Joystiq [Xbox]

End of an Era, What Next?

Two days before the release of Ninja Gaiden 2, Tomonobu Itagaki released a statement outlining his intention to leave Tecmo and sue it for unpaid wages from previous work.

Tecmo has since denied Itagaki's claims and intends to fight the charges against them. It is sad that his career with the company that shaped him will now come to a close in such a manner.

Now, up in the air are future Team Ninja projects. Dead or Alive 5 will undoubtedly continue production, but will Tecmo (who is in favor of multiplatform release) put Xbox exclusivity away now that their biggest in-house supporter is gone? What of DOA: Code Cronus, Itagaki's famed (and long in development) upcoming adventure title? Or the unknown, Project Progressive?

Hopefully Itagaki will spring up somewhere else, as he still has plenty to offer the industry.

Cheers sir. It's been a wild ride. Now, let's get another boat and start again!

05/06/08