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Tecmo responds to Itagaki controversey

Tyranitar24 | June 03, 2008 | News | XBOX 360 Company 
Tecmo has responoded to Itagaki, who quit Tecmo yesterday because of unpaid bonuses. Tecmo denies not paying Itagaki's bonuses. Tecmo says they have a bonus system in place and that they have paid Itagaki's bonuses every year. Tecmo claims the bonus that Itagaki is referring to is something from a past management. They have also accused Itagaki of distortions because of the damage that was sought out against CEO Yoshimi Yasuda.
Tecmo issued a response today to yesterday's statement from Creative Officer Tomonobu Itagaki in which the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive producer announced his resignation and litigation over, among other things, unpaid bonuses.

In the statement, Tecmo denies responsibility to pay the completion bonus mentioned by Itagaki in his complaint. The company claims to have a bonus system in place, and states that it paid Itagaki this bonus every year. The bonus Itagaki mentioned in his complaint is, according to the Tecmo statement, separate from this and is something from the time of previous management.

The company also refers to the damages sought out against CEO Yoshimi Yasuda as being the product of "distortions" from Itagaki.

The Tecmo statement goes on to complain about Itagaki's public disclosure of the litigation, which it considered to be a personal matter and thus did not go public with it despite considering it an important issue. It also accuses Itagaki of referring to Team Ninja's productions in his statement as if they were developed exclusively by himself.

Before closing off with an apology to customers, stock holders and business partners for any trouble that might have been caused, the statement notes that Team Ninja has started working on new titles.

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  • 0 thumbs!
    Final Blade | June 04, 2008
    Wow if this is true, than that sucks for him. I'll wait to hear more though.
  • 2 thumbs!
    chautemoc | June 04, 2008
    Im not buying it.
    I doubt he would have quit if there was any doubt, its kinnnd of a big deal.
  • 2 thumbs!
    Gothic Girl | June 04, 2008
    I don't believe it either. If Tecmo are right, then Itagaki wouldn't be suing them in the first place - He wouldn't have a leg to stand on. And judging by previous interviews with the man, he certainly doesn't sound stupid enough to do something like this unless he believes it to be true.

    It's also odd that Tecmo's official website is now slandering Itagaki with the sexual-harassment case against Itagaki that was filed years ago ... (at least, according to Kotaku) ... The sexual harassment case has nothing to do with the issue and was finished over a year ago. Sounds like Tecmo is just trying to make Itagaki look bad now.

    Tecmo is most likely packing themselves. They've just lost one of their biggest assets to the company. And if Itagaki has good ol' fashioned Japanese pride, no money in the world would make him want to come back.
  • -1 thumbs!
    Final Blade | June 04, 2008
    As if they want him back anyway. It seems from the look of it, they're glad he's leaving.
    • 1 thumbs!
      Gothic Girl | June 04, 2008
      They're glad that one of their biggest assets to the company is leaving? Not likely.
      • 0 thumbs!
        Final Blade | June 05, 2008
        Then tell me why they would report this, if it wasn't true? As I said it appears as thats the case. Im not saying its fact or true, just how its looking.
        • 2 thumbs!
          Gothic Girl | June 05, 2008
          They're not going to say they were wrong and beg for him to come back. It would make the company look foolish. Of course they're going to fight it.
        • 0 thumbs!
          Final Blade | June 05, 2008
          Even still I would assume from what I gather so far this is why they're reporting it. Then again more to it, but I wouldn't pass it buy if thats how they feel.
  • 0 thumbs!
    Storm | June 05, 2008
    Stop hating on Itagaki, Final. <_< You're just 'giddy' over the possibility that Tecmo may work more with the PS3.

    GG's right, Tecmo simply wants to save face. Itagaki's quite a man of his word, and he took the boss' words quite literally. I'll be pissed if Tecmo tries to bring in those old charges on Itagaki to the case. That's completely irrelevant here. This has to do with unpaid bonuses.
    • 1 thumbs!
      Seeker X | June 05, 2008
      The tactic is to discredit him as much as he discredited them. It's a dirty tactic but, if done right, you could swerve opinions in your favor.
      • 0 thumbs!
        Storm | June 05, 2008
        Haha, much like politics back here, eh? I get it now.
        • 0 thumbs!
          Seeker X | June 05, 2008
          And with a "Sexual Harrassment" accusation on your ass, it's like having a "Shoot me" sign in the back of your head...if taunted enough anyways.
    • 2 thumbs!
      Gothic Girl | June 05, 2008
      quote
      You're just 'giddy' over the possibility that Tecmo may work more with the PS3.
      He might have to wait a while. Tecmo's two biggest remaining franchises are on the Wii.
  • 0 thumbs!
    Final Blade | June 05, 2008
    Actually Storm a different party within Team ninja made Sigma, which does want to make more PS3 games.

    I guess you didn't see this yet
    • 1 thumbs!
      Storm | June 05, 2008
      You think I don't know that? You're buying what they said, though? All game developers and such interviewed LOVE to keep things in the air. They never really deny anything such as going multiplatform because they don't want anyone to give their hopes up, they want to keep that idea out in the open, as a possibility, but usually, they don't go for it...you didn't know that strategy in an interview?

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