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Breaking: Ninja Gaiden's Itagaki says 'Sayonara Tecmo, see you in court'
Team Ninja head and creator of the landmark Dead or Alive fighting game series, Tomonobu Itagaki, has issued a statement announcing his resignation from long-time employer Tecmo. This news, first reported by 1UP, comes just as his latest creation, the Xbox 360 exclusive Ninja Gaiden 2, is due to hit US shelves.In addition to resigning his position at the company – where he had a seat on the board of directors – Itagaki has announced his intention to sue Tecmo president Yoshimi Yasuda for 148 million yen (US$1.5m) in damages. Among the grievances listed in the statement are Yasuda's unwillingness to pay him bonuses promised for work on titles including Dead or Alive 4, and allegations that Yasuda "made demeaning remarks" about him to other Tecmo employees, which resulted in "significant emotional distress" and "worsening [of his] personal relationships and work environment."
2008 Yearbook: Microsoft Game Studios
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/xbox/2008_Yearbook_Microsoft_Game_Studios'; After a solid year for the Xbox 360 in 2007 many thought the system could never showcase the same amount of quality exclusives in a single year.In the 2008 Microsoft Game Studios Yearbook, we've compiled a list of this year's graduating class with a detailed account of each title's current status and the stories surrounding them.From heartbreaking cancellations, surprise feature announcements and expected sequels, the 2008 MGS Yearbook is filled with fun facts and information on your soon-to-be favorite titles. Also included in the yearbook are special joke awards given to each title that releases in 2008 that poke fun at the details most commonly argued about in the comments.From Ninja Gaiden II to Alan Wake, the 2008 Microsoft Game Studios Yearbook will have something for everyone.Ladies and gentlemen allow us to introduce the 2008 Microsoft Game Studios graduating class ...
Itagaki says Ninja Gaiden Sigma was 'no good'
Itagaki can be such a meanie. Ninja Gaiden Sigma, a PS3 enhanced port of the original Xbox Ninja Gaiden, met critical acclaim when it launched on Sony's console. It wasn't a brand new game, but it certainly was an excellent one. Not so, says Ninja Gaiden creator Tomonobu Itagaki. In a CVG interview, he flatly says that the game was "no good." He added: "Despite the fact that it's on a 'next-generation' console there's no evolution whatsoever. That was made not by me, but one of my sub-ordinates who basically tried to copy the success of Ninja Gaiden."Ouch. Imitation doesn't equate to flattery, does it? Sigma's director, Yosuke Hayashi, went on record many times about the power of the PS3, and promised more titles for Sony's system. Hayashi noted that "I have heard much criticism of the PS3, but I am confident that Ninja Gaiden Sigma will demonstrate how powerful the PS3 really is." However, will Hayashi ever get a chance to work on PS3 again?This "subordinate" is getting backhandedly slapped, with the notion of a PS3 port of 360-exclusive Ninja Gaiden II being thrown out of the window. It would "be a loss of face for everyone involved," noted Itagaki.[Via Joystiq]
Itagaki: Ninja Gaiden Sigma is 'no good'
We thought Ninja Gaiden Sigma was pretty good. You know, nothing revolutionary, but at least worth a spin for PS3 owners, especially those who hadn't played through Ninja Gaiden. But we've just received word (via CVG) from Ninja Gaiden I and II developer Tomonobu Itagaki that we're wrong, wrong, totally wrong.When asked about the game, Itagaki said simply, "It was no good." Apparently not into the whole brevity thing, CVG continued the line of questioning, prompting Itagaki to add, "Despite the fact that it's on a 'next-generation' console there's no evolution whatsoever. That was made not by me, but one of my sub-ordinates who basically tried to copy the success of Ninja Gaiden." You think that's pretty rough, right? Well get this: That guy was sitting next to him. And he was making Itagaki a fancy birthday cake. No, that stuff isn't true. But it's still fairly icy.Oh, and he dropped a preemptive burn, saying that a PS3 port of Ninja Gaiden II "would be a loss of face for everyone involved." ... So, yeah. Remind us not to cut him off in traffic.
Itagaki on Ninja Gaiden II dismemberment, difficulty and DLC
After spending about 30 minutes with a final build (awaiting certification) of Ninja Gaiden II at the Xbox 360 Spring Showcase, we had a chance to sit down with designer Tomonobu Itakagi, along with a handful of other game journalists. Staring out at us through dark shades, as an assistant translated his responses, the Team Ninja front man spoke on the "Deadly Ds," as we like to call them: dismemberment, difficulty (as in, tweaking the design philosophy to make us feel less like wusses for playing on easy) and Down-Loadable Costumes. Actually, there was another "D" addressed here too -- the one that ends with "-rinking on the job," or rather, the lack thereof. Yes, this was a new, sobered Itagaki, folks. Hard to believe given the swirl of emotions surrounding the realization that this could be his last *gasp* Ninja Gaiden.Joystiq: We noticed the name of the casual mode in Ninja Gaiden II is "Path of the Acolyte" and not "Ninja Dog." Are you trying to remove the stigma of playing on the easy setting?
GDC08: Ninja Gaiden II demon-stration
We nearly missed the Gears of War 2 announcement at the end of Microsoft's GDC keynote because of this surprise Ninja Gaiden II demonstration. By the time it finished, we had completely lost consciousness due to an increasingly violent series of glee seizures -- or gleezures. If you plan on watching the direct-feed footage of Team Ninja's forthcoming kill-em-up, we'd advise you to sit well away from coworkers and small children should your delight suddenly begin manifesting in wild arm flailing and uncontrollable pelvic thrusts. Protip: We find that thinking about the awful June 2008 release date has an immediate calming effect. %Gallery-16541%
Interview with Ninja Gaiden lead Tomonubu Itagaki
With Ninja Gaiden 2 being the next big action game on the horizon, its media is now flowing a little more freely. This interview with the series creator and Team Ninja lead Tomonobu Itagaki covers all the basics of the new entry in the series, and he even finds time to talk a bit about the games difficulty levels. Itagaki touches on everything from design objectives and bringing in new players, to the fact that the AI will be changing its behavior and patterns depending on its specific injuries. He also makes a slightly intriguing comment regarding environmental effects of the player's actions, then amends it by saying "in this case the enemies". Whether or not this means we will see more player interactivity with the environment will remain to be seen, but with were-wolves and an interesting Achievement strategy, this game just can't get here soon enough.
Itagaki talks up Ninja Gaiden
It's no secret that we totally love Tomonobu Itagaki. It's a kind of love that few can experience in their life, as it drives you to do things you otherwise wouldn't do. Like, get a restraining order filed against you. It's okay, though. In Itagaki we trust. It's also no secret that Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword is going to be one of the year's most highly-anticipated games on the console. In fact, Itagaki commented that he's been approached with many offers to use his game engine. This could mean more DS games utilizing his innovative stylus-driven control scheme down the line. And, if you needed another reason to pick the game up, listen to Itagaki. He says if you "consider yourself a true gamer, you owe it to yourself to play this game. If you don't, you'll be missing one of the breakthrough experiences in video gaming. This is an incredibly innovative piece of software." We're sold. If you're not, maybe you should download the demo? %Gallery-4937%
X3F TV: X3F Vs. Tomonobu Itagaki
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, squirrels and hamsters, Xbox 360 Fanboy is pleased to announce the first edition of X3F TV. Readers may recall the video interview with Tomonobu Itagaki we featured a couple weeks ago. Our friends at Gamerscore Blog were kind enough to ask Itagaki-san a question about Ninja Gaiden II for us, and they even provided us with video of the event. We slapped our name on the front and uploaded it for all to see. And now, we're super excited to let you know that those who subscribe to our podcast will find a miniaturized version of the video available for your iPod, Zune, or any media player with MP4 playback. You'll find it listed right after episode 50 of the Xbox 360 Fancast.We're hoping to make this a more regular feature as time goes on, so keep your eyes peeled for the next installment of X3F TV.
Buy Ninja Gaiden and we'll make you a sequel, hints Itagaki
Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword sure looks purdy, but even that isn't enough to make Team Ninja head Tomonobu Itagaki look even remotely cheerful. The unsmiling, leather-clad one sat down with Gamespot's Ricardo Torres to natter some more about Dragon Sword, and casually spoke about making a sequel to the title. We'd be all over that, obviously, though Itagaki did mention that he'd like people to, y'know, actually buy the first game before any follow-up is rubber-stamped.Talk of a sequel pops up at around the 4:20 mark, though the entire interview is worth a watch for the gameplay footage, some of which is as new to us as basic expressions of happiness are to Itagaki.%Gallery-4937%[Via Nintendic]
Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword unsheathed on March 25
Nintendo's latest release schedule has cut through the fog of ambiguity and pinned the arrival of Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword to the pleasingly specific date of March 25th. We only had "March 2008" to go on before and have thus avoided wasting 24 days of the month scouring shelves and phoning overly smug store clerks. Though Tecmo has told us that the shipping date may change if the final code isn't approved in time, it's the one they're currently targeting like... whatever ham-fisted Ninja metaphor we could work into this sentence. For more information on Ryu Hayabusa's DS debut, check out our hands-on with the game and interview with Team Ninja's Tomonobu Itagaki.
X3F talks difficulty concerns with Ninja Gaiden II's Itagaki
Gamerscore Blog recently afforded our buddies over at X3F the opportunity to ask Team Ninja's Tomonobu Itagaki one question about the upcoming Ninja Gaiden II on the 360. They chose to ask about the sequel's adjustments to the original's infamous difficulty, specifically the addition of a automatically-regenerating health system, seemingly added to widen the game's appeal to less-hardcore players. Not to disappoint the fans, Itagaki coolly (oh so coolly) explains that the health regenerating system was added to keep players immersed in the game, rather than having to constantly access the game's menus to use potions. Of course, Itagaki assures the hardcore audience that the game will still appeal to their masochistic sides, but that they hope to increase the audience in the sequel with more adjustability in the difficulty levels. Good news for everyone?
X3F vs. Tomonobu Itagaki: Ninja Gaiden II difficulty concerns
Gamerscore Blog recently extended us the offer to ask Tomonobu Itagaki, the outspoken head of Team Ninja, one question about Ninja Gaiden II. We thought long and hard about the question, and this is what we came up with: some changes have been made to Ninja Gaiden II to make it more accessible to the gaming community at large, most notably the regenerating health system. What do you say to gamers who are worried that Ninja Gaiden II will be less challenging as a result? You may behold the detailed answer to that question (in video form) after the break.
New Ninja Gaiden 2 footage scores A-, B+ and O+
An utterly gratuitous explosion of mangled limbs is just what you need to snap out of that slow, pre-Christmas Friday afternoon. It certainly worked for us, as the above gameplay footage of Xbox 360 kill-em-up, Ninja Gaiden 2, woke us from our keyboard slumber just long enough for a visit to our violent word thesaurus. Decapitate, eviscerate, disembowel, shave, slash, amputate, behead, cleave, sever, lacerate, perforate and abbreviate -- all apply. It seems our language will have to become quite offensive if it's to adequately describe the game before its 2008 release.
Sexual harassment charges against Itagaki dismissed
And so the scalding sake saga comes to an end, with the sexual harassment charges against Team Ninja's Tomonobu Itagaki having been dismissed in the Tokyo District Court. The outspoken game designer was accused last year of behaving inappropriately in the presence of a former female Tecmo employee, allegedly displaying his fondness a bit too forcibly for her liking. With the suit settled and the charges vanquished, Itagaki has been declared an innocent man. "I have held my head high and have fought the good fight for the past year in order to clear my name and to uphold the reputations of Team NINJA and of Tecmo," Itagaki told 1UP. "The former employee's arguments were judged to have been false, and all claims that she has brought against me have been dismissed." We expect he'll be celebrating the occasion by lopping off limbs and hoping this courtroom business remains nothing more than a mammary.
Say it with Itagaki now: Ninja GUY-DEN
In their continuing series on correct pronunciation -- hopefully, you still remember how to say Fils-Aime -- MTV's Multiplayer blog has posted a brief recording with Ninja Gaiden creator Tomonobu Itagaki. In the video posted above, you'll learn how to correctly pronounce Ninja Gaiden (of course, we always said it right, Itagaki-san), Helena, and Itagaki's name itself. While we appreciate the public service announcement, we think Itagaki's time might be better spent doing some Ninja Gaiden anger management counseling. Game be frustrating, yo.[Via Joystiq. Thanks, NitroFrost]
Are you saying 'Ninja Gaiden' correctly?
Today's new pronunciation video from MTV Multiplayer is a threefer, with Team Ninja's Tomonobu Itagaki explaining (in Japanese no less) how you pronounce his name, "Ninja Gaiden" and "Helena" from Dead or Alive 4. What's wonderful is that these are all phrases that you could have the chance to use in your everyday life, such as "2008's game of the year award goes to Ninja Gaiden 2," or "Come on up and get your award Tomonobu Itagaki!" or "Excuse me, Helena, but your breasts are obscuring my view of the acceptance speech."
New details on Ninja Gaiden 2's violent tendencies
The latest issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly has a few new details (via Gamers Creed) on the upcoming Xbox 360 bloodbath Ninja Gaiden 2. Developer Team Ninja has added plenty of incentive for dismemberment, as removed limbs will stay on screen (we can only hope this inspires a rather grotesque Katamari Damacy cross-over game). Additionally, there will be "obliteration techniques" that the player can activate by pressing Y after removing a limb. The details are unknown except that the camera zooms in, but we can only assume that entails protagonist Ryu totally flipping out and killing people in some stylish fashion. The techniques vary based on what weapon you're using and what body part you just removed. Some of the stages are modeled after -- and possibly named after -- real world locations, including Tokyo, Times Square and Venice. (The Statue of Liberty was previously spotted in the TGS demo.) Expect cooperative attacks from enemies and unfortunately (but unsurprisingly) no multiplayer in the final game. Ninja Gaiden 2, being published by Microsoft, is due out Spring 2008. [Via X3F]
TGS hands-on: Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword
Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword makes for quite the unusual spun-off spokesperson for Team Ninja's flip-out-and-kill-people sim. It exuberantly gushes about frenetic action and superhuman agility, but when you aren't looking, it lounges about in the kitchen sipping herbal tea and playing Sudoku. It's simultaneously an excellent and poor example of what Ninja Gaiden stands for, a strange mixture brought about by placing a decidedly hard-edged experience on a system widely known for its casual lures. For the most part, it seems to work surprisingly well. Constructing a fast-paced action game entirely upon stylus strokes might lead you to think that victory hinges on furiously scratching your screen, but Dragon Sword's inputs are distinct and responsive enough to render battle a calm and intuitive affair. Well, as calm as you can be when being assailed by clawed freaks, disgruntled dragons and, in one instance, a steady stream of menacing boulders.
Itagaki shows off Ninja Gaiden II aqua city level
Leaked screenshots are one thing, but to truly experience the power of a ninja you need to see him in action. Fortunately, GameTrailers has footage from Tomonobu Itagaki's live demo of Ninja Gaiden II at Microsoft's pre-Tokyo Game Show press conference. Itagaki says the "world's best action game" is "pretty far in development," as evidenced by the eight stages available on the demo's stage select screen (including one that intriguingly shows the Statue of Liberty). Only one level gets played in the live demo, though -- a Venice-style aqua city. Our favorite ninja is shown using a scythe-like sword, a pair of longswords and a set Wolverine-style claws against ninjas, military types and some green-blooded dragons. The action will be familiar to anyone who has played a modern Ninja Gaiden game, with plenty of bloody severed enemies and dramatic zooms for particularly vicious kills. Unfortunately, the demo ends just before a battle with the towering red-eyed spider-beast shown above. Here's hoping we'll get some hands on time with the game when the Tokyo Game Show starts this Thursday. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
