Useless or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki has handed away on the age of 58. As caught by Automaton Media, the announcement of his passing was made by a liked one in all Itagaki’s on social media via a message he had written earlier than his dying.
“The flame of my life is about to exit,” reads the message. “The truth that this message has been posted signifies that my time has lastly come. I’m not on this world. (I’ve entrusted somebody necessary to me with this remaining message).”
“My life was a steady battle which I stored successful. I triggered loads of bother for others too. I take delight in having fought to the top, and having adopted my convictions. I’ve no regrets, however I’m deeply sorry that I couldn’t ship new works to my followers. I’m sorry. So it goes.”
Itagaki had labored with Koei Tecmo on a variety of tasks, from its basic Ninja Gaiden collection to the Useless or Alive preventing video games, in addition to a number of various spin-offs. He had left the corporate a couple of years in the past, asserting the founding of his personal firm, Valhalla Sport Studios, which was additionally finally dissolved earlier than he based Itagaki Video games again in 2021. His focus along with his personal firms was to work on new IPs for PC and consoles.
He had initially joined Tecmo again in 1992 as a graphics programmer the place he initially labored on Tecmo Tremendous Bowl. The event of the primary Useless or Alive sport, which on the time was developed for a similar arcade {hardware} as Virtua Fighter, is famous as being the primary main breakthrough in his profession.
In 2001, Itagaki had taken up the position of the chief of Staff Ninja, and 2004 noticed him changing into an govt officer of the corporate. Together with having labored on all mainline Useless or Alive video games as much as the discharge of Useless or Alive 4, Itagaki additionally labored on tasks like Useless or Alive Xtreme Seaside Volleyball, Tremendous Swing Golf, and horror title Deadly Body 2: Crimson Butterfly.
He additionally had a hand within the creation of Ninja Gaiden, which took place from his want to develop a title that featured violent gameplay. This resulted within the launch of Ninja Gaiden on the unique Xbox. He additionally labored additional on the title to then launch it as Ninja Gaiden Black, earlier than finally additionally making Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword on the Nintendo DS. He left Tecmo simply earlier than the discharge of Ninja Gaiden 2 in 2008, suing the corporate for withholding his bonus funds.
Itagaki is survived by his spouse and daughter, the latter of whom he has credited as being a serious inspiration behind the event of Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword. Whereas he has labored on a number of titles all through his life, the newest sport launched along with his identify within the credit is Samurai Jack: Battle By means of Time from 2020, the place he served because the Supreme Advisor. Earlier than this, Itagaki had additionally labored on 2015’s Satan’s Third because the director.
