By Tiberius Jonez
Team Ninja head and the creator of acclaimed fighting series Dead or Alive, Tomonobu Itagaki has announced his resignation from Tecmo as well as his intent to sue the company. The news comes just as his latest game, Ninja Gaiden 2 is about to be released to U.S. retailers.
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."
Itagaki gained some notoriety as the graphics programmer on Tecmo Super Bowl for the SNES in 1993. He later gained fame as the creator of Dead or Alive, the critically acclaimed fighting series which was eventually secured as an exclusive by Microsoft for the release of Dead or Alive 3 on the original Xbox. Dead or Alive 4 was also a Microsoft exclusive for the Xbox 360.
In his statement, Itagaki confirmed that he will have no involvement in future Dead or Alive or Ninja Gaiden games. This news has to be concerning for both gamers and Tecmo as it is unknown what affect his departure will have on either franchise.
Team Ninja head and the creator of acclaimed fighting series Dead or Alive, Tomonobu Itagaki has announced his resignation from Tecmo as well as his intent to sue the company. The news comes just as his latest game, Ninja Gaiden 2 is about to be released to U.S. retailers.
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."
Itagaki gained some notoriety as the graphics programmer on Tecmo Super Bowl for the SNES in 1993. He later gained fame as the creator of Dead or Alive, the critically acclaimed fighting series which was eventually secured as an exclusive by Microsoft for the release of Dead or Alive 3 on the original Xbox. Dead or Alive 4 was also a Microsoft exclusive for the Xbox 360.
In his statement, Itagaki confirmed that he will have no involvement in future Dead or Alive or Ninja Gaiden games. This news has to be concerning for both gamers and Tecmo as it is unknown what affect his departure will have on either franchise.
