On the eve of Ninja Gaiden 2’s release, director Tomonobu Itagaki has announced that he is leaving Team Ninja and suing Tecmo. 

According to 1up.com, Itagaki’s aide Andrew Szymanski confirmed his resignation:

At approximately 2:30 PM Japan Standard Time today, June 3 2008, an official statement from Tomonobu Itagaki was sent by fax to major Japanese news outlets. In the interest of fair and expedient reporting of this story throughout the English-speaking world, I have been asked by Itagaki to convey this statement to you. Herein find attached Itagaki’s official statement, in English, for the benefit of your readers.

…You will likely have questions regarding the content of the statement, or about Itagaki’s future plans. I am afraid that I will be unable to answer such questions for the time being; however, rest assured that more information will be forthcoming as soon as it is deemed appropriate to do so.

Here’s an extract from Itagaki’s resignation letter, explaining why he has made such a drastic move:

Before the start of development on Dead or Alive 4, Tecmo Co., Ltd. had agreed to pay a completion bonus to me for this Xbox 360 title, which I produced. However, when the time came for the actual payment, Tecmo Co., Ltd. went against its previous agreement and refused payment. President Yoshimi Yasuda chose not only to violate this agreement, but also turned defiant, telling me ‘if you are dissatisfied with the decision not to pay the bonuses, either quit the company or sue it.’ In addition, he made demeaning remarks about me to my subordinates and colleagues, causing me significant emotional distress and worsening my personal relationships and work environment. Thus, I have no choice but to resign from Tecmo Co., Ltd.

The conduct of Tecmo Co., Ltd. and its president Yoshimi Yasuda towards me has been unbefitting of a publicly-listed company. I have filed this lawsuit with a strong intent to question the social responsibility of Tecmo Co., Ltd. and its President Yoshimi Yasuda, as well as condemning them for their unjust acts. Today, in addition to announcing the reasons for this lawsuit, I make clear my reasons for resigning.

To All Game Fans

I truly feel sorry to all the fans of the games I have made. Ninja Gaiden 2, which will launch on the 3rd of June will be the last Ninja Gaiden I will create. I will also never be able to make Dead or Alive 5. I regret the circumstances that have forced me to leave Tecmo, where I had worked for so many years, and I regret the disappointment this will cause my fans. However, I can no longer continue to work with President Yoshimi Yasuda, a man who chooses not to honor promises even when he is able to do so. I truly hope that nothing like this happens again in the future.

This is a complete shock to the gaming world, with one of the most iconic developers leaving the team and games that he made so famous. It’s unsure what Itagaki has planned next, but before his resignation he did state he was working on a brand new violent action game. 

Ninja Gaiden 2 releases today, so fans better eat it up as this will be Itagaki’s last Ninja Gaiden title.

We’ll bring you more information on Itagaki’s resignation and lawsuit when it becomes available.

Source: 1up.com

As if June wasn’t going to be busy enough with Lego Indy on the 6th and Guns of the Patriots on the 12th, two more heavy hitters have been stamped with a June release. 

Sierra have let out that the Bourne Conspiracy will be released on the 27th for both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. We sat down with three levels at Play.com Live a few weeks back – expect a preview shortly.

Meanwhile, Tecmo’s claret-heavy Ninja Gaiden 2 for 360 is mooted as the 6th following an update to retailer GAME’s website – an assertion that has allegedly been confirmed by ‘inside sources’. 

True or not, better start raiding the piggy bank; July’s going to be tight.

Source: Bourne Conspiracy, Ninja Gaiden 2

A Japanese online retailer has posted the initial lineup of a ‘PlayStation 3 the best’ series, better known as Greatest Hits or Platinum in the US and UK. Five titles will debut at 3,800 yen on March 19 – Resistance: Fall of Man, Folklore, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, Gundam: Target in Sight and Ridge Racer 7.

While there’s no official word form SCEJ just yet, the time’s about right. All those titles have pretty much fallen off the radar – I’d certainly want to milk them for what they’re worth.

Frankly we can’t wait for them to launch outside Japan, because even when we are lucky enough to get review code in, we certainly don’t get a copy each. Thankfully Gamesindustry.biz has been informed that a platinum collection in Europe is “likely”.

Since there hasn’t been an official announcement, there is obviously no word on when we’ll get to stop agonising over our purchases.

I personally suggest “Press Start for 1000 gamerpoints”, but that’s just me. Maybe you could earn points for a certain number of decapitations, or gain special hardcore recognition for beating the game without using any health items?

Even though I’m the manifestation of all your wildest dreams, from time to time people think I’m wrong. Why don’t you try to one-up me with your own suggestions?

Hint: Shouldn’t be too hard.

Source: Gamerscore Blog
Picture: The Break it Down Blog

In Devil May Cry 4, players control the formidable Nero whose beliefs and allegiance are tested as he comes to grips with his newly found power.

Before we summarize the GamePro’s review, we have some new exclusive PS3 features for you to mull over.

HDD Install: When the game starts for the first time, Devil May Cry 4 game data (4.8GB) will be installed on the PS3 Hard Disk Drive (HDD), which will eliminate loading. It appears as though this installation will be compulsory, so start deleting some trailers.

Motion Sensing: DMC4 will also support Sixaxis motion control, in the form of camera movement from left to right, and centering the camera by shaking the controller.

PSN Support: To top it off there are also some interesting Playstation Network “accomplishments”, which are obviously achievements in disguise. You can view player rankings divided according to difficulty, as well as various accomplishments. This can be seen in the following scan from the PS3 Devil May Cry 4 manual.

Click to enlarge.

Finally, the first review of the game by the German GamePro magazine, gives Devil May Cry 4 85%. In comparison the magazine rated DMC3 87% and Ninja Gaiden Sigma 81%.

Below is a short run down of the review’s positives and minuses:

Graphics:
+Beautiful animations and effects, along with very good character models. However, shadows and edges to have a tendency to flicker

Sound:
+ A good mixture of Rock and Classical music, directional/ambient effects, but often repeating tracks.

Controls:
+ Good controls, camera and lock on system, though it can become slightly chaotic.

Game design:
+ There is non-stop action with a well integrate upgrade system, but level design lacks innovation, becoming tedious at times because of backtracking.

Story/Game world:
+ Beautiful Setting with cool cutscenes, but has a bland main villain.

Click to enlarge.

Via: Neogaf