Microsoft thanks Itagaki for support

By Tom Bramwell Published 4 June, 2008

Tecmo says his pants are on fire.

Microsoft has publicly thanked Tomonobu Itagaki for his Xbox support following his dramatic departure from Tecmo yesterday.

"Tomonobu Itagaki has decided to leave Tecmo and Team Ninja to pursue other opportunities. We thank Tomonobu Itagaki for the many years he has supported Xbox as he has contributed immensely to the success of the videogame industry as a whole," the platform hold told Kotaku.

Itagaki was outspoken in his support for Xbox and Xbox 360 despite the relative indifference of many of his Japanese peers. "There's no launch titles that create within me an urge to search all over Tokyo to find a PS3 so I can play them," he once told 1UP.

However, Tecmo has hit back at Itagaki in a statement reported by IGN, alleging that Itagaki's claims of damages are the product of "distortions". The developer also says it paid out bonuses to Itagaki in line with company policy and that the "completion bonus" he claims to be owed is a relic of the previous regime.

Tecmo added that Team Ninja - Itagaki's development team - has commenced work on new titles.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (26) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • muscleblade #1 4 years ago

    He a great guy. Im going to miss him.

  • bad09 #2 4 years ago

    "Tecmo added that Team Ninja - Itagaki's development team - has commenced work on new titles."

    God I hope one is DOA5!!!!!!!!!!!

  • menage #3 4 years ago

    Hire him MS, before Sony does:p

  • Gnort #4 4 years ago

    I fear this may be bad for both Itagaki and Team Ninja. Remember when similarly swollen-headed game designer John Romero left iD Software? It didn't work out for either of them - Romero went on to become an industry laughing stock by (eventually) releasing Daikatana, and iD ended up churning out technically competent games with throwback and uninspired gameplay like Doom 3.

  • neonxaos #5 4 years ago

    I'm an avid DOA player - what I'm hearing around teh intwerwebz is that Team Ninja will indeed be making DOA5 soon. It was supposed to be announced sometime in July, but Itagaki's departure may have ruined those plans.

    You know, for me it's not a bad thing that Itagaki is leaving DOA and Ninja Gaiden. They need a bit of fresh thinking, especially Ninja Gaiden. If you put NGII alongside action games like Gears or Uncharted, it seems unnecessarily old-fashioned and riddled with technical issues, no matter how frenetic the swordplay is.

    But in the end, and even though this is unlikely, I have to say it: just don't can DOA5, Tecmo. It would be very sad.

  • Gnort #6 4 years ago

    @menage

    Sony have offered to hire him as soon as he says something nice about Tekken.

  • Psiloc #7 4 years ago

    His pants have been on fire since he said DOA was better than Tekken.

  • bad09 #8 4 years ago

    @ neonxaos

    Nice! You've made my day mate, I'm sure Itagaki's departure won't ruins things.

  • Negotiator #9 4 years ago

    Microsoft will hire him very soon, you mark my words.

  • space_ace #10 4 years ago

    Microsoft ... thanked Tomonobu Itagaki for ... his dramatic departure.

    there, fixed

  • miiiguel #11 4 years ago

    he is a very weird guy and a funny one too.

  • Xerx3s #12 4 years ago

    IOW: "Remember us when you think about your next project!"

  • RexRunti #13 4 years ago

    the "completion bonus" he claims to be owed is a relic of the previous regime

    So if my boss changes, my contract automatically changes? If that's Tecmo's only defence I think they may lose.

  • penhalion #14 4 years ago

    "Tecmo added that Team Ninja - Itagaki's development team - has commenced work on new titles."

    Except it's not really team ninja anymore is it. Especially as the guy who named HIS team that has left. It's more like just another tecmo dev team. Without the strong head to defy management and ake the games the way they think they should be made, it's just going to churn out management influenced, trend lead messes.

    I wish tecmo luck but, someone high up really should have gotten rid of the mamangement before the creative tallent, even if that meant compromising with Itagaki on the bonus stuff. Heck I would have gotten rid of this particular manager the moment he started saying derogatory stuff about any member of staff!

  • menage #15 4 years ago

    @Psiloc

    Well, It is:p (feels heat rising in netherregions)

  • Pac #16 4 years ago

    @RexRunti +1

    Exactly.

    From the wording of this article it sounds like Itagaki was working for some kind of South American Despot.

  • MaxiSleep #17 4 years ago

    The developer also says it paid out bonuses to Itagaki in line with company policy and that the "completion bonus" he claims to be owed is a relic of the previous regime.

    So the company agreed to it and then changed its mind.

    Oh well thats all right so.........

  • MaxiSleep #18 4 years ago

    The developer also says it paid out bonuses to Itagaki in line with company policy and that the "completion bonus" he claims to be owed is a relic of the previous regime.

    So the company agreed to it and then changed its mind.

    Oh well thats all right so.........

  • Razorus #19 4 years ago

    As I said in the other article comments bit, Itagaki doesn't make DOA games by himself. There WILL be a DOA5 someday, if his colleagues learned anything from him.

  • WinterSnowblind #20 4 years ago

    Microsoft won't bother hiring him, he hates Sony, so he's likely to continue making games exclusively for the 360 anyway. But I'd have though MS would have wanted to secure the exclusive rights to DOA and Ninja Gaiden a long time ago anyway, it is kind of silly that they ignore these oppertunities, they already missed their chance of owning Bioware.

    Personally, the 360 is still my favourite console, but if they'd just do more to get these exclusive games, I think a lot more people would have reason to get one, and it's not like they don't have the money.

  • Jheronimus #21 4 years ago

    Well, Itagaki coming to MS would lead to some nice Japanese-Western crossover development... So MS, hire the bastard, throw in some bottles of nice booze and let him stun us with great games (and realistic moving boobies :p).

  • monkie_king #22 4 years ago

    Platinum Games should hire him -- he could team up with the DMC guy and bring his NG chops to that game with the bird with the gun shoes.

  • Diomedes117 #23 4 years ago

    Bad for Tecmo and the Ninja Gaiden franchise. I bet MS will back his new studio...

  • menage #24 4 years ago

    @Monkie King

    Would never work. The diva in him wouldn't let him. He has to be supreme ruler of his own galaxy.

  • Calgon #25 4 years ago

    I think MS are a bit weary of paying for exclusiveness myself... its different rules for "the bad guys" everyone else is allowed to do it then boast exclusiveness.

    I really think the best way is to start their own studios up at times like this... there can be no complaints then.

  • Quint2020 #26 4 years ago

    Big shame imo, the guy is obviously a massive talent and he comes across as just a guy with a passion for making games i wish him and the rest of Team Ninja all the best for the future.