Tomonobu Itagaki's departure has sent a sizable ripple not only into Tecmo's financial portfolio, but throughout the enthusiast press and industry. What made this rather notable news is not only because of the lawsuit attached to the departure, but to a basic question being asked throughout the enthusiast gamer population: Just how important is the director or lead designer to a videogame and does it warrant this much attention?

The director, lead designer or a production studio of a game or game series is only as relevant as their games are, essentially. If the lead desinger of Ninjabread Man were to have an outlandish departure from whatever parent company that game came from, few would notice (or rather care). The reason why you remember the names of Shigeru Miyamoto, Hideo Kojima, Tomonobu Itagaki and Warren Spector because they re-invented what you expected from a game or have made a string of quality titles with a style that deserves recognition.

However, there are a few production houses or personalities that have gained notoriety and have done so through public relations, such as Cliff Blysinsky (pre-Gears of War, Epic Games), Denis Dyack (Too Human, Silicon Knights) and the development studio Gamecock (Hail to the Chimp). These guys have made some memorable games (aside from Gamecock), however, they have yet to gain the respect of some of our most treasured game makers.

The question is, however, what exactly is Tomonobu Itagaki and what is Tecmo losing with him being gone? First, let's go through Itagaki's history with Tecmo of Japan:

• Tomonobu Itagaki started his career with Tecmo doing the American version of Tecmo Bowl. To American gamers, both sports nuts and general classic game lovers, this seems to be his most memorable game to most of the US audience.
• The Dead or Alive series starts as the arcade fighting game that had almost laughably expressive "chest physics" which was given to the more endowed female fighters. The series sold rather well in Japan, but gained a cult audience in America where it had a slim fanbase.
• Dead or Alive 2 was then released on the Arcade with what was possibly some of the most detailed graphics at the time. The game was later released on the Dreamcast, where fighting fans looking for their next fix after exhausting Soul Calibur could fight with beautiful graphics and a multi-tier stage fighting system. The game was later released on PS2 as DOA2: Hardcore
• A year later, on the launch of the XBOX, Dead or Alive 3 was one of the main titles. Featuring even more interactive stages and some of the best graphics to date, DOA 3 set what would be one of the best fighting games on any of the three systems.
• Soon after, Itagaki created Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball. Taking the brilliant idea of taking out all of the men from the DOA series and leaving the women on a remote island in their bikinis doing...well, volleyball. The Pokemon for pervs aspect of the game let you collect all sorts of bathing suits for the girls while earning money play games like volleyball or gambling. Few give the game credit, but DOAX is essentially one of the very first "casually-minded" games to be released on consoles.
• Then came what would define Itagaki's career: Ninja Gaiden. Featuring some of the most fluid and beautiful fighting animations, along with one of the most brutal difficulties, Gaiden remade the classic game with one of the most graceful learning curves in any game. Action gamers fell in love with Ninja Gaiden because of its rewarding combat and its incredibly slick graphics.
• After numerous ninpo attacks came Dead or Alive Ultimate. DOAU is essentially revamped versions of Dead or Alive 1 & 2 with online capablities and the graphics of DOAX.
• Like the original XBOX, the 360 launched with Dead or Alive 4. Once again providing beautiful graphics with even more elaborate stages.
• A year later, Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 was released featuring even better graphics and skimpier outfits. However, many ended up not liking the game due to its difficult and unresponsive new minigames.Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword was then released on the Nintendo DS. This being Itagaki's only portable game, the game utilizes the strength of the DS rather well with very responsive and simple strokes representing movements and attacks.
• Finally, to date, there is Ninja Gaiden II. After the numerous remakes (Black, Sigma) of the original, the new game brought gory finishers, plenty of blood and an even more deep fighting system. A problematic camera and less than impressive graphics, however, tarnished what would still be an excellent edition of the series.

So, looking at all of the games of Itagaki, let's see what his core philosophy in creating games:

• Simplicity: A core Itagaki game is actually quite simple to learn and play. This started from Tecmo Bowl and stayed with the DOA series. Notice how some of the prime things to do in each game requires one button press, such as tackling in Tecmo Bowl or doing a 4-hit combo in DOA. Control needs to be as simple and as flexible as possible. Sure, you still need to master the game itself in order to progress further, but the fundamentals of the game are still very easy to get into.
• Production Values: Sure, a good game could have decent or not so great graphics, but Itagaki believes the best games nned to have the best graphics and sound on any system. Each Itagaki game was made to have the best graphics, whether it was the drop dead gorgeous vistas of DOAX 2 or the very polished graphics of Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword (for a DS game, of course). Gamers, deep down, want to play a game that will excite their senses as well as their reflexes.
• Interactive: The more you can play around with the environments, the better. Static backgrounds are a nusiance: Why leave something barren and lifeless when you can create something to entice the gamer in the background? Besides, slamming people to ground is dull...why not slam that person into an icicle that will smash into a billion pieces? Or down a waterfall and have them land on their back? Itagaki's games seem to make everything have a purpose, from interactive stages that cause more harm to a player to even little subtle touches in the background.
• Power Hungry: Itagaki has said time and time again: he will only develop for the systems that are the most powerful and most flexible, utilizing the system to its fullest. Great game makers know not only how to make a great game, but to use the hardware to make the game better. This is why his games end up having some of the flashiest graphics and the smoothest animation.

These four things have led to Itagaki's games being successful in not only Japanese markets but in the Western markets as well. With the loss of Itagaki, what could this mean for Tecmo?

• Product Uncertainty: With the most vocal person of the group out of the equation, Team Ninja now lacks a face to the games that seem to be self-promoted through Itagaki. Everything from the core philosophy of the games created to the charm and style that the games carry. Whether the fanbase will still like these games more or less without Itagaki is still uncertain. It's incredibly hard to emulate someone's personal style without feeling phony or pretentious, so this may be a difficult process.
• Lack of Visibility: Tecmo hasn't been big in the US since the NES days, with the sole exception of Team Ninja's efforts. Losing quite possibly one of the most noticable names in the industry for the west is going to drive a huge blow to their American market sales. Furthermore, with most Japanese made games on a decline in sales in the US, it almost seems like they won't have much of a market to take. In fact, the only other game that Tecmo has had any success with in the US is the Fatal Frame series, which takes a backseat to Resident Evil and Silent Hill.
• Credibility Tarnished: Allowing someone like Itagaki run rampant while letting him make the games he wanted to make gives two points across: We foster creativity in our people no matter how out of the norm they may be and we want to have a personality outside the business. Itagaki personified that for Tecmo, now Tecmo really doesn't have anyone that will personify that feeling. In a way, they are like every other game company out there.
• Unstable Change In Direction: Let's face it: Tecmo has been noticed solely as the land that Itagaki built. With that man gone, the entire company has to shift into a new face and they must do it quickly. This change in direction can be jarring: it could mean the cancellation of certain games and series, while shifting others to different development studios. It could also mean the desolvation of Team Ninja.

There could also be some positive aspects to Itagaki's departure as well:

• A Fresh, Revitalized Outlook: With Itagaki away from the attention of Tecmo, Tecmo the company can now be in the main spotlight for the first time since the NES days. They don't have to make the games that they've been making if they choose not to because they might want to stay away from anything that reminds people of Itagaki's games.
• Conquer New Markets: Tecmo can do one of two things: Merge with a larger company and/or take over more subsidiaries or they can grab American properties to challenge Itagaki's notion that Tecmo has no reach in the West without him. Merging with other companies (Sega, for example) could expand their repetoire and their resources while being able to give their studios more ideas for better games.
• Introduce New Talent: Maybe Itagaki wasn't the only person with great talent in Tecmo, but Tecmo didn't want to give someone else the spotlight. This will give Tecmo a chance to show how much talent they have in their studios. Give an upstart, fresh director reigns of an important franchise (let's say...Ninja Gaiden?) and see what he can bring to it. It might just bring more fans in.

There is definitely one thing that is certain for Tecmo: They need to step up in the Western market in order to not be fully affected by Itagaki's loss. Itagaki represented the "hardcore" players connect to Japan without being a Japanophile, so they need to step up and be the company that represents that bridge. Only time will tell if they can succeed at this task.

Next Blog: Itagaki: Can he step up and be the next elite gaming mogul (like Miyamoto or Wright)?