Tomonobu Itagaki Interview (TeamXbox)

[Yoshi]

The funny thing is, this guy works for IGN. He's part of the videogame journalism industry. And you wonder why nobody takes videogames seriously... because baboons like him are the ones writing about them.

Someone who thinks that ZOE2 is an example of a great game should not be paid for his opinions.

[g0zen]

Because I value my views, I argue them--I welcome dissenting opinions. I'm not on a web forum to hold hands.

That's the problem though, you don't argue the issue you just spew out your anti-Itagaki rhetoric and then attack people who disagree with completely unrelated arguments. You have to yet to show anyone in this thread a logical argument why the DOA games 'suck'.

If these were niche games only the few diehard Itagaki fans lusted for then I might find some wisdom in the unsupported drivel you spout, but nearly every one of Team Ninja's games that have come out have sold fantastically. Plus, this isn't even due to casual gamer appeal, Ninja Gaiden has absolutely NO casual appeal and yet raked in millions. Why? Because people enjoyed the game, 'shitty' camera and all.

MarkRyan, you need to face up to an important fact. Just because your opinion is different from the norm doesn't make it better. If you don't like Team Ninja games and have a valid explanation why, by all means share it. However, if you're going to just bash them and their games based solely on your personal preference and the same tired arguments that have been addressed countless times before in different threads, then I think you should just move on.

And also to dog$, gaming magazines use "fun" as a decriptor because that's what games are fundamentally meant to be. The same isn't necessarily said about movies or music, but by the same token those genres have their own vague terminology that critics liberally apply. How many times have we heard a movie critic refer to a film as "smart" or a music critic refer to an album as "experimental"? Sure, these labels are highly subjective, but reviews of any kind on the whole are subjective. But, if enough people agree that a certain quality about a game, movie, or album appeal to them, that's how they're going to describe it to their friends. I see no problem in calling a game "fun" if it is to me. If other people disagree fine, but ragging on me simply because I enjoy a game isn't criticism, it's stupidity.

[MechDeus]

While I don't give a damn for BS's music, who is she hurting?

According to some she's influencing little girls to turn into sluts. Granted, as females they'll become such anyway, but nevertheless.

I might happen to think it's fun to bury cats in the ground neck-up and go mow the lawn.

You're my hero for the day.

I also agree with Destin's list. As much as I can, anyway, since I don't know dick about TTT.

[StriderKyo]

I'm with dog$ here. I mean, did I have an insane amount of fun with Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII? Hell yes I did. But I can also be reasonably certain most people don't enjoy managing 3rd century politics and moving grain around. So I say "FUN FACTOR 8!!" and you buy it on my recommendation and next thing you know Xu Yu is telling you that Xu You is requesting troops from Shang Xiang.

[SonofdonCD]

Well, there is no universal "Fun-factor", as it's all subjective.

But still I think that ultimately, all game designers strive to create a game that is fun. Sometimes they forego depth for ease of use, and sometimes try to infuse their games with both, which is more difficult.

I tend to judge all media (TV, Movies, Music, Books, Video Games, etc.) based on what the creators were trying to accomplish (and how well they accomplished their goals), not strictly on my own biases and wants and expectations. If I wanted a truly in-depth fighting engine that would take months to perfect one character, got DOA III, and complained that this game didn't give me what I wanted, is Itagaki to blame or I? After all, by all accounts he never claimed that his games were that in-depth, nor have reviewers or others who have played it.

That's why I hate it when reviewers constantly judge a game not based on its own merits, but in comparison to a game that sometimes has very little in common besides being in the same genre.

So DOA isn't as deep as VF. We've established this time and time again. Do we need to read up about it every week? Do we need confirmation that this rule still exists so often? And besides, what does that have to do with the enjoyment those who like the game have? You only get as much as you put into it, and plenty have given up on VF since they felt it wasn't worth it. Yet you won't hear many claim tha VF is a bad game; some can differentiate from a game that doesn't appeal to them and a badly made game.

I don't understand why (outside of his irrational hatred for all things Team Ninja) MarkRyan created a whole separate thread to this topic, when he could have just put this into one of the other numerous threads devoted to this topic. This wasn't even provoked; there was no need for this thread.

[Jeremy]

I tend to judge and rate games based on how much fun I had with them. Given the game, I could be letting the game fly on its owm merits, comparing it to previous entries in a series, comparing it to future entries of a series, or any number of things. If I didn't have fun with a game, I'm not going to lavish praise upon it. Sure, it might be "technically" the best game to graze the Earth, but if I didn't have fun with it, I'd be lying to readers, and to myself, by giving it high praise or marks in areas where they don't apply. Itigaki's games have been fun, but for the most part, I don't feel the fun that can be had with them is worth the frustration caused by the lackluster gameplay. They simply aren't my cup of tea.

Much like how Gran Turismo and games of that ilk just aren't games that I enjoy. Despite that, I'll continue to review them, as I have just as much right to post my opinion on them as someone who does love them to death.

[Melf]

No I am saying that he has to to stop his constant whinging at Itagaki and DOA. He seems to give off the vibe that he can't accept that DOA is a good game to some people or even fun to some.

I am saying people see thing in games others don't and vice versa.

There's a difference between saying the games are good and swinging from Itagaki's nuts all the time.

"OMG!! HE CAN DRAW AWESOME BOOBS!!!1"

Get's old after 234,0000 threads.

IMO, aside from Ninja Gaiden, nothing he's done has been exceptional. In fact, what else outside of DOA has he even done?

[Thief Silver]

I can't say I'm a huge fan of his games, but just from press releases and the like I have to admire someone who truly does listen to his fans. Even if I hate DOA Itagaki is awesome. That's all I can say about him.

(Ninja Gaiden though, I love).

And I think everyone is putting way too much focus on MarkRyan's opinion. And I think MarkRyan needs to stop reiterating the fact he hates Itagaki. We know.

[kingoffighters]

I think this thread is fun to read.

[epmode]

if you're a masochist.

in related news, i was just replaying ninja gaiden on hard mode. the camera in chapter 2 is horrid. the horsemen, the boss.. ugh. i'm pretty sure that level had a lot to do with some people's dislike of the game. at least it gets much less terrible in chapter 3+.