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Tomonobu Itagaki, head of Tecmo's top studio, talks Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive Online, getting naked and much more - amazing new Ninja Gaiden shots inside!
19:30 Team Ninja head Tomonobu Itagaki is a true rockstar of the games industry. The creator of the Dead or Alive series, Itagaki-san has always courted controversy, filling his fighting titles with the voluptuous, wide-eyed, scantily clad female characters sporting the kind of curves that could reasonably have moons in orbit, that make Jordan look more like Amsterdam.
A staunch supporter of Xbox, Itagaki-san stunned the world with the breathtaking beauty of Dead or Alive 3 and followed up with the utterly perplexing DOA Xtreme Beach Volleyball, a brilliantly crafted exercise in style over substance that whipped up frankly disturbing levels of hysteria as a virtual tidal wave of testosterone gushed across the Web. [Yes, that was us - Ed.]
But for some, by far the most exciting title in development at Team Ninja is Ninja Gaiden, an action-adventure of quite disconcerting grace and beauty, an update to the classic 8-bit series which will set Xbox alight in its new guise later this year.
And with Dead or Alive Online, Code Cronus and DOA4 all demanding attention, we had plenty to talk to Mr. Itagaki about, when he sat down to talk to us exclusively - appropriately sporting big rockstar shades - at Microsoft's recent X03 event.
We understand the original Ninja Gaiden games will be hidden away in the Xbox version...
Itagaki: There were three original Ninja Gaiden titles. Everybody asks me what the common points are between the original Ninja Gaiden and my new version. These people are fans of the original, which is why Ninja Gaiden 1, 2 and 3 will be included as hidden features in Ninja Gaiden on Xbox.
How do you feel Ninja Gaiden on Xbox relates to the originals in terms of spirit and action?
Itagaki: The original Ninja Gaiden titles are not the type of game I produce now. They are the type of game you have to know very well and memorise - you need to know where the enemies are coming from and so on. That's quite an old game so the controls are very bad by today's standards! [laughs]
I've been told by many fans of the original: "Please don't ruin our dreams with the new game!" [laughs] But my thoughts are: was that game so good in the first place? [laughs] I hate games with a poor response time from when you press the button on the controller, so I am producing games that are fast paced games with easy-to-use controls.
[mimics button press, with punching action immediately] For me, when you press the button, if you don't hear the hit as you press the button, it's not a good game. [Continues to mime action, but punches a second or so after imaginary button press].
You've always been very outspoken about your belief in your own games and criticisms of competitor's games. Why do you believe the games Team Ninja produces are better than anyone else's?
Itagaki: I'm only 36 but I've been like that since I was a child. So when I used to play Mahjong, I was very powerful; and I'm a great gambler, too. And I think you cannot gamble unless you are self-confident enough. If you want to win you have to believe in your own strengths. For me, I'm confident enough already. I'm sorry that was a boring answer! [laughs]
With Dead or Alive Online, you've rebuilt DOA2 to an extent - why go to all this trouble instead of pouring your efforts into a true online sequel?
Itagaki: The version of Dead or Alive 1 will be the same as the 1996 original, but we are rebuilding DOA2 so that it is totally different from the PS2 and Dreamcast versions. The version you will find in Dead or Alive Online you've never seen before.
But it's still basically DOA2?
Itagaki: OK, we are improving on Dead or Alive 2, but are still restraining ourselves from using a lot of our ideas as then the game would become Dead or Alive 4. We are just improving DOA2 graphically, in terms of speed of gameplay, and musically.
What is the situation with DOA4? You must obviously have ideas and plans for it; is it something you're working on right now or is it on the backburner until DOA Online and Ninja Gaiden are finished?
Itagaki: We are thinking about Dead or Alive 4, but until Ninja Gaiden and Dead Or Alive Online are finished, we won't attack development of the game. We're just thinking about ideas.
When are we going to see something on Dead or Alive: Code Cronus?
Itagaki: Good question! [laughs] We are working on it in parallel to Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive Online.
How soon are we going to see something on it?
Itagaki: I don't know! [laughs] Ninja Gaiden was announced four years ago under its code name, so I don't know when I'll show something on Code Cronus. But I'm very happy that fans are supporting us while we are working on it very slowly. [laughs]
DOA Xtreme Beach Volleyball was a very provocative game, deliberately so. It was hardly surprising when it appeared, but what was your opinion of the 'nude' patch that was released? We don't think Microsoft like it very much...
Itagaki: I don't care about the nude patch. I'm sorry I have to say this sort of thing in front of a woman, [gestures to Microsoft PR lady] but for me 'erotic' is not 'getting naked' as the desire is not there when people are naked.
I prefer to have pretty girls with their swimsuits on. I think the people who made my characters naked need to find love in real life. [laughs]
In that sense, you've previously mentioned that the next Dead or Alive game will usher in a new concept of costume play. Will this be intimately related to the concept of sexual suggestion?
Itagaki: Yes. For me 'erotic' is a good term, not a derogatory one. Eroticism is inextricably linked to love; I love the characters and I want the player to love the characters. They have to dress them because they love them and not because they want to see them naked.
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