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Devil's Third heading to 'digital devices' as well as consoles and PC
Tomonobu Itagaki's Valhalla Game Studios is developing Devil's Third for more than just "home consoles and PC," says Valhalla CEO Satoshi Kanematsu. The studio is also crafting the game for "a wide range of digital devices," as Kanematsu explains in a letter posted to the studio's site.What are "digital devices," pray tell? That's a good question – perhaps handhelds like the Vita and 3DS, perhaps mobile devices – we're not sure just yet. But Kanematsu doesn't stop there. "We are also looking beyond the boundaries of video games and plan to work with other various forms of media, including manga, novels, animation and film, to create a blockbuster franchise," he says. Sounds like ex-THQ buddy Danny Bilson and his "transmedia" message may've rubbed off on Valhalla.Devil's Third is a horror title being produced by Valhalla Games independently, having recently broken away from publisher THQ and retained the rights to the IP.
'Valhalla Game Studios' headed up by Tomonobu Itagaki
Tomonobu Itagaki has revealed, if not his new game, the place where he'll be making his new game: Valhalla Game Studios. In a Famitsu interview (translated by 1UP), the Dead or Alive creator announced that he is in charge of the development department for the new studio, created by Tecmo alum Satoshi Kanematsu. The studio is staffed by about 50 people, a number Itagaki told Famitsu was intentional. "That may expand a bit, but it's not going to be a 100-person company," he said. "50 people working for two years can produce something better than 100 people working for one year. 100 times 1 and 50 times 2 may produce the same number, but not in creative businesses like this one." Larger, public companies, he said, "have to prove their worth to the stock market on a year-by-year basis, and that means they can't focus all-out on quality." Whatever Itagaki's new game is, it won't be a fighter. For one thing, "I already made Dead or Alive, the best fighting game in the world, in my last company." Besides, he said, "Fighting games are kind of at another dead end right now" without another DOA-type disruption.
