SUMODOWNLOAD

W-h J: I fear that this time, the game might have played a part.

Clarifications:

Sumodownload has always been on the skeptical side when it comes to game related murders. However, after reading the reports from a reliable gaming blog, as to my judgment at least, this story is not as crystal clear as before where it’s easy to draw the line between fact and opinion: not when the means, medium and motive of the crime are all present in the game.

(more…)

Genius (but limited) yes, practical no.

Apparently, “Gravity Gym” in Manhattan charges gym goers a whopping $110 per session when using their Gym’s ”party gaming animal” exercise machine.  The Wii.

With a price like that, an intelligent guess comes to mind that “it might be because of a service offered other than just playing the game.” However, aside from getting professional help from their trainers that you can get from other gyms by paying $40, there’s nothing else offered in the table.

W-h J: Unless of course your trainer is a cute babe wearing miniature skirts.  I’d pay $200 to have them instruct me on my workout.

(source: Gaming Today)

Yesterday, we reported that Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki will sue TECMO because of “unpaid completion bonuses” and his former boss Yoshimi Yasuda for “unreasonable and disingenuous statements.” Itagaki came out pretty strong and so we waited for TECMO’s response before going any further. To our surprise, it held little water to counter Itagaki’s claims. It’s like an 8 year old talking back to an adult.

Our company getting sued by this employee is huge problem… the reasons for making this lawsuit public are self-centered. What’s more, this employee is filing this suit for himself and making it seem like he alone is responsible for the development of the game titles the rest of the Team Ninja staff had poured its heart into.

Team NINJA is currently working on a line-up of new titles. All of Team NINJA is starting to work together on interesting new game titles.

Where is Yasuda’s reply? Did anyone see it? The public isn’t asking what Team NINJA’s brewing. Evading it will just make the company look bad.

Also, according to Kotaku’s English translation of TECMO’s reply, The company also mentioned Itagaki’s previous controversy which has no connection whatsoever to the current case in hand: the sexual harassment issue. No one knows why but if TECMO doesn’t properly explain why, the company’s appearance to the public will be very, very unprofessional.

TECMO also asserted that Itagaki indeed was promised a completion pay. However, the old management promised him that and not the current one.

W-h J: Making the lawsuit public is not self-centered at all. It was only right to announce publicly that the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive project will come to a halt since he’s leaving TECMO. He also needs to explain why he’s leaving TECMO and concealing it wasn’t really an option since aside from the fact that he’s not getting his completion pay, his boss even insulted him and dared him to “either quit the company or sue it.” He deserves this fight if what he’s saying is true. He also wins the argument between getting and not getting his completion pay, on my side at least. It’s fine if there’s a new management, but one of the things the new management should do is to iron things out before accepting the position. It’s the current management’s fault if they didn’t know Itagaki was getting a completion bonus. Ignorance is not an excuse to legal matters.

(Sources: Gaming Today, Kotaku)

*Spits out coffee on morning paper* What?!

Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive mastermind Tomonobu Itagaki surprised the gaming industry not only when he announced that he’s leaving Tecmo, but is also suing the company for “unpaid completion bonuses” and his former boss Yoshimi Yasuda for “unreasonable and disingenuous statements.”

Yasuda told Itagaki that “If you are dissatisfied with the decision not to pay the bonuses, either quit the company or sue it”.  This seems to be the reason why Itagaki sued (AND quit) the company. However, if everything he said is true, he really is in the position to sue. Not only was he denied of the pay he deserves: he was also humiliated to his subordinates and colleagues.

However, Tecmo, Itagaki, and his whole team are not the only ones to suffer. According to Itagaki’s message to his fans, Ninja Gaiden II and Dead or Alive 4 seems to be the titles’ last hurrah.

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”

To bring light to any questions still unanswered, here’s the complete statement of Itagaki as to why he resigned and why he’s suing:

“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.

This is not the first time Itagaki faced a controversy inside Tecmo. Last November 2006, one of his co-workers filed a lawsuit against him because of sexual abuse. The court however found him not guilty through the help of Tecmo’s investigations that found the accusation was only because of the female employee’s personal frustrations. Both As a result of this, Itagaki and the female employee were both demoted due to mixing “personal affairs with their corporate responsibilities.”

W-h J: Now, all we have to do is to wait for Yasuda’s reply to Itagaki’s statements. I’ll keep an eye on that for sure and post any findings here. But hey, one thing’s for sure. Itagaki’s resignation will surely hurt Tecmo’s performance, since Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive are two of their cash cows. Should the company continue to release succeeding titles under these games, I can foresee heavy criticisms from the gaming world comparing the games under the new director with “What Itagaki should’ve done.”

(Sources: Gaming Today, Wikipedia)

*Giggles like a high school girl seeing her crush on the thought of pre ordering them.  (chuckle)*

Aherm!

Toy collectors rejoice! TriForce, with the help of Sid Garrand from Nightmare Armor Studios, is about to release something so epic it might be the doombringer for all the resin figures and gashapons lying around our computer tables!

Imagine having your own replica of the COG armor, COG helmet, and Lancer Assault Rifle hanging around your body…Awesome? Now that would be an understatement!

“Sid Garrand’s team came to our offices wearing the armor one day, and everyone here at Epic was blown away. The level of detail in these pieces is incredible, and it’s so rewarding to see our work come to life,” said Dr. Michael Capps, president, Epic Games. “We’re really psyched TriForce will give fans – and our team – the chance to own some of these awesome pieces from the Gears of War franchise.”

Wanna know why Garrand’s work is as perfect as how Galatea was sculpted? It’s because it’s a labor of love.

“I have been a huge fan of Gears of War since its release in November of 2006,” said Garrand. “In my spare time I sculpted a full set of armor for myself, which I enjoyed showing off at conventions. When the fans saw it they all asked me how they could get it. I was thrilled when the team from Epic saw it, and liked it, which allowed us to move to the point to where we are today. It all truly began as a labor of love.”

To get an update as to when these will be released, go to TriForce’s website and subscribe your email.

W-h J: Imagine the countless ways you can do with that get up…
          1 - Look cool at video game conventions
          2 - Sell it on Ebay after 10 years and earn a fortune
          3 - Never get hurt again from Airsoft gun tourneys
          4 - Makes a good family heirloom when it gets too old for you
          5 - Protect yourself from minor thunderstorms and typhoons
         6 - Grants you +5 protection from flying dishes when your wife sees you drunk on the doorway

(Source: Gaming Today)

*facepalm*

After sitting on store shelves for nearly half a year, the United Kingdom Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has decided to pull down the curtains on Kane and Lynch’s Ads because of it’s “shocking content.” Let’s hear what the Guardian, a UK news media authority, has to report:

The ad was used a double-page spread in Future Publishing’s computer game magazine Edge, while a second version appeared in the magazine Total Film…

Ruling on the Kane & Lynch poster… the ASA said it was “likely to be seen as condoning and glorifying real violence”, and was also irresponsible and “likely to cause serious or widespread offence”.

ASA’s report as noted by the Guardian:

We noted that the demographic profile of the magazines that carried the ads was predominantly adult males and that only a small number of children were likely to have seen the ads.

We considered, however, that the graphic and shocking image, which would be seen as condoning and glorifying real violence, was likely to cause distress to some readers and was unsuitable for children to see. We therefore concluded that the placement of the ads was irresponsible.

W-h J: To be fair, the picture’s angle is kind of offensive and it would seem like it’s a good call by the ASA. However, there’s a thing called “time element” which is something that’s usually pulled off in situations like this.

(Sources: GamePolitics, Gaming Today)