Famed Game Designer Itagaki, Quits Tecmo, Then Sues

By Joe Haygood | June 3, 2008

Tomonobu Itagaki, the famed designer behind the Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden series, has quit Tecmo, mere days before Ninja Gaiden II is to be released.  It seems that Itagaki had an agreeement made before Dead or Alive 4 came out that specified he would be paid a completion bonus, to make sure the game came out on time for the Xbox 360.  He states that at the end of the development cycle, and after the game was released, the bonus pay was pulled off the table.  The bonus pay was in the amount of 148 million yen, or approximately $1.4 million dollars.

In a statement, Itagaki laments the fact that he will not be able to bring gamers the Dead or Alive 5 game that they want, or another Ninja Gaiden, “I truly feel sorry to all the fans of the games I have made. Ninja Gaiden II, 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.”

Itagaki has always been a larger than life type of developer, that has had to deal with a lot of criticism in the past, notably for his sexually charged portrail of women in his games, along with multiple alleged incidents of sexual harrassment.  Through it all, he has made several high selling titles for Tecmo, including both Ninja Gaiden games, Dead or Alive 4 and the DOAX games.  Itagaki’s last day at Tecmo will be July 1st, 2008.