Itagaki forms new studio

https://www.facebook.com/tomonobu.itagaki/posts/2739978682932899

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/ninja-gaidens-itagaki-has-a-new-studio-and-would-be-honoured-to-work-with-xbox/

Dude has a polarizing reputation, for sure, but I've got faith.

Somewhat surprised by this still, but really excited. I know he's had his missers, but Itagaki is one of the few directors that still has the 'PS2 era' mindset. Looking forward to what he'll make!

He needs a good team. I'll wait to see him establish this studio with a decent title coming out (rather than crashing and burning). I share no such hope for success, but I'd like to see the faith on display rewarded. May it, at least, prove true he hasn't been corrupted with age.

I stopped following gaming news months ago(the industry is dead) but these are good news.

I don't know what hope is anymore but let's see how it turns out.

Will be interesting if he ends up getting published by Nintendo again. I don't think Microsoft is looking for a straight-forward single player experience (i.e. action game) now that they are heavily promoting GamePass. Now considering that Devil's Third was built for multiplayer, I can see successful results if Microsoft offered him publishing for that type of repeat performance, granted they'd have to be hands-off like they were in 2002 and not how they were in 2008 trying to enforce Kinect on games. Itagaki's gonna need way better character design than he chose for DT, particularly referring to the boxart, if he wants to get people interested.

I was smiling while I read those two links. I can't wait to see what he makes.

I agree he'd need a good team. Considering his legacy I hope this won't be a problem, especially since he was a game-design teacher so he might even just surround himself with his students. My biggest hope is that he'll just finally be able to make a game without external factors crippling the game. His last 5 games were plagued by issues as such.

Dead or Alive 4 was rushed out the door by management at threat of loss of bonus (which they never got anyway). Ninja Gaiden II was crippled by a rushed development cycle under the same threat which led to Itagaki leaving as well as most of the staff. Code Chronos was canceled as a result of him leaving. Devil's Third had probably the most cursed development since Duke Nukem Forever thanks to Microsoft ditching them, them being partnered up with THQ months before the studio went bankrupt etc. And then he advised on Samurai Jack which was a licenced title which probably also had the development time of a fan-film.

So yeah, just hope he gets time and a decent budget.

> microsoft and gamepass
Good call and I agree with it, though it might be fitting together with their recent strategy to make certain big hitters exclusive i.e. Elder Scrolls 6.

>keeps getting screwed over
Hate to see it. I recall my pain with GoW:A (executive mandates) even before Nu-GoW's betrayal. Or SWFU2 (Lucas fucking things up one last time before selling out).

I had more fun playing Devil's Third than I have most recent triple A open world games.

Roy you should spam his facebook and try to get a stinger interview. Would love to hear what his actual involvement in SJ was.

Fun fact I actually one time on a ... not so sober night called the Valhalla office to schedule an interview with Itagaki. They actually were going to look into it (they were scarily forthcoming), but he left the studio a few days later so I never heard from them again. Maybe I should look to Suntory again for liquid courage.

>liquid courage
Roy, pls.

>They actually were going to look into it (they were scarily forthcoming)

This doesn't surprise me. Everyone trashed DT and they were probably happy for the press.

>liquid courage

You want me to call him?