Tomonobu Itagaki: forward-looking statements

That’s the reason why he’s pushed Team Ninja on the Xbox, when it first appeared. “Once I decided to start developing games for the Xbox, I realized that there is no point to thinking of things that relate to only one country,” Tomonobu Itagaki tells CVG in a recent interview.

So that’s the theme of the interview: the future. There’s that brand-spanking-new (er, should we say “spanking” about a game by the man behind DOAX?) game “unlike any other,” but he isn’t giving details to CVG – not yet, anyway. It’s not likely a Dead or Alive installment, though, as he tells CVG, “Right now I am focused on my action game. Creating games one by one is the style that best suits me” (Ninja Gaiden sequel, maybe? But then, why “unlike any other”?).

Now, Itagaki is known to concentrate exclusively on the Xbox system (the PS3 Ninja Gaiden Sigma is being handled by his subordinate, Yosuke Hayashi). Still doesn’t preclude his daydreaming about other consoles, though. “when I played the Boxing game included in Wii Sports, I thought that it might be interesting to make a fighting game for the Wii.”

And, “I still get upwards of 100 letters a year begging me to make a new Tecmo Bowl game! [Laughs.]”

That’s the reason why he’s pushed Team Ninja on the Xbox, when it first appeared. “Once I decided to start developing games for the Xbox, I realized that there is no point to thinking of things that relate to only one country,” Tomonobu Itagaki tells CVG in a recent interview.

So that’s the theme of the interview: the future. There’s that brand-spanking-new (er, should we say “spanking” about a game by the man behind DOAX?) game “unlike any other,” but he isn’t giving details to CVG – not yet, anyway. It’s not likely a Dead or Alive installment, though, as he tells CVG, “Right now I am focused on my action game. Creating games one by one is the style that best suits me” (Ninja Gaiden sequel, maybe? But then, why “unlike any other”?).

Now, Itagaki is known to concentrate exclusively on the Xbox system (the PS3 Ninja Gaiden Sigma is being handled by his subordinate, Yosuke Hayashi). Still doesn’t preclude his daydreaming about other consoles, though. “when I played the Boxing game included in Wii Sports, I thought that it might be interesting to make a fighting game for the Wii.”

And, “I still get upwards of 100 letters a year begging me to make a new Tecmo Bowl game! [Laughs.]”