Itagaki leaves Team Ninja and Tecmo!!!!! and sues Tecmo!

[Saner]

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3168056

Last month, Team Ninja head and Ninja Gaiden director Tomonobu Itagaki suggested in an interview that he would be done with the franchise after the upcoming release of Ninja Gaiden 2. On Monday night we received a clearer picture of just what he meant with the announcement that Itagaki is leaving Team Ninja and suing Tecmo.

1UP received the following confirmation of this news from Itagaki aide Andrew Szymanski:


"At approximately 2:30 PM Japan Standard Time today, June 3 2008, an official statement from Tomonobu Itagaki was sent by fax to major Japanese news outlets. In the interest of fair and expedient reporting of this story throughout the English-speaking world, I have been asked by Itagaki to convey this statement to you. Herein find attached Itagaki's official statement, in English, for the benefit of your readers.
"...You will likely have questions regarding the content of the statement, or about Itagaki's future plans. I am afraid that I will be unable to answer such questions for the time being; however, rest assured that more information will be forthcoming as soon as it is deemed appropriate to do so."

The full text of the letter from Itagaki follows:


"I, Tomonobu Itagaki, hereby announce that on the 14th of May 2008 I filed a complaint in the Tokyo District Court against Tecmo Co., Ltd. for unpaid completion bonuses, and against the President of Tecmo, Yoshimi Yasuda, for such unlawful acts as unreasonable and disingenuous statements made towards me, claiming damages in total of 148 million yen. I also announce that this complaint was delivered to the defendants on May 22nd of the same year. In addition, I hereby announce that I have today submitted a letter of resignation to Tecmo Co., Ltd. stating that I will resign as of the 1st of July, 2008.
"Before the start of development on Dead or Alive 4, Tecmo Co., Ltd. had agreed to pay a completion bonus to me for this Xbox 360 title, which I produced. However, when the time came for the actual payment, Tecmo Co., Ltd. went against its previous agreement and refused payment. President Yoshimi Yasuda chose not only to violate this agreement, but also turned defiant, telling me 'if you are dissatisfied with the decision not to pay the bonuses, either quit the company or sue it.' In addition, he made demeaning remarks about me to my subordinates and colleagues, causing me significant emotional distress and worsening my personal relationships and work environment. Thus, I have no choice but to resign from Tecmo Co., Ltd.

"The conduct of Tecmo Co., Ltd. and its president Yoshimi Yasuda towards me has been unbefitting of a publicly-listed company. I have filed this lawsuit with a strong intent to question the social responsibility of Tecmo Co., Ltd. and its President Yoshimi Yasuda, as well as condemning them for their unjust acts. Today, in addition to announcing the reasons for this lawsuit, I make clear my reasons for resigning.

"To All Game Fans

"I truly feel sorry to all the fans of the games I have made. Ninja Gaiden 2, which will launch on the 3rd of June will be the last Ninja Gaiden I will create. I will also never be able to make Dead or Alive 5. I regret the circumstances that have forced me to leave Tecmo, where I had worked for so many years, and I regret the disappointment this will cause my fans. However, I can no longer continue to work with President Yoshimi Yasuda, a man who chooses not to honor promises even when he is able to do so. I truly hope that nothing like this happens again in the future."

In addition to the allegations made in the letter, we've heard rumblings that Itagaki believes that Yasuda has focused too much on making a profit without a regard for quality. While Itagaki's official announcement does not point to any specific releases, recent Tecmo ports such as Rygar for the Wii and Ninja Gaiden Sigma for the PS3 are possible targets of Itagaki's anger, which would also explain recent interviews where Itagaki has been especially negative toward Sigma and has said that a PS3 port of Ninja Gaiden 2 would not be good. We've even heard rumors that Yasuda wanted to port Ninja Gaiden Sigma (a PS3 port of a rerelease of an Xbox title) to the Xbox 360 before he was talked out of it by Itagaki and others at Tecmo.

In the same interview we linked to above, Itagaki mentions that he intends for his next game to be "a brand new action game" that will be violent like Ninja Gaiden. It's safe to assume that this game will not be with Tecmo and probably that Itagaki knew that already when he started discussing it. We cannot speculate further as to what Itagaki might be up to next, but considering the timing, there's clearly some very bad blood between Itagaki and Tecmo. The outspoken game maker waited until the evening before Ninja Gaiden 2's release to make this announcement, which is sure to leave a slightly bitter taste in the mouths of many fans picking up their next dose of blood-soaked action.



O.O

ah but don't worry, Code Cronus is in the works, even if Itagaki stayed, CC is being produced
by a good colleague of his. you know I woulda bought Sigma if they ported it to XBox360,
I dunno why Itagaki has to be so personal with ports since another team can handle the porting.
DOA5 may be still coming too but now to me Team Ninja's strength lies in their action games
like Ninja Gaiden, so I feel with Code Cronus they should stick to that high quality gameplay.

[ABDUR101]

When you create an IP, you don't want someone re-hashing and fucking it up. You want to make sure it's done right, in your vision. Itagi did'nt care about profits, he wants things that have his name attatched to them to be works of art; beleive it or not some people take pride in their work.

Good for him I say, atleast he kept his own integrity in the matter.

By the way Saner, incase you missed it, it's prolly people like you who Yasuda was attempting to take advantage of and make a profit from. Yasuda wanted to rehash an original Xbox title, because he knew fanboys would eat the shit up even if there was minimal effort put into it.

Exhibit A, ladies and gentlemen.

[SubstanceD]

I heard aout this ealier today ( although I didn't get any of the details, thanks Saner ). At least now I know why he quit and why he is suing Tecmo. I've never played Ninja Gaiden Sigma so I can't comment on the overall quality of the finished product but I know Itagaki wasn't a fan. I also kind of get why he would be upset with a port of Ninja Gaiden sigman to the 360. Isn't it enough that we have Ninja Gaiden, Ninja Gaiden Black and Ninja Gaiden Sigma on the PS3, how often can they re-package the same game. Of course it isn't cheap to make games now-a-days and Itagaki's games are too hardcore for most people, too niche to appeal to general consumer. It does make sese that Tecmo would want to maximise thier profits.

[Saner]

hey its better than having to buy a PS3 for Sigma (which I will not do).

look at it from two positive perspectives.

thanks to Tecmo's president, Sigma was made and ps3 users can enjoy Ninja Gaiden, may
not be how Itagaki envisioned but it does have its good points and many owners enjoy it.

if they released Sigma on XBox360, I would buy it even tho I have NGBlack. the new
cutscenes and playable character and bonus missions would make it worth it.

Itagaki was lucky to even be in the position he was in, being funded and allowed to make his
own games. so what if Tecmo ports and rehashes the masterpiece, it isn't coming out of
Itagaki's wallet. :p too much pride is a weakness. Itagaki threw away a very advantageous
company and position. and what bonus money? he's already richer and more free
than most people in the business, he really took his position for granted. well ya the president
may have not kept his word about paying those bonuses, but how can they pay those bonuses
when I don't think the games even sold well (at least in Japan)?

[Sekani]

OMFG you're hopeless.

[Nitro Vordex]

Somebody please tell me what DoA is supposed to be about; all I've seen so far is women in bikinis. >_>;

Reguarding OP, damn, go Itagaki!

[Saner]

well if you are not interested in ports, then don't buy them :p

[Weeaboolits]

Somebody please tell me what DoA is supposed to be about; all I've seen so far is women in bikinis. >_>;It's about fan-service and cloning ninja.

[McLaughlin]

if they released Sigma on XBox360, I would buy it even tho I have NGBlack. the new
cutscenes and playable character and bonus missions would make it worth it.

That was exactly ABDUR's point. Yasuda is trying to cash in on the blinded-by-idiocy fanboys like you by getting you to buy THE SAME GAME four times over.


Itagaki was lucky to even be in the position he was in, being funded and allowed to make his
own games. so what if Tecmo ports and rehashes the masterpiece, it isn't coming out of
Itagaki's wallet. :p too much pride is a weakness. Itagaki threw away a very advantageous
company and position. and what bonus money? he's already richer and more free
than most people in the business, he really took his position for granted. well ya the president
may have not kept his word about paying those bonuses, but how can they pay those bonuses
when I don't think the games even sold well (at least in Japan)?

If you think having Pride is a weakness then I sure as hell don't want to be your definition of strong.

I'd like to give him a pat on the back for standing up for himself and his work. Not everything is about money or stature. The man took pride in his work, and he didn't like having his masterpiece whored out and rehashed to hell and back. I know I sure as hell wouldn't.

Yasuda is completely capable of paying the completion bonus. Whether or not the games sold well is irrelevant. They signed a contract. A legally binding agreement, and Yasuda isn't holding up his end of the bargain.

More power to Itagaki. Saner, you're a moron.

[Nitro Vordex]

No wonder so many people got the DO WANT attitude over it. >_>

[Sexy_Raine]

There's a similar topic like this in the Tekken boards(where I also post at). I never liked Itagaki, he claims his DOA games are superior to Tekken.

I don't really care what he does, I hope Konami/Capcom/Namco don't sign him to join.

[Kent]

Somebody please tell me what DoA is supposed to be about; all I've seen so far is women in bikinis. >_>;
There's more backstory to Dead or Alive than there is for most fighting games. DOA2 and 4 are really the only ones you need to do, to get what the story is about.

I don't really care what he does, I hope Konami/Capcom/Namco don't sign him to join.
Knowing Itagaki, he'll be joining Microsoft Game Studios Japan.

[SubstanceD]

well if you are not interested in ports, then don't buy them :p

Hey, I'm all for games going multi format Saner but I think you are missing the point ( or at least one of the main ones ). Yasuda was thinking of porting Ninja Gaiden Sigma to the 360 and noone even asked Itagaki to be involved. That like some John Do over at Nintendo making a new Mario game or a new Zelda game without any involvement from Miyamoto. I could be wrong about this but I think the Ninja Gaiden and Dead Or Alive franchises were created by Itagaki, at the very least it is common courtesy to ask for his permission to do somthing with these franchises.

[Nidarrock]

Even though I'm not the biggest fan, I definatly have to side with Itagaki on this one. If they made a contract it should damn well be honored, so I doubt it's soley about money.

In regards to re-re-releasing games, It's one thing when a game gets ported to another system(Bioshock for example), it is a bit overkill when it gets that version gets ported back onto the system it was released on... after it already had an" upgraded" version. Granted 360 doesn't have the first NG officially, but most 360 owners played it on Xbox, or downloaded NG: Black through XBL.

[Neith]

I'll stand up and say I've never played a Ninja Gaiden game. I briefly played DoA4, and thought it was pretty poor.

However, I believe what Itagaki has done is right- he was promised completion bonuses from Yasuda- which by the sounds of things will have been a legally binding contract. At the end of the day, Yasuda failed to deliver his end of the deal, so it's no wonder Itagaki is annoyed. He's put in the work as promised, and then been shut out of his extra money.

In regards to who Yasuda was targeting with the newer games, it's pretty obvious. You don't re-hash the same game over and over again unless you know people will be taken in enough to buy it. Some call it milking a franchise, I'd call it roping in the gullible fanboys.

To me, it just sounds like Itagaki had pride in his works, and that Yasuda is trying to milk the franchise putting quantity over quality. While the gullible will bend over and take whatever comes rolling out of the company, a lot of people would prefer a quality game. Itagaki was trying to deliver that, and not recieving his promised bonuses.

If I were him, I'd have done exactly the same.

[Saner]

oh please, Itagaki's original version of his Ninja Gaiden and Ninja Gaiden II project are
really poor in bonuses. if Saito was in charge, he would of added more extras to make
the games more worthwhile, not just basically costumes.

NG could of had Rachel, Ayane and Murai playable if they wanted to (well ya Murai isn't
a good guy but neither was Strider Hien in Strider 2, but he was still unlockable)

and NG2 could of had Joe Hayabusa, Momiji, Ayane, Hayate, and other ninjas playable
if they wanted to. that would of added extra flavor even to an action game. it doesn't
need to be a fighting game to have an excuse to add extra characters and styles!


but Itagaki doesn't understand that, he is so narrow minded in the way of "since it's Ryu's
story then only Ryu will be available and the only unlockables are his costumes."

Ninja Gaiden could of felt more rewarding with more playable characters, and mission mode,
but instead Itagaki chose to put some survival mode, and chose to sell Mission Mode later
as DLC.

and those upcoming DLC costumes for Ryu is an insult to the community. they expect
people to pay 60 bucks for so little extras on top of a game with no multiplayer, no
extra characters, and little options to play the game again besides difficulty and weapons.

Itagaki has much to learn but of course he only thinks of "his way", instead of what the fans
want. :p

[McLaughlin]

It's his fucking game. Who the hell is anyone else to try and tell him how HE wants HIS story told? Yasuda certainly has no right, especially when he just shut Itagaki out.

Jesus Christ Saner, open your fucking eyes and read what we're saying.

And I find hilarious (or I would if it weren't so pathetic) that you're bitching about the cost of DLC, but you're willing to shell out AS MUCH, IF NOT MORE for the same shit ON A DISC.

[Kent]

It's his fucking game. Who the hell is anyone else to try and tell him how HE wants HIS story told? Yasuda certainly has no right, especially when he just shut Itagaki out.


...The president of a company has every right to tell the Producer (and everyone else working at the company) what they're doing wrong, and can tell them to change how their story is told. That's one of the things that goes in the games industry.

For the most part, though, people are respectful of those who have proven themselves to make products that sell.

[Saner]

ya producers works under the President. no likely, then there's the door. :p

[Sekani]

I never liked Itagaki, he claims his DOA games are superior to Tekken.
Why bother creating a fighting game if you don't think it's the best thing out there? Crucify the guy for having an opinion, why don't you.

Not like it matters, Soul Calibur is the new hotness.

[McLaughlin]

...The president of a company has every right to tell the Producer (and everyone else working at the company) what they're doing wrong, and can tell them to change how their story is told. That's one of the things that goes in the games industry.

For the most part, though, people are respectful of those who have proven themselves to make products that sell.

I was speaking more from a moral(?) point of view. Just leave him to his own devices. It seems to work.

[Saner]

anyway its a good thing Itagaki left, now if there is a "Ninja Gaiden 2 White", it might be
something worth investing in instead of the hollow-featured NG2. :D

[ABDUR101]

ya producers works under the President. no likely, then there's the door. :p

Saner, if I had never saw you post before, I'd truely wonder if you were as dense as you come across; but I know thats not the case so I'll say this. You're willing to pay $60 for the same fucking game on a different console afew different times, but you'd complain about alittle bit of DLC at what, $2-$5 tops? Fuck, look at that one flight combat game for the 360, they release all kinds of re-skinned and slightly tweaked jets, and each jet is what, like 200ms points? People like you usually gobble that shit up, because oh mah gawd this plane has a different color scheme and ohmahgawd it has anime characters on it and it's so kawaii!11!

It's people like you that have finger-fucked the entire gaming industry, hapless doops who stumble onto the scene and get an erection at something simple and mundane, that the rest of us see as a mere gimmick, and yet you're all the more willing to shell cash out for all the rehashed garbage a company looking to chuck out for profit can do.

It's people like you that cause people like Itagaki to get fed up and say fuck the whole thing, because they want to release quality, original work; and people like you are what the bigger corps like EA have come to feed off of. They build hyped-ad machines up to bolster all of you fanboys into a corral, and like lambs to the slaughter you all pile in, bleeting happily even as they sheer you for your wool and then chuck you in a wagon for meat processing, still bleeting happily as they drive you down the road counting their money and grinning as they know they're going to get more once they hit the next stop; only to start the process over again.

Itagaki leaving Tecmo doesn't bother me, I prefer he goto a company that will allow him his creative freedoms, I don't care who he works for, as long as his work continues to have his level of quality. He made the right choice, if his work isn't going to get the quality he expects it to have, then why would I want a polished peice of shit? The funny part is, it's people like you Saner, who gladly get handed these polished turds and are all for it, and usually you're the first ones to turn on the person who made the original work that your polished turd was based on, because you don't appreciate the roots of where it came from, nor even realise that had it kept it's original level of quality, you'd be the one to benefit the most; the consumer.

In the end, oh well, keep buying your polished turds. Atleast Itagaki still has his integrity, and he sure as hell won't have any problem getting a publisher to sign him on. =]

[Saner]

you are sooooo IGNORANT about me. :lol:

I didn't even buy the hurricane packs and NGB when it came out, or the original NG,
I bought NGB this year and felt 20 bucks was a good deal for the extra stuff it had compared
to the original, which I played over someone's house.

And I don't even buy the XL and empires editions of Dynasty Warriors games. maybe a DW
every few sequels.

but anyways, don't pop a vein over what other people would buy again, even if it just looks
like a few extras. but of course the extras would have to be worthwhile to me. :D

[ABDUR101]

you are sooooo IGNORANT about me. :lol:

I didn't even buy the hurricane packs and NGB when it came out, or the original NG,
I bought NGB this year and felt 20 bucks was a good deal for the extra stuff it had compared
to the original, which I played over someone's house.

And I don't even buy the XL and empires editions of Dynasty Warriors games. maybe a DW
every few sequels.

but anyways, don't pop a vein over what other people would buy again, even if it just looks
like a few extras. but of course the extras would have to be worthwhile to me. :D


You're clueless about alot of things, and trust me I'm not popping any veins over it; I'm just hoping some of you people realise how you're actually hurting the industry with your over-fanboyish behavior.

However, you even said you'd have bought the re-hashed crap; had they released it, and you even felt that the price justified afew extra cutscenes.

Don't try and double-back on what you've already said, you already look stupid as it is, atleast stick by what you do best.

[Saner]

I bought the "rehash" because its better than the original. (Black)

I didnt buy Sigma because it's on another system.

but if Sigma came out this year, I would of bought that instead of Black.

if Sigma comes later, I might just wait for Ninja Gaiden 2 Black/Sigma and see what they
do with that. I'm not buying NG2 as it is now :p

[Eihwaz]

Well, I guess there might be a slight chance that Itagaki will team up with Suda 51 and make the greatest game ever made by mortal hands now! :wacko:

I approach people like Miyamoto, Suda 51, Kojima, and Itagaki as auteurs. Each has their own unique stamp that their games have, and generally produce pretty innovative stuff. I can totally sympathize with Itagaki; I'd be royally pissed off as well if the suits in charge kept rehashing my material with minimal changes. While I do like the occasional re-release of an older title with bonus features, especially if I haven't played them ever (Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition, Okami, and of course Ninja Gaiden: Black), constant ports and remakes just retread old ground. Just like with everything else, I tend to prefer games that are willing to try new things.

It's also incredibly presumptuous to act like Itagaki's in the wrong for following his own ideas instead of going with what the "fans" want. Given what most hardcore fanboys tend to be into, I have no interest in game designers bending over backwards in the name of fan service at the expense of other areas of the game.

Anyway, if I continue this post much longer, I'll just start sounding like Yahtzee Croshaw, so I'll quit while I'm ahead. :wacko:

[Sekani]

I bought the "rehash" because its better than the original. (Black)

I didnt buy Sigma because it's on another system.

but if Sigma came out this year, I would of bought that instead of Black.

if Sigma comes later, I might just wait for Ninja Gaiden 2 Black/Sigma and see what they
do with that. I'm not buying NG2 as it is now :p

Obviously an action game is defined by how well you can play dress-up.

[Darkly]

saner are you the kind of person who re-buys special edition dvd's too?

[Saner]

saner are you the kind of person who re-buys special edition dvd's too?

WAAAAA! everyone exaggerating my buying habits just cause I so happen to admit I
would of bought Sigma if it was ported to Xbox360.

I already gave examples of not buying the extra editions (XL and all that).

but there are very few exceptions that I would buy (Street Fighter HD Remix, Sigma, but
probably not Sigma now since a special edition of Ninja Gaiden 2 will most likely be made,
and depending on the extra content,

but if it's just the DLC costumes and mission mode, then screw that lol. :lol: )

[Kent]

Well, I guess there might be a slight chance that Itagaki will team up with Suda 51 and make the greatest game ever made by mortal hands now! :wacko:

...I think I just wet myself.

[Dragwind]

Well well, this comes as a shock to me, since I was unknowing of that problem. Let's hope he continues to put out some great titles, as I'm sure he will seeing as he should be pretty valuable right about now.

[Monochrome]

Congrats to Itagaki for stickin it to the man... Nothing is worse than trusting someone to live up to their word and then being crestfallen when they screw you for their gain. However *sigh* that's probably going to spell major doom for Tecmo in the long run. How many development teams do they have again? This will be Sonic Team without Naka... *snif* Ayane!!!

oh well

On the other hand.. DOAX2 was a gimmicky porno show (I mean, more so than the first one of course). DOA4 was good - but too arcadey (tripped by a cheetah, AND I lose health? um..)
btw I LOVE DOA. Ultimate DOA2 is my favorite fighting game. Say what you will. I own DOA2 Hardcore and Ultimate. If that makes me a fanboy idiot, then I'll take it.

SOME GAMES ARE WORTH OWNING TWICE. Some aren't. However, there needs to be a distinguishable difference between what is: -Itagaki perfecting his game- and: --blatant cash run--.

Unfortunately this is one of those sucky things where ultimately Mr. President Tecmo has the say because Tecmo owns the rights... But I think Itagaki will truly shine when he leaves established franchises behind and lets his perfectionist stroke run free. Suda and Itagaki? Sounds like a match made in hell. I'll bet they are the two most headstrong creative forces in gaming. You got one who thinks all his games are perfect, and the other who intentionally makes them messed up. I'd LOVE to see how this plays out.

I agree with the point though that it's pretty disrespectful to the original creator, rights-reserved or not, to yank out a high-profile game like NG and hand it over to "Jr. Development Team X" for a quick port. I guess it takes a savvy consumer to recognize the difference?

*cough Okami cover art with IGN logo on it cough*

[Xefi]

Maybe he'll start making different genres other than "ninja" now? It would be lovely if he acknowledge samurai and starts a new "Team Samurai" or something. :wacko:

I hope he doesn't decide to quit the gaming industry yet. For more of his gaming madness, let's pray that he be well and continue his journey to making more good games.

[amtalx]

Itagaki > $$$ Bitches

[Sord]

Frankly, I don't care to much for this guy's decision. I've played the DoA series, and some of the Ninja Gaiden, and I wouldn't call either art. For god sakes, his formula seems to be ninjas, fighting, blood, fan service, and pretty graphics. Even in the first DoA, the boob physics were nuts. It's like all the most generic stuff rolled into one big ball, with the only diffrence was his games probably played a big role in starting the whole thing before it became generic. I want to see DoA die, sure, I don't have to play it (and I don't) but I can't always stop the fanboys from shutting up about teh womenz or how it's the best 3D fighter ever (which imo would be the Soul Calibur series.) I find the story to be retarded (actually I find just about any fighting game as such, even SC is off to me.) And even if he doesn't like ports, there's already more than enough of the games as is to want to be making any more.

I suppose he has every right to have pride in his work, and I would congratulate him if it weren't for one little part. "Such unlawful acts as unreasonable and disingenuous statements made towards me." Oh, COME ON. He's one of the biggest fucking guys in the industy, most people I know wouldn't even be able to tell you who the hell the President of Tecmo is, they just know one thing: Itagaki. OMG, MY BOSS DOESN'T LIKE ME, BOO HOO I'M GONNA CHARGE FOR EMOTIONAL DAMAGES BECAUSE HE COMPLAINED ABOUT ME INFRONT OF MY DEVELOPMENT TEAM, DESPITE A MAJOR PORTION OF THE GAMING WORLD SEEMS TO LOVE ME. Bullshit.

I hope with this new title he's talking about he breaks away from the generic bull and makes something that's not OMG BOOBS AND GORE (horny preteens stare and gawk for hours.)

[AC9breaker]

Wouldn't it be awesome if Itagaki went to Sega. Imagine the wonders he'll do to the Shinobi series. Or motherfucking Fighting Vipers!

Anyway, this guy owns. I hope he wins.

[Kent]

Well, he certainly does love Virtua Fighter.

On the other hand, though... Sega's pretty much in a rut right about now, as far as new, creative, and unique games go. Sega of America is basically Activision with a blue logo, but fewer good studios.

[Eihwaz]

On the other hand, though... Sega's pretty much in a rut right about now, as far as new, creative, and unique games go. Sega of America is basically Activision with a blue logo, but fewer good studios.Oh, how hard did I LOL. :wacko:

[Sol_B4dguy]

Well, he certainly does love Virtua Fighter.

On the other hand, though... Sega's pretty much in a rut right about now, as far as new, creative, and unique games go. Sega of America is basically Activision with a blue logo, but fewer good studios.

This made my day.

Anyways, I never really cared for the Dead or Alive series all that much, but I always wanted to try Ninja Gaiden. Hopefully, he'll be able to work for a company that lets him do what he wants.

Or work with Suda 51. That would rock the world.

[Vitamin_D]

Score one for Itagaki man, I think Tecmo is going to regret having him gone. I think it's cool that Itagaki sort of became a "free agent". I'd love to see where he goes from here. I'm also in agreement that a Suda 51/Itagaki game would be INSANE haha. Here's to hoping a good company picks him up.

[Para]

AYANE!!!!!!!!!

;_;

One particular criticism I have for Itagaki is that... why didn't be atleast look at Sigma before it gets released instead of after it releases and call your own company's production crap? Oh wait... you're a Xbox 360 fanboy and you would never want to jeporadize Microsoft's relationship with you :rolls eyes:

Also Itagaki isn't the only person who puts in hard work into the Ninja Gaiden and DOA series games... Hey Itagaki ever heard of the word "team"? You know, the word that you use in "Team Ninja"? Sure, they aren't you but hell they tried at least.

I agree with him that he should be angry over the payment bonus disagreement though and that suing them is the proper action taken.

[Eihwaz]

One particular criticism I have for Itagaki is that... why didn't be atleast look at Sigma before it gets released instead of after it releases and call your own company's production crap? Oh wait... you're a Xbox 360 fanboy and you would never want to jeporadize Microsoft's relationship with you :rolls eyes:Given how Itagaki is rather headstrong, I would imagine that to him, the thought of working with people who he thought were merely rehashing his work needlessly on what he felt was an inferior system must've been infuriating.

It's like how Peter Jackson would've felt if they had Uwe Boll make a "Final Definitive Director's Cut" of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Would you want to be involved with something like that if you were Peter Jackson? :wacko:

[Kent]

One particular criticism I have for Itagaki is that... why didn't be atleast look at Sigma before it gets released instead of after it releases and call your own company's production crap? Oh wait... you're a Xbox 360 fanboy and you would never want to jeporadize Microsoft's relationship with you :rolls eyes:

...Because working exclusively with one platform, automatically makes you a fanboy. Kinda like owning only one system, right?

I hope, for your sake, that you don't honestly believe that to be true. That's just kinda sad.

He pretty much stated a while back that he likes the platform and finds it all nice and dandy to work with (how many have said that about, say, the PS3? Developmental preferences have nothing to do with fanboyism here)... So he made his games for it.

This happens all the time in the US, with companies that don't Zerg their crap to seven different platforms at once. They pick a feasible platform, one they like, one that fits their demographic best, and one that they don't have to bend over backwards to work with... And they make their game for it.

Do you know why he didn't have anything to do with Sigma? It's because it was handled by a different team - not his. On a corporate level, he had basically nothing to do with the Sigma version, so therefore, he basically wasn't allowed to interfere, since he had his own projects to work on.

Besides, he's completely free to have his own opinion on things other people do... Especially if they take something he had a hand in originally, and do whatever they feel like with it. I know that if someone took a game I had worked hard on and toiled over, and changed it around a bunch, I'd make my opinion on their take of the product well-known to them.

[Para]

...Because working exclusively with one platform, automatically makes you a fanboy. Kinda like owning only one system, right?

I hope, for your sake, that you don't honestly believe that to be true. That's just kinda sad.

He pretty much stated a while back that he likes the platform and finds it all nice and dandy to work with (how many have said that about, say, the PS3? Developmental preferences have nothing to do with fanboyism here)... So he made his games for it.

This happens all the time in the US, with companies that don't Zerg their crap to seven different platforms at once. They pick a feasible platform, one they like, one that fits their demographic best, and one that they don't have to bend over backwards to work with... And they make their game for it.

Do you know why he didn't have anything to do with Sigma? It's because it was handled by a different team - not his. On a corporate level, he had basically nothing to do with the Sigma version, so therefore, he basically wasn't allowed to interfere, since he had his own projects to work on.

Besides, he's completely free to have his own opinion on things other people do... Especially if they take something he had a hand in originally, and do whatever they feel like with it. I know that if someone took a game I had worked hard on and toiled over, and changed it around a bunch, I'd make my opinion on their take of the product well-known to them.
And if you read a lot of Itagaki's interviews, he does praise the 360 more than often enough. The guy is outspoken and I wouldn't be surprised if he stayed away from Sigma just because it was on the PS3. I wouldn't understand why they (Tecmo) wouldn't let Itagaki intervene or atleast review the damned game to ensure quality control prior to release to generate revenue. Shiggy and Nintendo do it (good example would be Metroid Prime). Don't see why Tecmo can't do it so its not an excuse just because he's "working on something else" when Ninja Gaiden is one of his signature works.

[Eihwaz]

The plot thickens! (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3168238)

It would seem that Itagaki's rebellion has inspired his former coworkers to stand up for themselves as well.

[SubstanceD]

The plot thickens! (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3168238)

It would seem that Itagaki's rebellion has inspired his former coworkers to stand up for themselves as well.

I did not see that coming although I probably should have. That's loyalty for you, Team Ninja employees are jumping ship with thier team leader Itagaki. The article also implies that the rest of Team Ninja were also promised bonuses and not paid by Tecmo. I wonder how Yasuda is going to cope with all the controvery and all the lawsuits.

[Eihwaz]

I would say that this adds a lot of legitimacy to Itagaki's claims, given how if that article is true, then Tecmo fucked over a lot more people than just Itagaki.

The chances of Grasshopper Manufacture and Team Ninja becoming one has just taken a big hike. :wacko: