Ninja Gaiden 3 Not Bound by the Past, Says Team Ninja

[Logan Westbrook]

Ninja Gaiden 3 Not Bound by the Past, Says Team Ninja

Team Ninja wants the next Ninja Gaiden to be as interesting as possible to today's gamers.

When outspoken developer Tomonobu Itagaki was in charge of Team Ninja, he made it very clear [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/83841-Itagaki-No-More-Ninja-Gaiden] that he didn't want to work on any more Ninja Gaiden games. But his departure [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/84246-Itagaki-Leaves-Team-Ninja-Sues-Tecmo] from the team in 2008 meant that that directive went out of the window [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/91753-New-Ninja-Gaiden-Games-A-Possibility], and it sounds like the new Team Ninja has its own ideas about what a Ninja Gaiden game should be.

Speaking to Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, team leader Yosuke Hayashi said that Team Ninja was "restarting from the beginning" with Ninja Gaiden 3. He didn't want to make a game that was tied down to the past any more than was necessary. He said that the team wouldn't just throw away what had come before, but that it wanted to explore fresh ideas without constantly referring back to the previous Ninja Gaiden games.

Hayashi wasn't forthcoming with any specifics about the new direction, but said that the concept art that the team showed off when it revealed [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103497-Team-Ninja-Reveals-Ninja-Gaiden-3] Ninja Gaiden 3 at the Tokyo Game Show in September held a lot of clues. He kept quiet about what the image might mean, as he wanted fans to discuss what might happen in the third game, but did share a couple of tidbits that people might not get from looking at it. As well as the obvious details, like protagonist Ryu Hayabusa about to pull down his mask, Hayashi said that there was something unusual about Ryu's hand and about the blood that he was covered in.

Team Ninja already has a working prototype for the next Ninja Gaiden, and Hayashi said that it had been well received by other Tecmo Koei employees. Hayashi thinks it's going to be some time before the team is ready to share any information with anyone outside the company.

Source: Andriasang [http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2010/11/05/ninja_gaiden_3_interview/]






Permalink

 

[Therumancer]

Sounds like the Franchise is basically dead.

I look at it this way, the point of having a series of games is to continue what you were doing before. Pretty much "more of the same" but with updated technology and some tweaks to make what it was doing before work better.

If you decide to pretty much toss everything that made a game out the door and rebuild it from scratch, it's now something new, not a sequel or a continuation. This is something that I think a lot of game developers simply do not grasp, or do not care about.

In cases like this a design team wants to keep a given name, or label, so that way it's recognition will reflect on the new product, even if there is only the most tenative connection, like using some of the same characters with an entirely differant style of gameplay.

If they are doing what this sounds it's pretty much an entirely new franchise using their company's trademark characters. I feel it should be marketed as such. Just as say "Dead Or Alive" is not marketed as a "Ninja Gaiden" game despite the fact that various Ninja Gaiden characters like Ryu are in it.

Do not misunderstand what I am saying here, I am not saying the game is automatically going to be bad. Just that it won't be a Ninja Gaiden game from the way this sounds, but an entirely new product line that happens to be using the name when it probably shouldn't.

I think the gaming industry needs to learn when to retire franchise names, because if this kind of thing (which is hardly unique) continues they are going to erode the value of those names because a series name will no longer mean anything.

 

[icyneesan]

Sounds like their going to be doing a reboot...

 

[VondeVon]

I look at it this way, the point of having a series of games is to continue what you were doing before. Pretty much "more of the same" but with updated technology and some tweaks to make what it was doing before work better.

Snip

I think the gaming industry needs to learn when to retire franchise names, because if this kind of thing (which is hardly unique) continues they are going to erode the value of those names because a series name will no longer mean anything.

I agree and disagree. I think when a series drags on it needs to either be retired or rebooted. More of the same - even if I'll buy it - it just dull.

And if the reboot/redirection is good? Bring it on!

Team Ninja wants the next Ninja Gaiden to be as interesting as possible to today's gamers.

That'll be a tough job for this gamer. Ninja Gaiden is synonymous with 'yawn' for me.

They sure are in a remake mood, hey? I wonder which will get priority - DMC or Ninja Gaiden.

 

[Logan Westbrook]

Team Ninja wants the next Ninja Gaiden to be as interesting as possible to today's gamers.

That'll be a tough job for this gamer. Ninja Gaiden is synonymous with 'yawn' for me.

They sure are in a remake mood, hey? I wonder which will get priority - DMC or Ninja Gaiden.

I think you're confusing Team Ninja with Ninja Theory.

 

[Lord Beautiful]

If the gameplay is good, I'm down. Hopefully their camera designs aren't bound in the past.

 

[Master Kuja]

They sure are in a remake mood, hey? I wonder which will get priority - DMC or Ninja Gaiden.

I believe you're confusing Team Ninja with Ninja Theory.

Anyway, would definitely like to see where they go with the next game, I wonder if it'll still be ass kickingly difficult...

 

[VondeVon]

They sure are in a remake mood, hey? I wonder which will get priority - DMC or Ninja Gaiden.

I believe you're confusing Team Ninja with Ninja Theory.

Anyway, would definitely like to see where they go with the next game, I wonder if it'll still be ass kickingly difficult...

Oh yeah. My bad.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

wheee, another lazy reboot.

 

[wiredk]

Oh boy, prepare for stupid plot twists like "YOU IS THE SWORD" or something lame like that.

 

[Mysnomer]

Speaking of reboots, I bet this ends up being the best of the series (apart from the NES game) and Im willing to stake my life on the new Devil May Cry reboot being the best as well

I hope for your sake you're trolling, but if not...well, you're throwing your life away.

 

[duchaked]

reboot or whatever, it's good that they're at least gonna try something new ish

 

[Cowabungaa]

wheee, another lazy reboot.

Isn't just remaking the old game a lot more lazy than 'rebooting' it and creating something entirely new?

 

[2fish]

As long as the difficulty is the same then I dont mind

Just because its a reboot does NOT mean that it is automatically bad.
The Ninja Gaiden series has always been synonomous with difficulty that tears your face off. That is a good thing since all games now just seem to hold your hand.
I couldnt care less about the story in NG games, I just wanna slice stuff to pieces and have a fucking difficult time doing so

Speaking of reboots, I bet this ends up being the best of the series (apart from the NES game) and Im willing to stake my life on the new Devil May Cry reboot being the best as well

Someone above made a good point. When a series has gone on for so long, it needs a reboot to avoid it from going stale. There have been 4 versions of 2 NG games so far:
Ninja Gaiden (xbox)
Ninja Gaiden Sigma (PS3)
Ninja Gaiden 2 (xbox360)
Ninja Gaiden 2 Sigma (PS3)

Having that many versions of 2 games is a sign that it is beginning to stagnate...badly

Im all for this reboot and the Devil May Cry one too

and the Superman reboot actually...his new look is better than the out-dated pants over tights look

You forgot Ninja gaiden black (xbox) which is my favorite. I saw NG2 as a let down so lets hope that this new one renews my faith in a way that only the inuanza drop can do. They had better keep all the damn combos the same.

 

[funksobeefy]

As long as the difficulty is the same then I dont mind

This is exactly what I was thinking when I read the article. I loved that the game was so hard, made a real challenge and I had such a great feeling in me when I finally beat it.

I didnt pay attention to the story cause I knew it couldnt have been any good. Perhaps this new reboot will make it more interesting?

 

[Impluse_101]

Hopefully there will by 20% more accurate jiggle phstsics! Now THAT is progress the games industry needs

I won't be suprised at all by this.

I will be suprised however if it doesn't...which it probably wont...*sigh*

 

[Therumancer]

Sounds like the Franchise is basically dead.

I look at it this way, the point of having a series of games is to continue what you were doing before. Pretty much "more of the same" but with updated technology and some tweaks to make what it was doing before work better.

If you decide to pretty much toss everything that made a game out the door and rebuild it from scratch, it's now something new, not a sequel or a continuation. This is something that I think a lot of game developers simply do not grasp, or do not care about.

In cases like this a design team wants to keep a given name, or label, so that way it's recognition will reflect on the new product, even if there is only the most tenative connection, like using some of the same characters with an entirely differant style of gameplay.

If they are doing what this sounds it's pretty much an entirely new franchise using their company's trademark characters. I feel it should be marketed as such. Just as say "Dead Or Alive" is not marketed as a "Ninja Gaiden" game despite the fact that various Ninja Gaiden characters like Ryu are in it.

Do not misunderstand what I am saying here, I am not saying the game is automatically going to be bad. Just that it won't be a Ninja Gaiden game from the way this sounds, but an entirely new product line that happens to be using the name when it probably shouldn't.

I think the gaming industry needs to learn when to retire franchise names, because if this kind of thing (which is hardly unique) continues they are going to erode the value of those names because a series name will no longer mean anything.

What kind of game does it "sound like"?

They didn't even mention anything about the game besides "we're going to make Ryu more human", how are you deducing all of this?

So far all they're doing is taking the story in a different direction.

Your actually reading into it, just in a differant direction.

What they are saying is that they have no intention of being bound by the past of the Ninja Gaiden games, and going in their own direction. They have been vague on the specifics or what they mean by that...

HOWEVER, the point of making a sequel is to deliver more of the same, albiet with some undated technology. If their intention is to deliver something signifigantly differant from the previous "Ninja Gaiden" titles, then they should not be using the "Ninja Gaiden" name, or putting a "3" on it implying it's a direct continuation of that series.

This is not to say that they shouldn't continue to use the Ryu character, or any other parts of the Mythos, simply that they should not be calling it "Ninja Gaiden" because if they don't plan to conform to that series and it's roots, there really is no point other than trying to capitolize on the appeal of the name.

Just as they don't call "Dead Or Alive", "Ninja Gaiden", they shouldn't be calling whatever they are working on by that name either. They are saying flat out that they are planning on making signifigant changes. Once you change a franchise enough, it ceases to be that franchise.