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Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z trailers won't cost you an arm and a leg

David Hinkle — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:59:00 EST

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z stars Yaiba Kamikaze, a ninja killed by primary series star Ryu Hayabusa during a duel. We're not sure how Yaiba came back from the dead, but at least we can see how he died.

Continue reading Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z trailers won't cost you an arm and a leg

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z trailers won't cost you an arm and a leg originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Jun 2013 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Putting the 'Yaiba' in Ninja Gaiden Z

David Hinkle — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST

Yaiba means "the blade of a sword," Keiji Inafune explains in this developer diary for Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z. It is, somehow, the subtler component of the protagonist's full name: Yaiba Kamikaze.

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z is being developed primarily by Spark Unlimited, the Los Angeles-based studio also responsible for Lost Planet 3. In the video, Inafune says the studio is "exactly what we wanted" because they were able to bring a unique perspective to the ninja, unifying Western and Eastern visions on the classic archetype. "To appeal to both, it made sense for us to work together."

Inafune then goes into an astute metaphor about how game development is like building a house - at least, we think it's astute. We've never built a house before.

Putting the 'Yaiba' in Ninja Gaiden Z originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Jun 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z uses Unreal Engine 3

JC Fletcher — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:30:00 EST

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, the collaborative Comcept/Team Ninja/Spark Unlimited action game, isn't just undead, it's also Unreal. Tecmo Koei has licensed Unreal Engine 3 from Epic Games Japan for use in the new zombie-filled spinoff.

"In the past I have been involved with numerous projects built upon Unreal Engine 3, so I understand its benefits and reliability," Keiji Inafune said. "Unreal allows us to focus on making the game fun, and to push the boundaries of visuals and gameplay in the shortest time possible." ~~Team Ninja~~ Ichigaya Development Group 1 studio head Yosuke Hayashi pointed to Unreal's potential usefulness for refining gameplay, saying that "Unreal Engine allows us to quickly and efficiently iterate on countless ideas, and 'YAIBA' is now taking on a life of its own."

Of course, these are both marketing-y press release quotes, but they point to UE3 as a choice made to keep development quick and economical.

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Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z uses Unreal Engine 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z will slice its way to Xbox and PS3

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST

Previously announced only for "consoles," it appears that Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z will be heading specifically to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The news comes via a batch of job listings for developer Spark Unlimited (which is also handling Lost Planet 3), which identify Yaiba as "a bold new take on 3rd Person slasher with Horror elements for the PS3 and Xbox 360."

So there you have it, any fears (hopes?) that Yaiba would debut only on the next generation of consoles have been cut down like a cybernetic zombie ninja.

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z will slice its way to Xbox and PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 24 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z brings east and west together for zombie and ninja authenticity

JC Fletcher — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:40:00 EST

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z developer Spark Unlimited was apparently very passionate about working on the franchise. Spark is working with Keiji Inafune's company Comcept, and met with Ninja Gaiden franchise developer Team Ninja through there.

"But, actually from a different route they actually came up with a concept for a Ninja Gaiden game on their own and presented it to us," Team Ninja head Yosuke Hayashi told Siliconera. So when Comcept brought Spark in, everyone involved already knew each other. "Now, we met with them and they feel like three parties are one team," Hayashi said.

Bringing a western developer on board, Hayashi believes, will help Yaiba get its zombie content right. "We see ninjas portrayed in Western games, and they aren't real ninjas," Hayashi noted. "There is something off about them. Zombies are a creation of the West. We feel we can bring the authentic ninja-ness and by teaming with Spark, they can bring in the authentic zombie-ness. We can really come together to make a very unique zombie experience."

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z brings east and west together for zombie and ninja authenticity originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Talking Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z with Keiji Inafune and Yosuke Hayashi

Richard Mitchell — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 12:00:00 EST

Walking around the Tokyo Game Show floor, we just happened to run into Keiji Inafune, famed (and infamous) Japanese developer and creator of notable franchises like Mega Man and Dead Rising, not to mention the upcoming Soul Sacrifice and Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z. We snagged a few minutes of his time to discuss the latter two, specifically how it's been working with Team Ninja on Yaiba, and whether he'd like to continue working with the studio going forward. An Inafune fighting game? It could happen.

After the break, find part two of our interview with Team Ninja head Yosuke Hayashi, during which we discuss Yaiba and the studio's partnership with Inafune.

Continue reading Talking Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z with Keiji Inafune and Yosuke Hayashi

Talking Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z with Keiji Inafune and Yosuke Hayashi originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 22 Sep 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z a partnership between Keiji Inafune's Comcept and Team Ninja [update: trailer!]

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 07:01:00 EST

Famed Japanese developer Keiji Inafune surprised the crowd at Team Ninja's pre-TGS event to discuss his collaboration with the studio, Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z. It's not the first time we've heard of the game, but it is the first time we've seen the full title. As it implies, it is a spin-off of the Ninja Gaiden series. The game focuses on ninjas and the undead, with Inafune admitting he's a big fan of zombies (Dead Rising, anyone?). The collaboration represents a "dream come true" for Inafune, to create a game featuring both zombies and ninjas. It's hard to argue with the assertion.

The project represents a chance for Inafune to make the kinds of games he really wants to make, he said. Referring to the comments Inafune made saying the Japanese industry was dying, he said "we are going to survive and make good games that will lead the Japanese game industry."

The game tells the story of Yaiba, who's only mission in his undead life, it seems, is to take revenge on Ryu Hayabusa, star of the Ninja Gaiden series. Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, is currently in development for "consoles."

Update: Fresh from Japan, feast on this Yaiba trailer.

Gallery: Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z a partnership between Keiji Inafune's Comcept and Team Ninja [update: trailer!] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inafune's Yaiba combines zombies with ninjas and mechs

JC Fletcher — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 12:00:00 EST

Comcept officially announced Keiji Inafune's zombie game Yaiba today, though it declined to offer much in the way of detail, as we still have no idea of platforms, release window, or even how the game actually works.

According to creator Keiji Inafune, it's inspired in part by fan feedback. "There are so many zombie games out there, yet people ask me for a new Inafune zombie game. I am grateful for people's respect for me as the 'zombie game creator' and to fulfill that I must answer their expectations with YAIBA."

Those expectations are being fulfilled with a concept of "zombies with action, ninjas and mechs." Get an idea of Comcept's concept in this stylish (but bloody) teaser video.

Continue reading Inafune's Yaiba combines zombies with ninjas and mechs

Inafune's Yaiba combines zombies with ninjas and mechs originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inafune's new zombie game 'Yaiba,' his Soul Sacrifice surprises for TGS

Jordan Mallory — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 20:00:00 EST

Mega Man creator and Dead Rising producer Keiji Inafune is working on a new zombie game called Yaiba, Siliconera reports. Platforms and other details are scarce at the moment.

If you'll be joining us in Japan next week and have an affinity for things both horrifying and portable, then you may be interested to learn that Inafune will be showing off his upcoming Vita title Soul Sacrifice during the Tokyo Game Show. This will be the first time the game has been playable, by members of the press or otherwise.

Inafune also teased that a surprise announcement of some kind, unrelated to Soul Sacrifice, could be made during the show, according to Andriasang's translation of his blog post. Whether that surprise has anything to do with Inafune's recently released Android title JJ Rockets or Yaiba itself is anyone's guess, but we're keeping our fingers crossed for a rhythm 3DS game set in an unspeakable hell dimension. In three dee!

Inafune's new zombie game 'Yaiba,' his Soul Sacrifice surprises for TGS originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Sep 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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