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Keiji Inafune discusses Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z with Yosuke Hayashi (Team Ninja)

Action Adventure, Game Development, Gaming, Industry & Professionals, Video, Zombies No Responses »

Apr 012013

Keiji Inafune sits down and discusses his latest game, Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z with Team Ninja head Yosuke Hayashi. For those that are not familiar, Inafune is the co-creator of Capcom’s Mega Man, having produced several games in the series along with creating the Dead Rising franchise. This video gives you an insight into the concepts and work flow of the experienced Inafune, a rare opportunity.

The 2 game designers answer questions about Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z chosen by the Team Ninja staff. It goes over the process of making the cybernetic zombie ninja game with US developer Spark Unlimited in conjunction with Team Ninja and Inafune’s Comcept.

Here’s what we learned about Yaiba…

It’s based in the Ukraine, although it may end elsewhere
Development is going well
Interested in community feedback from the preview
Cyborg arm will be tied in to the gameplay system. Although no specifics about it were revealed, they expressed that pretty much anything could be done with it in terms of game design.
The game is targeted for an M rating. When asked if the story will have “sexiness” in it, he joked about Tecmo Koei’s reputation for sexy women and their breasts.

Watch the full 12 minute video below…

Watch the Yaiba Ninja Gaiden Z teaser…

As you can see, they’re very interested in user feedback based on the preview and information available. You can interact with them via the Team Ninja twitter.

Yaiba Official Site

Yaiba renamed to Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z with a new Trailer

Action Adventure, Gaming, Trailers, Video, Zombies No Responses »

Sep 252012

New details have been announced regarding the new game by Keiji Inafune, the creator of Capcom’s Mega Man and Dead Rising. Yaiba is a combined effort between his studio, Comcept and Tecmo Koei. Yaiba, which previously had very little details available, has since been renamed Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z. It will now feature Ryu Hyabusa from Tecmo’s Ninja Gaiden series as the target of your zombie cybernetic ninja.

You can view the updated Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z trailer below…

In an interview conducted by Joystiq at Tokyo Game Show 2012, Keiji Inafune said that he’s been really happy about collaborating with Team Ninja. When asked about working on future titles with Team Ninja, such as a some sort of Dead Or Alive collaboration he express further enthusiasm, especially at the prospect of making a whole new game with them.

The collaborations don’t end there… Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z is also being developed in conjunction with US game development studio Spark Unlimited. Inafune says they’ve been brought onboard to make sure that the game also appeals to western audiences. Recent job postings by Spark Unlimited also suggest the series is being made with the Unreal Engine 3 which means it could be on pretty much any platform, although none have been officially announced as of yet.

In an article with Siliconera, head of Team Ninja, Yosuke Hayashi said, ”We see ninjas portrayed in Western games and to us they aren’t real ninjas. There is something off about them. Zombies are a creation of the West. We feel we can bring the authentic ninja-ness, and by teaming with Spark Unlimited, they can bring the authentic zombie-ness. When we come together we can make a really unique zombie experience.”

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z Official Site

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z on Facebook

Dead or Alive vs Virtua Fighter

Fighters, Gaming No Responses »

Jun 132012

Or Dead or Alive X Virtua Fighter if you prefer?

As you may know, Dead or Alive 5 will feature Akira and Sarah from the Virtua Fighter series which has gotten fans thinking about the possibility of a Sega / Tecmo cross over title. Sega and Tecmo say they have nothing officially planned, but they are open minded about the idea of it. Recent interviews with Team Ninja producer Yosuke Hayashi reveal that they first contacted Sega regarding the inclusion of Virtua Fighter characters in the new Dead or Alive 5. He also says that Sega is not charging Tecmo Koei for use of the characters.

“It’s not about the money,” Says Hayashi . “We really just wanted to celebrate this occasion for Dead or Alive 5 … we’re really grateful to Sega.”

He goes on to say that “When we approached the Virtua Fighter team, we definitely told them, ‘You can use our characters for the future of the Virtua Fighter series.’” He then clarifies, “For now, we’re just focused on getting their characters in Dead or Alive … but moving forward, we’re very open minded for Sega and VF to feature DOA characters.”

Currently, there are no official plans to do a full cross over game in the same fashion as Street Fighter X Tekken as Hayashi says that “it wouldn’t have matched our concept 100%“.

We’ll keep you posted with updates on Dead Or Alive 5 as they come.

In the meantime, preorder it here.

Dead Or Alive 5 for Playstation 3

Dead or Alive 5 for Xbox 360

E3 2012: Dead or Alive 5 trailer and news

E3, Fighters, Gaming No Responses »

Jun 072012

Tecmo-Koei showed off more of Team Ninja’s Dead Or Alive 5 at E3 2012. As many of you may know, DOA5 will feature the usual cast of fighters as well as the inclusion of Akira, from the Virtua Fighter series. Tecmo-Koei revealed that Sarah Bryant will also be in the game, making her the second officially announced character to make the jump from the legendary Sega fighting franchise.

A roster change isn’t the only thing Team Ninja has in store for us… The fighting mechanics have reportedly also been revamped, to allow for more sensible counter attacks during fights. Furthermore, the stages will be destructible and change during combat allowing for changes in strategy while fighting. Also, fighters will now realistically take on dirt and grime from the stages they’re fighting on. DOA5 will also include Tag Team fighting.

Team Ninja has also made a point of removing the online lobby system from DOA 4 which made players take turns to fight the winner. This has been done in hopes of providing a faster and more stable online gaming experience.

“Our team is focused on making September 25th a special ‘DOA Day‘ for all fans of intense martial arts combat,” said Yosuke Hayashi, head of Team NINJA. “As we approach the finish line for development of Dead or Alive 5, it’s exciting to see all the signature characters, fighting styles, and destructible fighting stages come together to create a powerful Dead or Alive experience.”

Check out this trailer demonstrating the characters and game play of Dead Or Alive 5: