Famed Japanese developer, Tomonobu Itagaki, is leaving Tecmo. He’s the man behind the Dead or Alive series and Ninja Gaiden series, if you’re wondering. He’s also a big supporter of the Xbox franchise seeing how he developed a handful of titles exclusively for Microsoft’s platform.
His reasons for leaving Tecmo after 12 years is quite simple actually: his employer was mistreating him.
Before the start of development on DEAD OR ALIVE 4, Tecmo Co., Ltd. had agreed to pay a completion bonus to me for this Xbox 360 title, which I produced. However, when the time came for the actual payment, Tecmo Co., Ltd. went against its previous agreement and refused payment. President Yoshimi Yasuda chose not only to violate this agreement, but also turned defiant, telling me if you are dissatisfied with the decision not to pay the bonuses, either quit the company or sue it. In addition, he made demeaning remarks about me to my subordinates and colleagues, causing me significant emotional distress and worsening my personal relationships and work environment. Thus, I have no choice but to resign from Tecmo Co., Ltd.
All the best to him. Some are convinced that Microsoft Japan will pick him up. Maybe? Maybe not.
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