Team Ninja

Team Ninja is a video game development studio formerly lead by Tomonobu Itagaki which was founded in 1995. They are a subsidiary of Tecmo, Ltd..

Although not one of the oldest developers (with their first game, Dead or Alive), Team Ninja is one of many specialized teams (such as the Sonic Team or Team Silent) that produces consistent entertainment through a certain franchise (Sonic Team and Team Silent produce Sonic The Hedgehog games and Silent Hill games, respectively). With a resume of games including the Dead or Alive series and 2004's Ninja Gaiden, Team Ninja is responsible for the main successes of Tecmo.

Team Ninja has recently taken a habit to releasing a game on launch day for various systems, notably through their Dead or Alive series, which provides a good exhibition for a new console's power. Their games are frequently renowned for the high quality of their graphics.

Team Ninja's most recent game is Ninja Gaiden 2, released on June 3, 2008 exclusively for the Xbox 360. Ninja Gaiden 2 is published by Microsoft Game Studios, making it the first game created by Team Ninja not published by Tecmo. Another mysterious title is currently in development, known as Project Progressive.[1] Finally, one more unnamed project is in the works.[citation needed]

On June 3rd, 2008, Itagaki announced that he was leaving Tecmo and Team Ninja citing difficulties with Tecmo. In the same statement announcing his resignation, Itagaki also announced that he was filing a lawsuit against his former employer over unpaid bonuses for his work on Dead or Alive 4 for the Xbox 360. Itagaki's resignation takes effect on July 1st, 2008