Itagaki Resigns from Tecmo

Mai Valentine

Mai Valentine

Moderator
Source: IGN 360

June 2, 2008 - If you're going to leave a company, be sure to slam the door on your way out. Tomonobu Itagaki, the man behind Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive, announced in a formal statement that he has resigned from his role Tecmo.

Stating that Tecmo failed to pay him bonuses owed for Dead or Alive 4, Itagaki leaves with a strong public letter, which you can read below. Itagaki's future is unknown.

Statement

I, Tomonobu Itagaki, hereby announce that on the 14th of May 2008 I filed a complaint in the Tokyo District Court against Tecmo Co., Ltd. for unpaid completion bonuses, and against the President of Tecmo, Yoshimi Yasuda, for such unlawful acts as unreasonable and disingenuous statements made towards me, claiming damages in total of 148 million yen. I also announce that this complaint was delivered to the defendants on May 22nd of the same year.

In addition, I hereby announce that I have today submitted a letter of resignation to Tecmo Co., Ltd. stating that I will resign as of the 1st of July, 2008.

Before the start of development on DEAD OR ALIVE 4, Tecmo Co., Ltd. had agreed to pay a completion bonus to me for this Xbox 360 title, which I produced. However, when the time came for the actual payment, Tecmo Co., Ltd. went against its previous agreement and refused payment. President Yoshimi Yasuda chose not only to violate this agreement, but also turned defiant, telling me "if you are dissatisfied with the decision not to pay the bonuses, either quit the company or sue it." In addition, he made demeaning remarks about me to my subordinates and colleagues, causing me significant emotional distress and worsening my personal relationships and work environment. Thus, I have no choice but to resign from Tecmo Co., Ltd.

The conduct of Tecmo Co., Ltd. and its president Yoshimi Yasuda towards me has been unbefitting of a publicly-listed company.

I have filed this lawsuit with a strong intent to question the social responsibility of Tecmo Co., Ltd. and its President Yoshimi Yasuda, as well as condemning them for their unjust acts. Today, in addition to announcing the reasons for this lawsuit, I make clear my reasons for resigning.

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 NINJA

Tomonobu Itagaki
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I mourn the loss of DoA5 most. :(
 
*cries* NO MORE HOT GIRLS *cries* no more rachel *cries and cries* no more awesome looking ninja gaiden games *cries and cries*
 
Ouch, the biggest perv in Video Game history declines over a grave matter. (Perv, if you guys remember the sexual harassment lawsuit he recieved not too long ago)
 
see this is what i truly completely hate.... when franchises die this way, even if a franchise has a bad sequel, take twilight princess for example (tough i liked it but i'm just making an example) they can always recover in the next one (wich they did with phantom hourglass) but if the series is no more, then something like this will never happen, we will never see this game's universe again, and in my opinion that is sad.
 
Tecmo's probably going to feel the aftershock within a matter of years, unless they have something else up their sleeves.

Seriously, this would be like Capcom losing the guys that make Street Fighter and Mega Man.
 
Zidart said:
*cries* NO MORE HOT GIRLS *cries* no more rachel *cries and cries* no more awesome looking ninja gaiden games *cries and cries*
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man... you gotta get out more :lol

If this is true... I applaud him for leaving. I say Join Nintendo and let Ninja Gaiden live on... and other stuff! :lol
yeah I know, you don't need to respond to my comments. :D

I have yet to understand the appeal of dead or alive... besides the bounce. really... I don't see it.

†B†V† :hat
 
fhqwhgads said:
Ninja Gaiden DS was pretty sweet...
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Looked sweet... but I never got to play it. I think we should make a Ninja Gaiden topic in the DS section... I am curious as to what people have to say about the game.


†B†V† :hat
 
fhqwhgads said:
Who's saying DoA5 won't exist? Oh yeah, no one...
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I just don't think it would be the same without its creator behind it. He probably never shared his vision of what the storyline for DoA5 should be with anyone else, since it's likely they never started on it. It's not just the fighting of DoA that I enjoy; I was also really curious as to what happens to the characters.
 
If DOA5 does happen, it would probably feel like what happened to Call of Duty 3. So I would assume it would be the black sheep of the series.
 
fhqwhgads said:
Who's saying DoA5 won't exist? Oh yeah, no one...
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It's the same story for whatever is in Super Smash Brother's future. Sakurai said he won't work on anymore SSB games, though I suppose that depends on his integrity and the size of the paycheck Nintendo promises. Even so, if he doesn't work on it, it won't be the same.
 
MegaDrive20XX said:
If DOA5 does happen, it would probably feel like what happened to Call of Duty 3. So I would assume it would be the black sheep of the series.
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And Call of Duty 5. >_>
Nova said:
It's the same story for whatever is in Super Smash Brother's future. Sakurai said he won't work on anymore SSB games, though I suppose that depends on his integrity and the size of the paycheck Nintendo promises. Even so, if he doesn't work on it, it won't be the same.
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Congratulations, he also said that after Melee. And 64 was supposed to be a Japan-only one-off game.
 
fhqwhgads said:
Congratulations, he also said that after Melee. And 64 was supposed to be a Japan-only one-off game.
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Only because they begged and grovelled for him to do another. They had originally planned to just take Melee and give it online functionality. But since you didn't care to read my whole post, I'll repeat it again:

though I suppose that depends on his integrity and the size of the paycheck Nintendo promises.
 
UPDATE: Tecmo responds to Itagaki's resignation

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3168077

Team Ninja claims they are working on serveral projects, so DOA and NG are not dead...but we don't know how long it will be before the series is tapped into again.
 
I want Hitomi, and more DoA. With more Hitomi. I will continue to buy if the game is good, if Tecmo continues producing them with the rest of Team Ninja.
 
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