We're certainly impressed by Team Ninja's upcoming DS Ninja Gaiden game. But why is a hardcore 3D action game being developed for Nintendo's admittedly weaker handheld, especially when it comes from the typically technology-savvy team at Team Ninja? GamePro questioned the infamously opinionated Tomonobu Itagaki on why they avoided the PSP platform."The design philosophy for the PSP as a piece of hardware is a home gaming machine ... If we were gonna make it for PSP, it'd be better for us to make it for a powerful home system instead," he said. The PSP can display console-quality graphics, unlike the DS. It seems as though Itagaki would be far more interested in creating a new game for a home console rather than a portable, especially if it would take a similar amount of effort.
Puzzlingly, he believes that hardcore gamers wouldn't want a Ninja Gaiden game to appear on Sony's handheld. "I think if I were to develop this game on the PSP, most of my fans would be upset." Sorry to prove you wrong Itagaki, but we're more than a little upset that you think that way.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
5-18-2007 @ 8:39PM
Service_Games said...
What a cop-out...
SG
Reply
5-18-2007 @ 8:45PM
rabe7thebest said...
what the ****..I would be more than happy to buy a NG for PSP..
Reply
5-18-2007 @ 8:51PM
zoen151 said...
What an arrogant @ss. He's just making an excuse for not going on the PSP. We all know he made it for the DS to make a quick buck just because the DS is selling better.
Reply
5-18-2007 @ 8:52PM
thatpspkid said...
Japanese Michel Jackson look alike quotes:
"We don't want to make Ninja Gaiden on psp because it would just be too good. On the DS we can retain a balance combination of suckiness that we can all enjoy and laugh at.
For our next game, we are considering changing the name to Ninja Maiden and putting it out exclusively on the Wii. It is all for The Greater Good."
Followers mindlessly quote:
"The Greater Good"
Gamespot:
But why would you want to... (cut off)
Japanese Michel Jackson look alike:
"The Greater Good"
mindless Followers:
"The Greater Good"
Reply
5-18-2007 @ 8:58PM
mastershake3 said...
In otherwords, the PSP requires a dev. team where as we can get our interns to whip up some cheap crap for the DS for a lot less money and no one will be the wiser.
This interview would piss me off if I were Nintendo.
Reply
5-18-2007 @ 9:39PM
required said...
lol
Reply
5-18-2007 @ 10:00PM
required said...
Looks like the backgrounds in this DS title are static prerendered 2D illustrations like what was done on the 2001 GBA title, Tony Hawk.
http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/166/166246p1.html
Reply
5-18-2007 @ 10:04PM
kingofwale said...
How is making Ninja Gaiden for xbox exclusively not 'pissing off your fans'?
well, I'm not sure they were pissed, but they sure wasn't buying your game. ;) less than 1 million sold worldwide for an fantastic game? Ouch.
Reply
5-18-2007 @ 10:35PM
Saigon said...
Most of your fans upset? wtf, that doesn't even make any sense. The last DoA game released on a non-microsoft console was DoA 2: Hardcore, and that was on dreamcast.
"The design philosophy for the PSP as a piece of hardware is a home gaming machine"
Ugh, as a proud psp owner, I feel insulted.
Also, I'm surprised they haven't made a DoA game for psp yet, seeing as how successful Tekken was. But what the hell do I care, I rather play a Tekken game.
Reply
5-18-2007 @ 10:41PM
warrenjoseph76 said...
spoken like a true wannabe rock star "Yeah.. we're not gonna sell out to the man like some other bands we used to like before they made it big... we're gonna stay hardcore for our like 5 fans out there." What a moron... even if he ever had any intentions of catering to a real handheld.....he just killed any chance of me ever buying a game that his arrogant ass ever develops.
Reply
5-18-2007 @ 10:43PM
SKI said...
The DS is designed under the concept of "What should a portable system be?" instead of trying to replicate the home experience. That's what attracted me to developing on the DS because you can really utilize its strengths as a portable platform. I think if I were to develop this game on the PSP, most of my fans would be upset.
He's saying that if he made the same game that he would make for the PS2 or 360 on the PSP, it wouldn't be as good and gamers wouldn't like it. By designing it for the DS, he believes he can change the game to fit the hand held better.
Reply
5-18-2007 @ 10:57PM
zoen151 said...
Hey Andrew, I think it's time to email Tomonobu Itagaki with all of our comments attached. Tell him what we think of his development strategy.
Reply
5-18-2007 @ 11:03PM
bxbailey said...
He's a damn idiot and a fool!
Reply
5-19-2007 @ 12:11AM
cafecito said...
Itagaki must DIE.
Well, if he changes his mind and develops either Ninja Gaiden or Dead or Alive for the PSP, he can live.
Reply
5-19-2007 @ 3:27AM
Alien said...
DS : easy , no effort , cheap development . If it goes wrong he blames the handehalds lack of power .
PSP : it needs real development work and talent , what Itadaki clearly misses at this point :(
Reply
5-19-2007 @ 3:27AM
darkvegeta said...
I translate: "As long as we can made handheld junk that doesn't cost us a buck, we're happy"
Reply
5-19-2007 @ 7:15AM
Chichi said...
I kinda agree on Itadaki about the difference of the DS and the PSP. That is why when a game is released on multi platform the DS are the only different in terms of graphics and gameplay. PSP/PS2 etc. are very much the same like X-Men Legends 2. But it's no excuse not to make a Ninja Gaiden PSP someday.
Ninja Gaiden
Console style gameplay and graphics
ON THE GO
=
AWESOMENESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply
5-19-2007 @ 7:51AM
kingofwale said...
he could've just said "Yeah, DS development is cheap and frankly, even if we messed up, DS fans will still buy it, Heck, they've bought worse game before". ;)
Reply
5-19-2007 @ 9:53AM
The Clunge said...
I wondered when the zit-faced Yoko Ono look-a-like would remember there was a Sony platform he hadn't insulted yet.
Reply
5-19-2007 @ 10:05AM
Johnny Lasley said...
I don't know if I care since I'm not a fan of Ninja Gaiden or Itagaki, but I think most fans of Ninja Gaiden like it for its console experience, which is doable in PSP not DS.
He might have chosen the easy road of mediocrity...
Reply