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Tecmo Koei CEO quits, Koei founder steps up
If there's anyone who knows about manipulating the balance of power, it's Kou Shibusawa, who created Koei's classic war games Nobunaga's Ambition and Romance of the Three Kingdoms -- and, in fact, created Koei in 1978, in partnership with his wife. It turns out Shibusawa (real name Yoichi Erikawa) didn't need that tactical expertise to achieve the CEO position at Tecmo Koei Holdings, because he just inherited it when current CEO Kenji Matsubara left the company. According to Andriasang, Matsubara cited "personal reasons" for his departure, announced during a board meeting. Matsubara's exit coincides with the release of Tecmo Koei's earnings for the period from April 1 through September 30. The company made 11.069 billion yen in sales ($136.48 million), 27.5% lower than last year. The report noted successful releases for Metroid: Other M and Quantum Theory, and that losses were due in part to the delay of Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll, and to investments for titles coming out in the next quarter -- which includes last week's Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage.
Ni-Oh returns as Team Ninja collaboration
Buried beneath all the Ninja Gaiden 3 hoopla, GamePro reports Team Ninja today revealed a collaboration with developer Kou Shibusawa on a "samurai action" game. The cause is noble indeed, as it would seem Team Ninja will help finish Ni-Oh -- a sort of "Duke Nukem Forever" project that's been simmering on Tecmo Koei's back burner for years. First teased at TGS 2006, Ni-Oh has undergone a long, sheltered development, earning a brief mention in an April 2009 issue of Famitsu -- and nary a word since. Team Ninja did not confirm whether the game will remain exclusive to PS3 and wisely made no guarantees on a release date. [Wikipedia says: Ni-Oh was original conceived as a multimedia project that would include a film based on a lost Kurosawa script. The movie was eventually canned.]
