Itagaki, ex-Team Ninja staff form new studio
Outspoken creator returning to game development with a studio tentatively named Tokyo Vikings
Tomonobu Itagaki, the outspoken game developer previously in charge of Ninja Gaiden developer Team Ninja, has returned to videogame development with a new team tentatively named Tokyo Vikings.
In an interview with consumer publication 1UP, former members of Team Ninja confirmed that they had recruited many of the main talents behind both the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive franchises, and are working on an original IP.
Itagaki was tight-lipped on the nature of the new title, saying only that it will not be a one-on-one fighting game, and that it was "too early" to talk about.
Last year, Tomonobu Itagaki sued former employer Tecmo and president Yoghimi Yasuda over unpaid completion bonuses. Company stock fell following the controversy and rumors of additional Team Ninja defections, which are now confirmed as true.
Former Tecmo president Yoshimi Yasuda, the primary target of the lawsuit, stepped down last August, citing personal reasons.