Ninja Gaiden 2 Interview, Itagaki on "real violence"

In a relatively short interview with a relatively mainstream news outlet, the head of Team Ninja, Tomonobu Itagaki, gave the UK a bit of an insight into his mind and views. The interview is interspersed through a news post in which the writer discusses Ninja Gaiden 2 in the context of the UK game market (where Manhunt 2 was banned) and the world as a whole. Itagaki is his usual self, providing varying levels of interesting and puzzling. Though maybe it's in the translation, it's hard to mistranslate a guy getting up and pulling out his samurai sword right in front of you. This was in response to the interviewers questioning him on the violence in his game, about which he offered his opinions, namely that violence is not about just dismemberment.

Violence in his mind has more to do with the Japanese traditon of putting your enemy to shame. Removing his ability to fight, then watching as he commits suicide out of disgrace. "That's what I consider to be real violence," says Itagaki, according to him,"It's not about lopping off limbs. It is about the relationship between you and your opponent. In order to inflict these dishonouring wounds you would really have to hate your opponent and this is not what this game or this character is about." Itagaki has more than just to say in the interview so get outta here and go read it!