News
Tomonobu Itagaki Splits With Tecmo
June 03, 2008
Tomonobu Itagaki, the head of Team Ninja and Gene Simmons’ Japanese doppleganger, has walked out on Tecmo but not before slapping the publisher with a lawsuit seeking damages for unpaid bonus compensation. Itatagaki goes so far as to call out the president of Tecmo, Yoshimi Yasuda, “for such unlawful acts as unreasonable and disingenuous statements made towards me.” The departure from Tecmo will take the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive series out of Itaagaki’s hands. It marks a passing of an era as far as games are concerned. And, considering Itagaki’s obvious love for bouncing digital cans, it also marks the second blow against computer-generated breasts this morning.
Below is part of Itagaki’s formal statement:
To All Game Fans,
I truly feel sorry to all the fans of the games I have made. NINJA GAIDEN 2, which will launch on the 3rd of June will be the last NINJA GAIDEN I will create. I will also never be able to make DEAD OR ALIVE 5. I regret the circumstances that have forced me to leave Tecmo, where I had worked for so many years, and I regret the disappointment this will cause my fans.However, I can no longer continue to work with President Yoshimi Yasuda, a man who chooses not to honor promises even when he is able to do so.
I truly hope that nothing like this happens again in the future.
Tecmo Co., Ltd. Creative Officer
Leader, Team NINJATomonobu Itagaki”
[1UP]
