| GameBump | http://www.gamebump.com Video gaming news blog. en-us Copyright 2006-2008 Gaming Horizon Company Wide Lawsuit Plagues Tecmo Zach Lott http://www.gamebump.com/go/tecmos_entire_staff_is_suing_the_company http://www.gamebump.com/go/tecmos_entire_staff_is_suing_the_company http://www.gamebump.com/go/tecmos_entire_staff_is_suing_the_company#

When the rumor hit over the weekend that several dozen Tecmo employees could be joining Tomonobu Itagaki in his lawsuit against the company, no one realized how much of an underestimate that number really was: Joystiq is reporting that Tecmo is being sued by all 300 of its employees.

Kotaku reported on the specifics of the suit, in which the workers claim that they were illegally placed on a "flexible hours" schedule and weren't paid the overtime that they feel they deserve. What's worse is that Tecmo may have created false documents while covering up accounting documents.

It looks like Tecmo's labor practices and failure to fulfill Japanese law by reporting Itagaki's lawsuit to shareholders on the same day as the filing could leave them in serious, serious legal trouble. We'll be sure to keep you updated as the drama continues to unfold.
]]> Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:31:13 -0500 Rumor: Team Ninja To Lose Dozens of Members Zach Lott http://www.gamebump.com/go/rumor_team_ninja_to_lose_dozens_of_members http://www.gamebump.com/go/rumor_team_ninja_to_lose_dozens_of_members http://www.gamebump.com/go/rumor_team_ninja_to_lose_dozens_of_members#

It looks like Tomonobu Itagaki won't be the only one to leave publisher Tecmo, as 1up has discovered that dozens of Team Ninja members may be planning to follow his lead and will jump ship and sue the company for unpaid bonuses.

The news comes after Tecmo issued a statement saying that the team is "intact" and "has several new projects already underway," leading many to believe that Team Ninja may soon be in dire trouble. Even if they hire new developers to work on future entries in the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive franchises, they will run the risk of releasing products that aren't true to their predecessors.

1up also made note that Japanese law requires publicly-traded companies to report lawsuits filed against them to shareholders on the same day as the filing, which could cause huge problems for Tecmo, as they waited for weeks after the filing of Itagaki's lawsuit to reveal the information to their shareholders.

We'll have more information once it becomes available.
]]> Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:34:43 -0500 Tomonobu Itagaki Leaves Tecmo, Sues Company Zach Lott http://www.gamebump.com/go/tomonobu_itagaki_leaves_techmo_sues_company http://www.gamebump.com/go/tomonobu_itagaki_leaves_techmo_sues_company http://www.gamebump.com/go/tomonobu_itagaki_leaves_techmo_sues_company#

In what will certainly be remembered as one of the most unexpected events of 2008, Tomonobu Itagaki, Team Ninja leader and mastermind behind Ninja Gaiden, left Tecmo last night and announced that he is suing the company. The reason? He failed to receive a completion bonus for Dead or Alive 4 that was promised to him by Tecmo president Yoshimi Yasuda.

1up did some digging and discovered that Itagaki's problems with Yasuda may extend past unpaid bonuses, as they've heard that Yasuda wanted to force him into making several ports of his games and was more concerned with making money over creating a quality product.

In a recent interview, Itagaki stated that he's interested in creating a new action game similar to Ninja Gaiden, but now the question arises of where he'll go from here to create it. Will he join another development team at another publisher? Will he form his own studio? For now, the answer will have to wait.

Here's the statement that Andrew Szymanski, Itagaki's translator, sent to both Kotaku and 1up:

"At approximately 2:30 PM Japan Standard Time today, June 3 2008, an official statement from Tomonobu Itagaki was sent by fax to major Japanese news outlets. In the interest of fair and expedient reporting of this story throughout the English-speaking world, I have been asked by Itagaki to convey this statement to you. Herein find attached Itagaki's official statement, in English, for the benefit of your readers.

"You will likely have questions regarding the content of the statement, or about Itagaki's future plans. I am afraid that I will be unable to answer such questions for the time being; however, rest assured that more information will be forthcoming as soon as it is deemed appropriate to do so."

Hit the jump for Itagaki's full statement, which includes a message to game fans.

Statement

I, Tomonobu Itagaki, hereby announce that on the 14th of May 2008 I filed a complaint in the Tokyo District Court against Tecmo Co., Ltd. for unpaid completion bonuses, and against the President of Tecmo, Yoshimi Yasuda, for such unlawful acts as unreasonable and disingenuous statements made towards me, claiming damages in total of 148 million yen. I also announce that this complaint was delivered to the defendants on May 22nd of the same year.

In addition, I hereby announce that I have today submitted a letter of resignation to Tecmo Co., Ltd. stating that I will resign as of the 1st of July, 2008.

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.

The conduct of Tecmo Co., Ltd. and its president Yoshimi Yasuda towards me has been unbefitting of a publicly-listed company.

I have filed this lawsuit with a strong intent to question the social responsibility of Tecmo Co., Ltd. and its President Yoshimi Yasuda, as well as condemning them for their unjust acts. Today, in addition to announcing the reasons for this lawsuit, I make clear my reasons for resigning.

To All Game Fans

I truly feel sorry to all the fans of the games I have made. Ninja Gaiden 2, which will launch on the 3rd of June will be the last Ninja Gaiden I will create. I will also never be able to make Dead or Alive 5. I regret the circumstances that have forced me to leave Tecmo, where I had worked for so many years, and I regret the disappointment this will cause my fans.

However, I can no longer continue to work with President Yoshimi Yasuda, a man who chooses not to honor promises even when he is able to do so.

I truly hope that nothing like this happens again in the future.

Tecmo Co., Ltd. Creative Officer

Leader, Team NINJA

Tomonobu Itagaki

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