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Report: 'Team Ninja' Follows Leader Out of Tecmo (blog.wired.com)

Rumor: 36 on Team Ninja Quitting, Planning Lawsuit (kotaku.com)

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Dozens of Team Ninja employees are leaving with Itagaki ... then suing Tecmo!

Gothic Girl | June 16, 2008 | News | Company

Almost two weeks ago the head of Team Ninja, Tomonobu Itagaki, left Tecmo and planned on suing them for 148 million yen (approx $1.4 million) worth of unpaid bonuses.

But that wasn't the last of Tecmo's problems.

It looks like Itagaki wasn't the only member of Team Ninja who didn't get his promised bonuses. Over three dozen members of the team claim that they were not paid their bonuses after the making of various games. They all plan on leaving and individually suing Tecmo.

Tecmo claims that Team Ninja is 'intact' and that they have many new games on the way but with such a large portion of the team leaving, it's safe to say that Team Ninja isn't 'intact' and Tecmo's biggest franchises will never be the same again.

In case you thought Team Ninja's former boss, Tomonobu Itagaki, was leaving game publisher Tecmo as a solo act of attrition, think again. If that act was a single shot across Tecmo's bow, here comes the fusillade. Word on the street is that key members of Team Ninja -- as many as three dozen or more -- are headed out the door as well, but that's not all. It seems that each one of the soon to be ex-ninjas will be serving Tecmo with a class-action lawsuit in regards to unpaid bonuses for completed games.

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71	Tecmo Press Conference Autumn 2008: Team Ninja, Wind of Nostalgeo, Rygar (1) September 3, 2008
104	So what has Itagaki been up to since quitting Tecmo? (11) August 30, 2008
55	Itagaki Was Fired From Tecmo (3) July 23, 2008
78	Tecmo President Yoshimi Yasuda resigns - Itagaki had a hand in it? (7) August 20, 2008
103	"Secret Tape" reveals Tecmo has been lying in their Court Case against Itagaki (12) July 24, 2008

Comments

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1 thumbs!
Agrias | June 16, 2008

I think they're tired of it. After all they earn quite a lot!
3 thumbs!
Xenctuary | June 16, 2008

They should form their own studio.
- 2 thumbs!
  Storm | June 16, 2008
  
  I agree. Sucks to be Tecmo right about now.
0 thumbs!
chautemoc | June 16, 2008

Didn't I call it? Haha .
-2 thumbs!
Final Blade | June 16, 2008

_{I don't believe it any of this. Its too hard to believe them not paying Team Ninja With Itagaki. So im taking this with a grain of salt tbh.

Edit: Found out its a rumor cause several other news sites are reporting it as such. So with that im still not believing it.}
1 thumbs!
tekmosis | June 16, 2008

Tecmo you're letting tekmo down don't do this to me. Damnit.
- 0 thumbs!
  Storm | June 18, 2008
  
  Teckmo, new company name started by Itagaki and other 'sue-ers.' Will suck knowing that DoA4 will likely be the last of the series if these cases are successful.