Shocker: Team Ninja to work on more Ninja Gaiden games

by Griffin McElroy { May 16th 2009 at 2:30PM }

For those of you curious whether a game development studio named Team Ninja would continue to create exclusively ninja-based games, you can now rest easy. In a recent interview with Kikizo, Team Ninja's (relatively) new Commander-in-Chief, Yosuke Hayashi, confirmed that Team Ninja would continue to work towards "the future of an outstanding series." Said series being, of course, Monster Rancher. Or, wait, no -- Ninja Gaiden. Yeah, that one.

Hayashi explained the demand for a Ninja Gaiden III had reached a fever pitch, claiming, "what the consumers, the gamers are looking for is going to be the next chapter," and, "that we're in a position of being able to make that call, and to provide pure entertainment that's going to be enjoyed by action gamers and our fans." Hopefully we'll find out more about the series' future when we sit down with Hayashi at E3 in two weeks (and some change).

Tags: ninja-gaiden, ninja-gaiden-3, team-ninja, tecmo, yosuke-hayashi

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

-Vexx- @ May 16th 2009 2:38PM

I AM SO FREAKING SURPRISED.

Cody @ May 16th 2009 5:34PM

I sense a reduex of when the RE creator left to join Clover, and the subsequent fate of Resident Evil 5.

Blank-Mage @ May 16th 2009 5:51PM

Wait, Are you the same Vexx I'm thinking about?

solarshadows074 @ May 16th 2009 7:19PM

and another shocker: nintendo will make more mario games.

The Dark Wayne @ May 16th 2009 2:39PM

ive had a strange urge to play Ninja Gaiden 2 lately, and I dont know why, because I hated it. I think maybe it's because of Wolverine and im jonesing for a more in depth combat system

Walkboss @ May 16th 2009 5:45PM

Cool story, bro.

Skip @ May 16th 2009 2:40PM

Despite the first game being one of my absolute favorites, actually Team Ninja is the so called "next chapter" is anything like Ninja Gaiden II I have pretty much no interest.

Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ May 16th 2009 7:27PM

See, now you're looking at this all wrong. Because if Team Ninja does make a Ninja Gaiden III, they now have something to prove whereas the last game was incomplete garbage shipped only to publically embarass Tecmo.

Studley @ May 16th 2009 2:44PM

Team Ninja are also developers of the DOA and DOAX series - so they're actually exclusively responsible for ninja-and-volleyball games.

MaliceMajorE15 @ May 16th 2009 2:54PM

volleyballing ninja chicks= visionaries,
we also cannot understate team ninja, groundbreaking work in breast physics either, the origina doa really laid the ground work that made the shennaigans in doa vollyball possible

captain underpants and the bringdown gang @ May 16th 2009 3:25PM

I'M SHOCKED NO ONE REMEMBERS NINJA BLADE! ...oh right it sucked thats why.

Kamizar @ May 16th 2009 4:16PM

Ninja Blade was produced by From Software.

Which sucks because they actually made a lot of good underrated games before that. Then they make a game that is horrible and it gets mass attention.

Bowser Rogozhin: Princess Nyah DF; Abigail Williams Slayer @ May 17th 2009 5:18AM

"From Software...they actually made a lot of good underrated games before that."

I heard Metal Wolf Chaos was a riot, but their entire back catalogue reads like a dissection of what's wrong with Japanese gaming companies today. Safety in mediocrity is all I see.

Kamizar @ May 17th 2009 10:16AM

Chromehounds was fun, as was Otogi 1 & 2.

Deuce @ May 17th 2009 1:32PM

I enjoyed the demo of Ninja Blade. It was nothing particularly special, and I wouldn't pay more than $20, but it seemed like it might make for a decent time. The method by which you dispatch the spider boss was highly entertaining, and entertainment is, ultimately, the entire point of any game.

kingalekz @ May 16th 2009 2:52PM

NO WAY
Didn't expect that to happen. I'm confused.

SecretAgentHam @ May 16th 2009 2:52PM

sent this in yesterday. yay.

anyways, NG2 didnt have the flare that the first had, but i have hopes for the Sigma release. and as for NG3, so long as it releases on both consoles and has the flare the first had with the depth the second had. i'm all in.

ExMcCloud @ May 16th 2009 3:40PM

I actually lost hope for the Sigma version when they said they said the gore was gone.....sigh....I'm still buying it though

SecretAgentHam @ May 16th 2009 3:45PM

i sure hope you heard wrong because NG with no gore is a crime. that game better earn its M rating or i'm going to stick with the 360 version....

who am i kidding, i'm buying it on the ps3 anyway.

*sigh*

why cant they just get it right?

ExMcCloud @ May 16th 2009 3:48PM

Well it'll still have the limbs being cut off and things like that but the biggest graphical enhancement which was the Blood flying everywhere is going to be absent...sigh

McWilly @ May 16th 2009 4:23PM

How can you show limbs flying but no blood?? I mean c'mon. Seriously now?

fred @ May 16th 2009 5:06PM

"How can you show limbs flying but no blood?? "

Lego Ninja Gaiden

mars @ May 16th 2009 3:08PM

how ironic, given the studio's name. you learn something new every day.

Dv8thwonder @ May 16th 2009 3:18PM

I wonder what Utagaki-san is up to these days...

sinai @ May 16th 2009 4:24PM

hanging out with hideo bojima, im sure

shadowhowl1900 @ May 16th 2009 6:45PM

highly doubt that sinai.
hideo loves Sony and Itagaki well hates sony. thats why u dont see DOA on playstation

Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ May 16th 2009 7:29PM

And joke completely lost. What would Shigeru Ninamoto say?

BUGz @ May 16th 2009 3:18PM

Shocker!

Bennyishere @ May 16th 2009 3:19PM

YES! I am need of more dismemberment, masculinity and bounciness.

LegendaryRedass @ May 16th 2009 3:39PM

Please patch 2's camera first. How is it possible for the camera to get worse in the sequel, and on a more advanced platform at that?

NG2 would be freaking perfect if they would do that one simple thing. Maybe its not that simple, I don't know. But it kills the flow of combat half of the time. Especially in the trials.

Hyams @ May 16th 2009 4:57PM

It's being fixed in the Sigma version, I believe, on the PS3.

LegendaryRedass @ May 16th 2009 9:13PM

Yeah, I know. I'll be procuring that item. I think I heard something about online co-op. It'll be interesting to see how that works.

ExMcCloud @ May 16th 2009 3:39PM

Well time 4 my favorite game series of all time to get RAPED....No Itagaki=FAIL

mgsrocks1 @ May 16th 2009 3:58PM

The opposite is true. Itagaki is arrogant, creepy, and the biggest idiot in Japan. The series needs a reboot for this generation instead of becoming like Dynasty Worriors. Why would you want an uninspired sequel? For $60 I expect more. I guess you don't...

ExMcCloud @ May 16th 2009 4:09PM

But we wouldn't even be talking about the game if it wasn't for itagaki....So for all his faults he made the BEST ACTION GAME I've ever played...And based on the teams work on Sigma I can tell nothing is guaranteed with them....When they prove to me they can make a good game without his help then I'll be right along there with you.

atrimus @ May 16th 2009 6:01PM

"When they prove to me they can make a good game without his help then I'll be right along there with you."

so, in your opinion they already equal FAIL without Itagaki, but they still have to prove they can make a good game w/o him? a Vulcan would wig-out at such logic. i personally am glad for the change in management. NGB was certainly praise-worthy, but NG2 was rather shallow; a laughable attempt at adding-gore in hopes it would overshadow all the game's short-commings. if the new team can do with Sigma 2 what they did with Sigma (minus all of Itagaki's narcissist anecdotes), then no more proof is needed in my book.

in the end GoW trumps the NG series anyway ;-)

Shmil @ May 16th 2009 6:10PM

Somethings get better when you take away the creator. Take Empire Strikes Back vs. The entire new trilogy.

ExMcCloud @ May 16th 2009 6:42PM

Sigma was decent but wasn't good enough over all for me to say they did a good job...If you have something done all ready and all u have to do is add to it IT SHOULD BE WAY BETTER...Period...Sigma took away the two hardest puzzles in the game....Added a TERRIBLE character in Rachel who was completely broken.....and made the graphics better...The never fixed one issue from NGB...Not one.....So how have they proved anything....Be serious.....I don't like Itagaki as a person but I'll be damned if you give the sigma guys credit for doing absolutely nothing...lmao...And GOW is a awesome game but lacks where NG excels and vice versa.

Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ May 16th 2009 7:36PM

I hate to say this but the ONLY game director who's all over every single aspect of their game is Hideo Kojima. Itagaki didn't make the game all by himself. He HAD a staff. A staff of which he never allowed to share the limelight or praise. A staff that he publicly embarassed on multiple occassions. Itagaki is definately a man standing on the shoulders of the people he decides to shit all over.

Sigma? Sigma was good. Sigma was balanced. Rachal wasn't but that wasn't even added to the main quest so this is like complaining about the lack of polish on deleted scenes in a DVD release. Team Ninja has, for the past 10+ years, been headed by a narcistic asshat who basically bashes the exact same franchises he's directly stealing from.

So what, Itagaki is gone. Most of his staff is not. And frankly, it's about time they get SOME attention instead of standing behind a man taking the credit and insulting his underlings. FUCK ITAGAKI!

ExMcCloud @ May 16th 2009 8:08PM

Rachels missions were added to the main story...U HAD to play her boring ass broken story.....But I do agree that Itagaki was an ass hole I'm not arguing that...BUT Itagaki gave that edge to Ninja Gaiden...He's the one who wanted it to be so insanely hard that average players couldnt touch it....AND he made Team Ninja who they are......He also held his employees accountable and demanded the best...If you dont like it QUIT....Which is something none of his guys did....They took the ridicule and put out the best action game ever IMO.....but without his leader ship Sigma felt a tad bit easier and they never focused on fixing the things WE the gamers wanted fixed...Nor did they try...lol.....

So we shall see how good that team is with this release or in all actuality NG3 when they don't have any of Itagaki's ideas to stand upon. That's all I'm saying.....Show and Prove

Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ May 17th 2009 12:17AM

Wait, it's a GOOD thing Ninja Gaiden was unapproachable by the average gamer? You know it's this kind of elitists "only hardcore allowed" attitude that keeps majority of your ilk from getting laid. I hate to dip into a stereotype born of ignorance but yeah. Let's look at something for a second. The rise and death of adventure gaming.

When it started, it was approachable by everyone. Everyone knew EXACTLY when they were liekly to be eaten by a grue. Time passed, the genre advanced. The makers of said genre thought "gee, these puzzles based on logic aren't exactly hard. Let's make them nonsensical and obscure." Sure enough, the diehard could still play but the barrier was raised. As more people grew OUT of the genre, the barrier for entry was far too high so no new consumers could come in. Then something radical happened and essentially killed the genre. Myst came onto the scene and was actually playable to those who haven't been in the genre since Kings Quest 1.

Now look at the action genre as a whole. Wolverine is doing well as is God of War. Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden? Notsomuch. Wonder why... OH YES, the reputation of being absolutely unapproachable to anyone but the best gamers. While there is a large percentage of children who use achievement points as penis enlargement, a LOT of us kinda grew out of that the first time a Bic razor nicked a pimplehead. And the developers who haven't acknowledged that HAVE suffered in the interim. While it's nice you guys get a game catered exactly to you, it's a big industry out there. The days of putting a sign on the wall stating "No Goils Alluwed" have been a major detriment to the industry as a whole. You can still have your hard games. Oh look, the option for hard is right there. But for fucks sake, let other people into your little club or continue to shake your head in shame as WiiFit outsells everything ever.

Or to put it in the words of a programmer helping me on my own game, "The trick to good AI is simple enough. It isn't about beating the player. You can't have an AI acting like the most advanced soldiers or pilots in the world, because the player isn't on the same level. The AI should be there to provide fun, period. Too many programmers forget this and consider it a badge of honor to frustrate the player. If you cannot entertain a player with your AI, then you've failed. Period. Accomidate and entertain the player."

ExMcCloud @ May 17th 2009 1:01PM

Well its a good thing I've had sex almost everyday 4 the past 4 years.....lmao....Look the losing that attitude is what got us in the situation we are in now......Games are so easy now and days it really dissapoints me that you actually want casual players to be able to play EVERYTHING we can....Gaming is a lifestyle not a hobby...I really feel that way....WE should have our own damn games that casuals can't play. lol....Thats what makes us gamers!!!!! Meeting that challenge and conquering it where average people would give up!

ExMcCloud @ May 17th 2009 1:06PM

P.S. GOW is a fucking cake walk.........Great story, awesome graphics.....Hell an all around great game....BUT Poor combat, and TOO easy...Well atleast GOW2 was too easy, GOW 1 actually had some challenge especially the second part of the fight with ARES thats good gaming right there...lol

mgsrocks1 @ May 17th 2009 4:14PM

Not every game has to bee so hard it gives you a seizure. Mario, Zelda, and Metroid are proof enough. Personally, I play video games to have fun, and in some games I look for a good story, a story that I can only get because of how interactive video games are.

I don't want to spend $60 on a broken game that I will literately brake by throwing across the room because of how frustrating it is. I agree that us hardcore gamers should have our AAA GTAs and Halos, but I disagree when you say you don't want casual gamers playing our games. What's wrong with adding an option for them? Like Gears of War for example. You can play on insane and your co-op partner can play on easy if he/she needs it. I want video games to hit the mainstream. I don't to see people painting our favorite hobby in a bad light. I want our medium to mature.

ExMcCloud @ May 17th 2009 10:11PM

WTF are u serious.....Super Mario on the NES is still a hard game, Legend of Zelda 2 is one of the HARDEST GAMES OF ALL TIME, and metroid was hard as balls UNLESS u did some sequence breaking, or until u got the Ice Beam...So what are u talking about...lol...Those are terrible examples.....And when things go mainstream they get progressively worst its a proven fact with any entertainment media.

Zerokku @ May 16th 2009 3:48PM

Now I want a new monster rancher game for the ps3/360. I loved that game in the PS1 days.

Kamizar @ May 16th 2009 4:17PM

I wish they would rethink their views on NGII: Sigma exclusivity. Hopefully it won't carry on to NGIII.

Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ May 16th 2009 8:06PM

I think the "exclusive" tag is essentially for two reasons.

1. Xbox 360 already has NGII and remixed updates rarely do well on their original console. So the effort to multiplat it might not be worth it in regards to sales.

2. With the exclusive tag on it, they automatically have a very devout group of retards ready to "support such efforts" on day 1 while claiming their version is the superior one. Don't get me wrong on this point, 360 and Wii fantards are everybit as bad on this issue so it could happen from any game. Just saying it's a hell of a reason to keep the Sigma franchise exclusive.