brighton on February 23. Brighton was chosen due to the city being a “thriving cultural hub” and the One Piece Card Game shop being a “perfect fit and addition for people of the region to collect cards and battle with friends.”

When asked by NME why now is the right time to open a One Piece Card Game Shop, Bandai Namco told us that the plan is to offer “multiple experiential products”.

“One Piece is one of the biggest IPs globally, with a 25 year back catalogue of anime, manga and films. This is the evolution of the store to grow alongside of our brand by offering multiple experiential products that expand on traditional retail spaces,” they said.

Bandai Namco also spoke about the current demand for card games, stating that “interest in card games, anime and manga have been on the increase since lockdown”.

“There has been a lot of nostalgia for trading card games due to their collectability. By having exciting card designs and synergy with a strong IP, ONE PIECE Card Game has been well received by the community.”

One Piece recently received a live-action Netflix adaptation which our reviewer referred to as a “swashbuckling pirate samurai on the high seas”. In addition to this, a new anime has been confirmed by Netflix which will retell the story of the anime through a modern lens, but that doesn’t yet have a release date.

In other gaming news, a free demo has been released for Princess Peach: Showtime, and allows fans to play through the first two levels of the game.