Tomonobu Itagaki: From Team Ninja to Ronin

10 Years Ago This Month: Tecmo and its star developer hit the breaking point, Jack Thompson makes a bad situation worse, and Limbo of the Lost raises the bar for innovation in appropriation.

The games industry moves pretty fast, and there's a tendency for all involved to look constantly to what's next without so much worrying about what came before. That said, even an industry so entrenched in the now can learn from its past. So to refresh our collective memory and perhaps offer some perspective on our field's history, here's some highlight happenings in gaming from exactly a decade ago.

[DVAcme]

I hate this egomaniacal creep. He constantly bitches and complains about other games like his shit don't stink and his games are masterpieces, when they are middle-of-the-road at best and prurient incel wish fulfillment fodder at worse (remember "She kicks high"?). Not to mention he's a real-life sexual harasser. I'm glad he's been out of the spotlight, I can't stand the fucker.

[UCForce]

And good thing that Team Ninja is doing pretty well without him.

[naruga]

@above(ok UCForce your comment convienced me that u r here only for comments---u r not gaming) ..... are u serious??? are u even gaming ....Itagaki is one hell of a talented developer/director that made Ninja Gaiden the legendary game it is today...His harcore authentic skill to make games with superb gamepaly and difficulty but fair is starting to fade off in gaming industry... ....very few devs out there even in Japan can match him ...his only con that stuck with lame Xbox and didnt relese the Ninja Gaiden Black and 2 on PS3 (with him directing personally not the lazy Team Ninja ports)

[morganfell]

And Naruga is only here to hate Western games.

The guy was and likely still is an arrogant jerk. Talk to some people that worked with him not only at Team Ninja but also Valhalla. He was going through tons of money in adult clubs then writing it off as an expense. Not showing up at the office, disappearing for days.

What Itagaki wouldn't acknowledge was NG was good because he was surrounded by talent. When that one hit wonder went on his own he face planted. He reminds me of the star wars kid.

And to be a ronin you must have first been a samurai. He wasn't.

[Venoxn4g]

@naruga ..i agree part about Ninja Gaiden games..they are awesome..but dod you play his game on WiiU Devils Third .. even though some bits of game were good, bigger part was a pure crap

[naruga]

@Venox ...i dont own a Wii U ...but i saw the whole game walkthrough on youtube ....and its one of these games i would buy instantly ...it seems technical and difficult like Ninja G,and also has these super likable (for me)over the top cheesy characters -which are Itagakis signature ...if they werent these crappy FPS features in the game would be a far better product

[TheOttomatic91]

Wow legit forgot about that makes me even more glad he's become so irrelevant now.

[solideagle]

I thought he was accussed of rape? is he still in Gaming Industry?

[TheOttomatic91]

Lol this guy thought he was bigger than he was, when he voluntarily left Tecmo he thought his name and reputation would be enough to save him. Thankfully reality told him otherwise.

[syphon32]

His crappy game told him otherwise... His company Valhalla studios dropped a fat Cleveland steamer by the name of...oh shit, I forgot... It's not even worth searching just to complete my thought...it was hyped out this world and and ended up flopping....devil's third.. That's the name..

[Knushwood Butt]

Devil's Cleveland Steamer

[DivineAssault]

Like him or hate him, this guy made DOA what it is today.. Ninja Gaiden on xbox too.. DOA 5 was a nice comeback for team ninja but theyve been dormant

[syphon32]

True, I can't be too mad at him... Ninja Gaiden is my shit

[Amplitude]

that dude looks like tommy wiseau

[morganfell]

With the talent to match.

[strayanalog]

Jack Thompson was ten years ago now? I haven't forgotten you, Jack, and you still suck. And apparently I hold grudges.

[tehpees3]

Note = since leaving he has done Devil's Third and stepped down for his underlings to make Shinobi Striker ba dum tish.

[kakashi81]

I wished that itagaki wasn't the Harvey Weinstein of the game industry.. smh
But other than that he make good games.

[Derceto]

Comical comments on here on how "this guy made Ninja Gaiden". Right, he sat there by himself, and made Ninja Gaiden.

No? You're willing to remove your head from your a** a moment concede he had help? Okay, so this guy sat there, and made Ninja Gaiden, with none of his subordinates having any input of any kind. They were merely his tools.

No? You're willing to remove the s**t from between your ears? Oh, so "this guy" didn't make Ninja Gaiden, but rather headlined a talented team that made Ninja Gaiden. Gotcha.

The Cliff B of Japan. Has a couple hits by mistake, and 15 years later, is an irrelevant slog.

[YoungKingDoran]

Itagaki, Jaffe, Blezsinski, Molyneux - they need to get together and start a game company 😂

[pietro1212]

One of the overrated designers in the gaming industries. Outside of the Ninja Gaiden reboot (xbox, black) the titles he directed were okay at best. He has such a huge ego for someone who only directed a few good games.