The second round of DOA creator Tomonobu Itagaki's suit against his former employer Tecmo has kicked off in court - and there's already been plenty of drama.
It's emerged that the shade-wearing Ninja Gaiden man didn't quit the company, as assumed, but he was fired on June 18 - just weeks after he announced he would be leaving - and suing - the game publisher.
What's more, a week later on June 30 Tecmo was due to pay Itagaki his fixed summer bonus and yearly incentives. It of course did not. Cheeky.
Itagaki is suing Tecmo over "special incentives" for Dead or Alive 4 that he was never paid. The incentives say that he was entitled to 6.66 percent of the game's profits, but current president Yasuda argues they were never approved by Tecmo's board.
The boss might change his tune shortly though, after Ninja Gaiden II producer Yoshifuru Okamoto presented his shocking evidence; a tape recording of Yasuda calling Itagaki a "money grubber" and admitting that he was, in fact, owed incentive money approved by the Tecmo board.
Okamoto said he recorded the conversation with the president of Tecmo because Yasuda continually harassed him, calling him names and saying that he had "no class".
Itagaki said he would be increasing his damage cliam from 148,000,000 yen to 164,000,095 yen due to the new developments in the case revealed today.
In his statement, the game designer said the audio recording was only a small part of concrete evidence he has. "I am prepared to reveal this evidence as the need arises for the sake of greater justice," he said.
Or at least, he was going to, since he announced he would, but then they fired him. So they could have the upper hand, I guess? To try and look like it wasnt his choice?
Or at least, he was going to, since he announced he would, but then they fired him. So they could have the upper hand, I guess? To try and look like it wasnt his choice?
To the best of my (limited) knowledge on employment law, you cannot legally fire someone for wanting to quit.
This is heating up a lot though. I can't wait to hear about the rest of his hidden evidence...
what a nice way to say bye after all them years service. The nice thing to do what say he resigned. It happens in football all the time out of curtsy.
Courtesy.... And when someone sues you, then I think the truth is a better option. You let them resign if they go peacefully.
This can't be good for his career. A law suit and all the publicity won't look good if he wants a further job in the games industry.
If he wins the case I bet he can find funding to start his own studio!
Sounding more like he is going to win now as well, with those revelations.... it's almost as bad as day times soaps storylines.... scrub that as bad as prime time soaps storylines!
He could create his own studio? I'm not sure how much he is getting in English terms but that would be one huge amount of money. Remember he'd need computers, a publisher and to hire loads of people to make a next gen game (unless he goes WiiWare...).
I don't know if that would be enough to setup his own studio...
I suppose logically, it is possible, and he definitely has the whole... "well known" factor about him. I don't see why someone wouldn't want to work with him, because he's suing to reclaim money he is owed.
I don't think it is legal in Japan, they are a democracy, after all
The Ninja Gaiden II ending peeved me a little and my support for Itagaki waned, but finding out that his boss is a a-hole, you can't help but root for him.
-- "Itagaki, san. You are a money grubber and have no honoooouuuuurrrr. Now go get me a pie!"
I doubt he'll go back into the games industry. He's the sort of man who knows which kind of projects he likes to work on, so him joining another random studio seems unlikely. 800k certainly isn't enough to open the doors to his own development studio
He could create his own studio? I'm not sure how much he is getting in English terms but that would be one huge amount of money. Remember he'd need computers, a publisher and to hire loads of people to make a next gen game (unless he goes WiiWare...).
I wouldn't want to work for him...
Microsoft will hire him. I would if i was them, anyway. His games sell ok and he knows the japanese market. I'd expect Microsoft would take him on in an instant.
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-- "Itagaki, san. You are a money grubber and have no honoooouuuuurrrr. Now go get me a pie!"
