Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Itagaki: Easier to develop for PS3 than Famicomhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/28/itagaki-easier-to-develop-for-ps3-than-famicom/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/28/itagaki-easier-to-develop-for-ps3-than-famicom/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/28/itagaki-easier-to-develop-for-ps3-than-famicom/#commentsFiled under: ,

Can we make a formal request? Can Sony hire Itagaki to take Ken Kutaragi's old job? No, we know, Kaz technically has his old position, but Sony really needs someone out there saying crazy things about the PS3, and we think Itagaki's the man for the gig. Here's what he recently told 1UP: "I don't think that developing for the PS3 is hard at all. It was much harder developing for the Famicom. It's true. I mean, give someone who's developing for the PS3 a Famicom and see if they can make a game for it. They won't be able to. Yeah, that'll prove it. We'll bet a drink on it."

Bam! Crazy! Can you imagine getting that kind of stuff day in and day out from PS3 HQ? C'mon, Sony give that man whatever he wants ... and we do mean whatever.

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]]>itagakiJustin McElroy2008-08-28T11:15:00+00:00Itagaki practices legal ninjitsu in case against Tecmohttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/24/itagaki-practices-legal-ninjitsu-in-case-against-tecmo/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/24/itagaki-practices-legal-ninjitsu-in-case-against-tecmo/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/24/itagaki-practices-legal-ninjitsu-in-case-against-tecmo/#commentsFiled under: ,

Former head of Tecmo's Team Ninja and leather aficionado, Tomonobu Itagaki, is proving himself to be quite the legal eagle hawk whatever bird a ninja might keep as a pet in his ongoing lawsuit against his old employer. In addition to upping his claim for damages from 148 million yen ($1.3 million) to 164m yen ($1.6m) for bonuses and salary not paid, the Dead or Alive creator delivered a blow to accusations by Tecmo president Yoshimi Yasuda that he was never promised bonuses in the first place.

The evidence: an audio recording of Yasuda specifically stating that a legal document known as a ringi, which outlined the contested bonus plan, had in fact been approved by Tecmo's board of directors. Take that! If that didn't sting, Itagaki said (in what we're guessing was a stern voice): "I am prepared to reveal this evidence as the need arises for the sake of greater justice." Hear that? Greater justice. Everything the guy does is intense.

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]]>itagakilawsuitlegalteam-ninjatecmoRandy Nelson2008-07-24T18:15:00+00:00Tecmo seeks to gag Itagaki with suppression orderhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/18/tecmo-seeks-to-gag-itagaki-with-suppression-order/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/18/tecmo-seeks-to-gag-itagaki-with-suppression-order/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/18/tecmo-seeks-to-gag-itagaki-with-suppression-order/#commentsFiled under:

gagged
Following the very public resignation of Tomonobu Itagaki two weeks ago, Tecmo has appealed to the Tokyo District Court seeking to restrict Itagaki from making further public remarks about ... any and every -thing that begins was a capital "T" ands ends with an "ecmo." The company filed with the court last Tuesday, June 10, but has yet to receive a verdict, Famitsu reports. The gag order seeks to prohibit Itagaki from:
  1. Disclosing, destroying or leaking Tecmo's trade secrets, especially those concerning software, development and marketing
  2. Making false or misleading statements about Tecmo's business policies and strategies, or criticizing games developed by other Tecmo employees
  3. Making defamatory remarks to damage Tecmo's reputation
  4. Making public statements about Tecmo, or accepting media invitations (e.g., interviews) to discuss Tecmo while still employed (until July 1) by the company
No word yet on whether or not Tecmo has ordered up an additional 300 gags. But buying in bulk certainly saves time and money.

[Big thanks to Ittousai over at Engadget Japan for his translation work!]

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]]>gag-orderitagakijapantecmoJames Ransom-Wiley2008-06-18T12:14:00+00:00All Tecmo employees sue Tecmohttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/17/all-tecmo-employees-sue-tecmo/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/17/all-tecmo-employees-sue-tecmo/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/17/all-tecmo-employees-sue-tecmo/#commentsFiled under:


We thought it was bad when Tomonobu Itagaki left Tecmo, but little did we know it was about to get much, much worse. As rumored over the weekend, employees of the company are suing for unpaid bonuses. Well, it's not exactly the same as the weekend rumor, which said the lawsuit would come from three dozen or so higher ups. No, apparently the lawsuit has been filed on behalf of all 300 of the company's employees. A Famitsu article on the subject also says the suit complains of employees not getting holiday and overtime pay that they are owed.

So, in short, Tecmo is eating itself. You may now carry on with your day.

[Via X3F]

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]]>itagakitecmotomonobu-itagakiJustin McElroy2008-06-17T13:25:00+00:00Rumor: Three dozen Team Ninja devs leaving with Itagaki, suing Tecmohttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/15/rumor-three-dozen-team-ninja-devs-leaving-with-itagaki-suing-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/15/rumor-three-dozen-team-ninja-devs-leaving-with-itagaki-suing-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/15/rumor-three-dozen-team-ninja-devs-leaving-with-itagaki-suing-t/#commentsFiled under:


Losing one of your company's most recognizable figureheads, especially one whose name is so closely associated with most of your best-selling properties, is bound to put a damper on things around the office. However, that last statement assumes that there are still people in the office -- 1UP recently printed a rumor that as many as three dozen Team Ninja higher-ups could be leaving the company following Tomonobu Itagaki's resignation, and will sue Tecmo to gain unpaid bonuses for the games they've completed (much like the class-action suit Itagaki planned to file against the company following his departure).

1UP's source for the rumor was the ever-present "word on the street", though that's likely just rumorese for "we have an inside source". Whoever it may be, we doubt it's the same hopeful Tecmo higher-up who recently assured the public that Team Ninja was going to be just fine, as losing your poster boy, a heartbreaking amount of stock market value, and supposedly, a healthy portion of your workforce in such a short period of time would surely make any game developer feel anything but.

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]]>itagakilawsuitresignationrumorteam-ninjatecmotomonobu-itagakiGriffin McElroy2008-06-15T19:45:00+00:00Itagaki's departure causes Tecmo stock plummethttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/05/itagakis-departure-causes-tecmo-stock-plummet/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/05/itagakis-departure-causes-tecmo-stock-plummet/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/05/itagakis-departure-causes-tecmo-stock-plummet/#commentsFiled under:


Turns out Tomonobu Itagaki's imminent lawsuit might not be Tecmo's biggest problem after all. Within two days of the Ninja Gaiden developer's abrupt resignation from the company, Tecmo shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange dropped rapidly.

Assurances that Team Ninja would remain (largely) intact apparently did not appease the stockholders. Shares dropped over 10% from Tuesday's closing of ¥1,102 (USD 10.40), to today's closing of ¥982 (USD 9.30). Not a good start to the company's new Itagaki-less lifestyle, to be sure.

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]]>dead-or-aliveitagakininja-gaidenstocksteam-ninjatecmoScott Jon Siegel2008-06-05T17:50:00+00:00Tomonobu Itagaki: A Blood Splattered Historyhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/05/tomonobu-itagaki-a-blood-splattered-history/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/05/tomonobu-itagaki-a-blood-splattered-history/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/05/tomonobu-itagaki-a-blood-splattered-history/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Now that Ninja Gaiden 2 developer Tomonobu Itagaki has departed from Tecmo and Team Ninja (and left a lawsuit in his stead), our friends at X3F have compiled a retrospective on Itagaki's career with the company. From his beginnings as a programmer for Tecmo Bowl, through Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden and all the way to his departure, everything is covered.

Join us as we take a stroll through memory lane and examine the games, the controversies and the impending future of Tomonobu Itagaki. Click here, get educated.

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]]>dead-or-alivedoaxitagakininja-gaidenninja-gaiden-2ninja-gaiden-iiteam-ninjaTecmotomonobu-itagakiRoss Miller2008-06-05T16:25:00+00:00Tecmo: Team Ninja still 'intact' after Itagaki's departurehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/04/tecmo-team-ninja-still-intact-after-itagakis-departure/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/04/tecmo-team-ninja-still-intact-after-itagakis-departure/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/04/tecmo-team-ninja-still-intact-after-itagakis-departure/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Following the resignation of outspoken game designer, Tomonobu Itagaki, and his subsequent lawsuit against his former employer, Tecmo has assured fans that its Team Ninja development studio remains "intact" and involved in "several new projects." In a statement issued to 1UP, the Tokyo-based publisher notes that, due to the legal complaint, it had "no choice" but to accept Itagaki's resignation, effective July 1, 2008.

The lawsuit is said to be tied to an outstanding incentive bonus for a past project, one which the parties could not amicably resolve. Tecmo states that it will let the court settle things and bring about a "true, fair, and quick resolution." As for the Team Ninja studio, it remains "committed to producing compelling and cutting edge games in order to maintain its reputation as a high quality developer and to continue to receive the support of its loyal fans."

While it's obvious that Tomonobu Itagaki didn't make games like Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden by himself, we wonder if another star developer will emerge to give Team Ninja an incendiary pass to the presses. Is this Itsygaki's time to shine?

[Thanks, Fattycop]

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]]>Dead-or-AliveItagakiLawsuitNinja-GaidenNinja-Gaiden-2Team-NinjaTecmoLudwig Kietzmann2008-06-04T18:00:00+00:00A History of Violence: A Ninja Gaiden Retrospectivehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/03/a-history-of-violence-a-ninja-gaiden-retrospective/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/03/a-history-of-violence-a-ninja-gaiden-retrospective/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/03/a-history-of-violence-a-ninja-gaiden-retrospective/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

A little bird told us Ninja Gaiden II was coming out today. Actually, that bird was more like a note attached to a shuriken with a flower on it, but the message was all the same. In honor of the series milestone and in memory of the now-former Ninja Gaiden designer Tomonobu Itagaki, we present you with a series retrospective we're affectionately dubbing A History of Violence (hey, we thought it was clever). Click here and be educated.

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]]>itagaking2ninja-gaidenninja-gaiden-2ninja-gaiden-iiteam-ninjatecmotomonobu-itagakiRoss Miller2008-06-03T15:55:00+00:00Breaking: Ninja Gaiden's Itagaki says 'Sayonara Tecmo, see you in court'http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/03/breaking-ninja-gaidens-itagaki-says-sayonara-tecmo-see-you-i/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/03/breaking-ninja-gaidens-itagaki-says-sayonara-tecmo-see-you-i/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/03/breaking-ninja-gaidens-itagaki-says-sayonara-tecmo-see-you-i/#commentsFiled under: ,

Team Ninja head and creator of the landmark Dead or Alive fighting game series, Tomonobu Itagaki, has issued a statement announcing his resignation from long-time employer Tecmo. This news, first reported by 1UP, comes just as his latest creation, the Xbox 360 exclusive Ninja Gaiden 2, is due to hit US shelves.

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 began his career at Tecmo as a graphics programmer. One of his earliest titles for the company was 1993's Tecmo Super Bowl for SNES. He later gained notoriety for his original fighting game creation, Dead or Alive, and was lauded with superstar-level recognition by Microsoft after they secured the exclusive rights to Dead or Alive 3 for the original Xbox's US launch.

In his statement, Itagaki confirmed that he will not be involved with any future Ninja Gaiden or Dead or Alive titles, as the rights to both franchises are retained by Tecmo. How Itagaki's departure will affect the future of either series will surely be at the forefront of gamers' minds, as well as those of Tecmo brass. We'll have more on this breaking story, including Tecmo's reaction, as it develops.

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]]>BreakingNewsitagakininja-gaidenninja-gaiden-iiteam-ninjatecmotomonobu-itagakiRandy Nelson2008-06-03T03:00:00+00:00'Defense is important' in Ninja Gaiden IIhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/26/defense-is-important-in-ninja-gaiden-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/26/defense-is-important-in-ninja-gaiden-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/26/defense-is-important-in-ninja-gaiden-2/#commentsFiled under: ,

See? It's not just about flipping out and killing people and slashing enemies into the air and tossing shurikens into their faces and lopping off limbs and doing totally sweet combos like that one where you kick the guy in the head before chopping him into pieces and then running up the wall because you're the ultimate unstoppable mammal. Sometimes you just have to calm down and defend yourself. If the sage advice conveyed by the above video isn't enough, you have until June 3rd to view the clips after the break and get educated on the ways of the ninja.

Remember: Ninjas fight ALL the time.



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]]>ItagakiMicrosoft-Game-StudiosNinja-Gaiden-2Team-NinjaLudwig Kietzmann2008-05-26T19:30:00+00:00Itagaki: Ninja Gaiden Sigma is 'no good'http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/21/itagaki-ninja-gaiden-sigma-is-no-good/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/21/itagaki-ninja-gaiden-sigma-is-no-good/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/21/itagaki-ninja-gaiden-sigma-is-no-good/#commentsFiled under: ,


We thought Ninja Gaiden Sigma was pretty good. You know, nothing revolutionary, but at least worth a spin for PS3 owners, especially those who hadn't played through Ninja Gaiden. But we've just received word (via CVG) from Ninja Gaiden I and II developer Tomonobu Itagaki that we're wrong, wrong, totally wrong.

When asked about the game, Itagaki said simply, "It was no good." Apparently not into the whole brevity thing, CVG continued the line of questioning, prompting Itagaki to add, "Despite the fact that it's on a 'next-generation' console there's no evolution whatsoever. That was made not by me, but one of my sub-ordinates who basically tried to copy the success of Ninja Gaiden." You think that's pretty rough, right? Well get this: That guy was sitting next to him. And he was making Itagaki a fancy birthday cake. No, that stuff isn't true. But it's still fairly icy.

Oh, and he dropped a preemptive burn, saying that a PS3 port of Ninja Gaiden II "would be a loss of face for everyone involved." ... So, yeah. Remind us not to cut him off in traffic.

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]]>itagakininja-gaidenninja-gaiden-2ninja-gaiden-sigmatecmotomonobu-itagakiJustin McElroy2008-05-21T17:30:00+00:00Itagaki on Ninja Gaiden II dismemberment, difficulty and DLChttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/itagaki-on-ninja-gaiden-ii-dismemberment-difficulty-and-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/itagaki-on-ninja-gaiden-ii-dismemberment-difficulty-and-dlc/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/14/itagaki-on-ninja-gaiden-ii-dismemberment-difficulty-and-dlc/#commentsFiled under: ,

itagaki
After spending about 30 minutes with a final build (awaiting certification) of Ninja Gaiden II at the Xbox 360 Spring Showcase, we had a chance to sit down with designer Tomonobu Itakagi, along with a handful of other game journalists. Staring out at us through dark shades, as an assistant translated his responses, the Team Ninja front man spoke on the "Deadly Ds," as we like to call them: dismemberment, difficulty (as in, tweaking the design philosophy to make us feel less like wusses for playing on easy) and Down-Loadable Costumes. Actually, there was another "D" addressed here too -- the one that ends with "-rinking on the job," or rather, the lack thereof. Yes, this was a new, sobered Itagaki, folks. Hard to believe given the swirl of emotions surrounding the realization that this could be his last *gasp* Ninja Gaiden.

Joystiq: We noticed the name of the casual mode in Ninja Gaiden II is "Path of the Acolyte" and not "Ninja Dog." Are you trying to remove the stigma of playing on the easy setting?
itagaki
After spending about 30 minutes with a final build (awaiting certification) of Ninja Gaiden II at the Xbox 360 Spring Showcase, we had a chance to sit down with designer Tomonobu Itakagi, along with a handful of other game journalists. Staring out at us through dark shades, as an assistant translated his responses, the Team Ninja front man spoke on the "Deadly Ds," as we like to call them: dismemberment, difficulty (as in, tweaking the design philosophy to make us feel less like wusses for playing on easy) and Down-Loadable Costumes. Actually, there was another "D" addressed here too -- the one that ends with "-rinking on the job," or rather, the lack thereof. Yes, this was a new, sobered Itagaki, folks. Hard to believe given the swirl of emotions surrounding the realization that this could be his last *gasp* Ninja Gaiden.

Joystiq: We noticed the name of the casual mode in Ninja Gaiden II is "Path of the Acolyte" and not "Ninja Dog." Are you trying to remove the stigma of playing on the easy setting?

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]]>itagakininja-gaidenninja-gaiden-2ninja-gaiden-iiteam-ninjaTomonobu-ItagakiChristopher Grant2008-05-14T15:15:00+00:00Ninja Gaiden II demo coming in Mayhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/27/ninja-gaiden-ii-demo-coming-in-may/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/27/ninja-gaiden-ii-demo-coming-in-may/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/27/ninja-gaiden-ii-demo-coming-in-may/#commentsFiled under: ,


Ever since the announcement of Ninja Gaiden II's June 3rd release, we've become increasingly annoyed with the months of April and May. As is the case with those insolent, slow-moving people who bunch up in front of you at the supermarket, we really just want to ram them out of the way so that we may fill our cart to the brim with candy as quickly as possible. Having turned around and spotted our menacing glares, May has at least shown some decency by offering us a sampler -- a Ninja Gaiden II demo to be precise (and free of rambling allegories).

According to Microsoft's Ninja Gaiden II website, those eager to decapitate demons, mangle monsters and otherwise alliteratively assault archfiends can expect to download a demon-stration from Xbox Live Marketplace in May. The page also advises to look for "exclusive" content from April 15th, no doubt referring to things like gamerpics, themes and videos pretending to be demos. Wait, we're not falling for that one again, are we?

Gallery: GDC08: Ninja Gaiden II

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]]>BreakingNewsDemoItagakiNinja-Gaiden-2NinjaGaidenTeam-NinjaTecmoXBLMXbox-LiveXboxLiveLudwig Kietzmann2008-03-27T06:00:00+00:00GDC08: Ninja Gaiden II demon-strationhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/gdc08-ninja-gaiden-ii-demonstration/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/gdc08-ninja-gaiden-ii-demonstration/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/gdc08-ninja-gaiden-ii-demonstration/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

We nearly missed the Gears of War 2 announcement at the end of Microsoft's GDC keynote because of this surprise Ninja Gaiden II demonstration. By the time it finished, we had completely lost consciousness due to an increasingly violent series of glee seizures -- or gleezures. If you plan on watching the direct-feed footage of Team Ninja's forthcoming kill-em-up, we'd advise you to sit well away from coworkers and small children should your delight suddenly begin manifesting in wild arm flailing and uncontrollable pelvic thrusts.

Protip: We find that thinking about the awful June 2008 release date has an immediate calming effect.

Gallery: GDC08: Ninja Gaiden II

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]]>ItagakiMicrosoft-Game-StudiosNinja-Gaiden-2Ninja-Gaiden-IINinjaGaiden2Team-NinjaTeamNinjaTomonobu-ItagakiLudwig Kietzmann2008-02-20T18:30:00+00:00GDC08: Ninja Gaiden 2 to hit North America June 3, worldwide early Junehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/gdc08-ninja-gaiden-2-to-hit-north-america-june-3-worldwide-earl/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/gdc08-ninja-gaiden-2-to-hit-north-america-june-3-worldwide-earl/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/gdc08-ninja-gaiden-2-to-hit-north-america-june-3-worldwide-earl/#commentsFiled under: ,


At Microsoft's GDC 2008 keynote address, Tomonobu Itagaki just announced that Ninja Gaiden 2 will be released in North America on June 3, with a worldwide release coming in early June.

Itagaki showed off a brand new demo of the game running on "real hardware" at the keynote. The demo level featured battles with enormous winged creatures, a fight on a rickety bridge, and a very, very large sword.



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]]>BreakingNewsGDC08ItagakiNinja-GaidenKyle Orland2008-02-20T14:39:00+00:00Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword unsheathed on March 25http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/16/ninja-gaiden-dragon-sword-unsheathed-on-march-25/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/16/ninja-gaiden-dragon-sword-unsheathed-on-march-25/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/16/ninja-gaiden-dragon-sword-unsheathed-on-march-25/#commentsFiled under: ,

Nintendo's latest release schedule has cut through the fog of ambiguity and pinned the arrival of Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword to the pleasingly specific date of March 25th. We only had "March 2008" to go on before and have thus avoided wasting 24 days of the month scouring shelves and phoning overly smug store clerks.

Though Tecmo has told us that the shipping date may change if the final code isn't approved in time, it's the one they're currently targeting like... whatever ham-fisted Ninja metaphor we could work into this sentence. For more information on Ryu Hayabusa's DS debut, check out our hands-on with the game and interview with Team Ninja's Tomonobu Itagaki.

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]]>BreakingNewsDragon-SwordDragonSwordItagakiNinja-GaidenNinjaGaidenTeam-NinjaTeamNinjaTecmoTomonobu-ItagakiLudwig Kietzmann2008-01-16T17:30:00+00:00New Ninja Gaiden 2 footage scores A-, B+ and O+http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/21/new-ninja-gaiden-2-footage-scores-a-b-and-o/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/21/new-ninja-gaiden-2-footage-scores-a-b-and-o/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/21/new-ninja-gaiden-2-footage-scores-a-b-and-o/#commentsFiled under: ,

An utterly gratuitous explosion of mangled limbs is just what you need to snap out of that slow, pre-Christmas Friday afternoon. It certainly worked for us, as the above gameplay footage of Xbox 360 kill-em-up, Ninja Gaiden 2, woke us from our keyboard slumber just long enough for a visit to our violent word thesaurus. Decapitate, eviscerate, disembowel, shave, slash, amputate, behead, cleave, sever, lacerate, perforate and abbreviate -- all apply. It seems our language will have to become quite offensive if it's to adequately describe the game before its 2008 release.

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]]>ItagakiNG2Ninja-Gaiden-2NinjaGaiden2Team-NinjaTeamNinjaTecmoTomonobu-ItagakiLudwig Kietzmann2007-12-21T15:25:00+00:00New Ninja Gaiden 2 gameplay video is predictably radhttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/new-ninja-gaiden-2-gameplay-video-is-predicatably-rad/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/new-ninja-gaiden-2-gameplay-video-is-predicatably-rad/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/19/new-ninja-gaiden-2-gameplay-video-is-predicatably-rad/#commentsFiled under: ,

Has the adoration of ninjas and ninja culture become a cliché yet? There's a tingling part of our writers' sense that says "Yes, absolutely." But how are we supposed to stifle the national boner we have for ninjas when new clips of Ninja Gaiden 2 are being released? Especially ones like the above video that show Ryu Hayabusa (again, pardon the cliché) flipping out and killing people with Wolverine claws?

The answer: We can't. We might as well revel in videos like this, especially the parts where Ryu faces off against a six-armed demon and the only thing scarier than a six-armed demon: Other ninjas.

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]]>itagakininja-gaiden-2ninjasteam-ninjaJustin McElroy2007-12-19T10:28:00+00:00Sexual harassment charges against Itagaki dismissedhttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/sexual-harassment-charges-against-itagaki-dismissed/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/sexual-harassment-charges-against-itagaki-dismissed/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/05/sexual-harassment-charges-against-itagaki-dismissed/#commentsFiled under: ,

And so the scalding sake saga comes to an end, with the sexual harassment charges against Team Ninja's Tomonobu Itagaki having been dismissed in the Tokyo District Court. The outspoken game designer was accused last year of behaving inappropriately in the presence of a former female Tecmo employee, allegedly displaying his fondness a bit too forcibly for her liking. With the suit settled and the charges vanquished, Itagaki has been declared an innocent man.

"I have held my head high and have fought the good fight for the past year in order to clear my name and to uphold the reputations of Team NINJA and of Tecmo," Itagaki told 1UP. "The former employee's arguments were judged to have been false, and all claims that she has brought against me have been dismissed." We expect he'll be celebrating the occasion by lopping off limbs and hoping this courtroom business remains nothing more than a mammary.

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]]>Dragon-SwordDragonSwordItagakiNinja-GaidenNinja-Gaiden-2NinjaGaiden2Team-NinjaTeamNinjaTecmoTomonobu-ItagakiLudwig Kietzmann2007-12-05T21:00:00+00:00