Itagaki says PS3 development easier than Famicom

by Majed Athab { Aug 27th 2008 at 9:10PM }

According to former Tecmo employee and Team Ninja leader Tomonobu Itagaki (Dead or Alive series, Ninja Gaiden Sigma), developing for the PS3 is easy-peasy. "I don't think that developing for the PS3 is hard at all. It was much harder developing for the Famicom," Itagaki told 1UP. "It's true. I mean, give someone who's developing for the PS3 a Famicom and see if they can make a game for it. They won't be able to. Yeah, that'll prove it. We'll bet a drink on it."

For the longest time now, developers have been struggling with getting a hang of the PS3 hardware; for Itagaki, it's apparently nothing more than shooting the breeze on a Tuesday. So Itagaki-san, want to develop again for the PS3 and show these fools how it's done? It's been a while hasn't it?

Tags: itagaki, ninja-gaiden, team-ninja, tomonobu-itagaki

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

mike @ Aug 27th 2008 9:14PM

after all the ps3 hate for NG2 he's discussing ps3 development in a positive light...weird guy

Henry @ Aug 27th 2008 9:18PM

I think he's looking for a job with Sony. What better way than kiss up.

wicko @ Aug 27th 2008 9:20PM

I was under the impression that he was just getting annoyed that people keep asking if NG2 was coming for PS3 when he clearly announced it wouldn't be, sort of like how Kojima is getting sick of the 360 MGS4 questions.

ryan @ Aug 27th 2008 9:25PM

he never said he 'hated' the PS3. he just, at the time of NG2/DoA4, thought the 360 was the best hardware for his team.

he hated on Sigma, because that was his project and didn't take full advantages of a remake (in his view).

Vii @ Aug 28th 2008 3:12AM

I wouldn't mind him working for Sony, but Jesus Christ man! Seriously, does Ninja Gaiden really have to be so hard that after cutting off both of a Werewolf's arms its actually more dangerous than when both of its arms are attached?

paul @ Aug 28th 2008 6:50AM

Itagaki said he didnt work on sigma this could be a hint at a new game or maybe he is just a good developer who knows his dev kits like he knows his er...... women and booze

wicko @ Aug 27th 2008 9:20PM

Lets see some new material on PS3 :D

Ryan @ Aug 27th 2008 9:23PM

Put your money were your mouth is ;)

XeroKool @ Aug 27th 2008 9:25PM

Itagaki is one real character. This guy has never had anything positive to say with regards to anything Playstation. Ever. Must be getting delusional after his breakup with Tecmo.

ryan @ Aug 27th 2008 9:31PM

he just never had anything positive to say about Tekken and DMC. which so happened to be Playstation franchises from their start.

but, developers trying out new platforms and finding new ways of simplifying them is always a good thing in my book.

saito ps3 @ Aug 27th 2008 9:29PM

looks like history is about to repeat it self like the ps2 (hard to develop for when launched) glad to see that the ps3 is becoming big now

Popfrogs @ Aug 27th 2008 10:37PM

That's what I've been saying all along. Typically, this is how consoles have _always_ been. Microsoft screwed up the paradigm by packaging a PC in a console shell and handing devs PC dev tools (which in a way is similar to the Amiga/Genesis situation back in the day).

I guess everything has pluses and minuses.

iamkid @ Aug 27th 2008 11:23PM

ive thought the same thing too guys

Ysleiro @ Aug 28th 2008 1:13PM

Somebody please tell me how developing DevTools for the xbox is a bad thing for the gaming industry.

Sony should learn from that not ignore it.

Popfrogs @ Aug 28th 2008 2:45PM

@Ysleiro: I knew someone would fly to Microsoft's defense. I didn't mean to say that MS did a *bad* thing, just that they screwed up what developers have come to expect, which also brought many PC-only developers into the fold.

Each new console traditionally has been a 100% custom piece of hardware and the manufacturer (Nintendo, Sony, Sega) has written dev tools to harness it. Each has had quirks and has allowed for extra talented developers to pull off techniques (for graphics, processing, whatever) that the hardware engineers had never imagined (see Treasure, Team Ico, etc.).

When the original Xbox came out, it shocked the industry because few console devs had done pure PC programming. Nobody really expected it to last, so most devs just ignored it. Then the 360 launched with the same basic concept (PC with a cut-down Windows OS sitting next to your DVD player) and suddenly, attitudes changed. Since Sony was late to the party (or MS was too early, your choice), consumers ready to get the next big thing jumped on board. Meanwhile Sony's dev tools were too young, too raw, and everyone had trouble even beginning to make games for it except for first party, in-house dev teams.

Of course this is a simple history lesson that anyone with access to Google and wikipedia can discover. MS's move was originally _disruptive_, but at this point it doesn't really matter much.

Gambit07 @ Aug 27th 2008 9:35PM

Wasn't there an article that said something like, he hated Sigma and it's director too?

ryan @ Aug 27th 2008 9:40PM

he didn't aprove of what the director (his subordinate) had done with Ninja Gaiden. i dunno. it came out fine to me, but this is guy has high standards (which didn't help NG2, but then again that was development hell under the Tecmo boss).

ryan @ Aug 27th 2008 9:36PM

btw, this guy's been a programmer most of his life (for those wondering). i'd like to see what he can do for a new PS3 title and PS3 as a whole. who knows, maybe he will be the one to get PS3 'over 9,000'.

-Jad- @ Aug 27th 2008 9:50PM

Weird guy indeed.

scotrulz10 @ Aug 27th 2008 10:04PM

God i hate Itagaki. Freaking egotistical perverting trash talking ass. Didn't he say a few months ago the ps3 has no power. Now hes saying oh its so easy to develop for. Hey Itagaki try actually devolving for the system before you open you acne scarred trap

KarlW @ Aug 27th 2008 10:05PM

whew. I thought the Famicom was gaining support in developer's hearts and minds. Glad we stuck to it and muscled them out of the market.

All those shareholders can sleep soundly in their beds now. It's official.

Der-Held @ Aug 27th 2008 10:08PM

Did anybody else notice those 4 Xbox systems in the back. I guess he has a backup for his backup's backup.

Fane @ Aug 28th 2008 4:58AM

insert RROD comment here

acefondu @ Aug 27th 2008 10:07PM

I doubt that's true. I mean on the NES you got games made by Cereal brands like Count Chocula and bible games. Seriously the competence has to be put to question and they still managed to make games on the NES.

SharpShooter @ Aug 28th 2008 12:49PM

The PS3 costs millions and millions of dollars to develop for. Why would they waste money putting shovelware like those titles on the PS3 when they got the wii?

Tolkienfanatic @ Aug 27th 2008 10:13PM

And this is the kind of radical turn you take when you are fired and need a job :p

Nick @ Aug 27th 2008 10:16PM

I thought he said he didn't like the PS3 because the "architecture was too complicated."

Hmmm....

ryan @ Aug 27th 2008 10:22PM

dude, he said that like 3 years ago. people change. wanna call him "confused flip-flopper sucking up to Sony"? fine. i just call it a change of mind after some problem solving.

Nick @ Aug 27th 2008 11:42PM

I never even insinuated that I thought he is a "confused flip flopper." It's just a bit strange because Itagaki is such a critical and affirmative man. Or at least that's how he comes off in his interviews.

creyes4182 @ Aug 27th 2008 10:38PM

NG Sigma is a beautiful game. The only thing I hated about it is that mid level loading. They should have optimized it to stream the whole level IMO.

Henry @ Aug 27th 2008 10:41PM

Yeah, but if you gave a Famicom programmer a PS3, he couldn't develop for it. So, by his logic, they are both harder than the other.

(I think it's just that they are different)

stargateheaven @ Aug 28th 2008 7:26AM

But this is probably because the person programming wouldn't really know what "3d" is, and thinks it would be impossible (besides mode9 :D). However, find a famicom programmer NOW and i think he could develop for PS3, possibly.

Happy_man @ Aug 27th 2008 10:52PM

I for one would welcome Itagaki with his boobies physics and all their glory to the PS3. Come to the dark side.

Name: @ Aug 27th 2008 10:52PM

fighter jets. I'm going to be dreaming about F#%KING AIRPLANES all god damn night cause of that interview

friendlyguy25 @ Aug 27th 2008 10:55PM

I hope he could. I think has the ability to. If he gets the chance to make a ps3 exclusive. He got 60 bucks coming from me.

Gambit07 @ Aug 27th 2008 11:19PM

I just realised he's wearing pants under his jeans.

Saffie @ Aug 27th 2008 11:23PM

THis is kinda off-topic.

I think Itagaki has a very nice sense of style. Where do I buy clothes like those online? Thanks.

Nick @ Aug 27th 2008 11:40PM

You can go to your local Goodwill and find the same outfit.

BLee @ Aug 27th 2008 11:39PM

I dunno if anyone reads this far down, but he said that he likes the 360 better because the development is easier and makes more sense for the developer..
ps3 may not be as hard to develop for as Itakagi claims, but he simply sees the 360 as more efficient and logical to program for..
thats all he cares about really as a developer..
Hope he does make a ps3 game for us tho..

GiRiSh @ Aug 27th 2008 11:43PM

finally he's getting some sense in him...

morebadasser @ Aug 27th 2008 11:50PM

I'd like to see him come up with a new action game IP and build it from the ground up on PS3. Or at least make it the lead development platform if it's a multiplat.

Now that I think of it, I wouldn't mind seeing him make an action-rpg sort of game. Maybe even take his NG game style toward the ARPG direction.

omg @ Aug 28th 2008 12:08AM

"he just never had anything positive to say about Tekken and DMC."

That's a load of BS. He's done nothing but praise DMC 1, and even said that the game was a huge inspiration for NG 1. He doesn't like DMC 2-4 because the enemy AI somehow gets worse in each installment.