Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki, 58 passes away

(gamedeveloper.com)

111 points | by corvad 14 hours ago ago

16 comments

  • fidotron 12 hours ago

    It says a lot that it falls to his rival, the Tekken creator, to give the most fitting comments: https://x.com/Harada_TEKKEN/status/1978773188034109651

  • basfo 11 hours ago

    Sad news. I played a lot of Dead or Alive 2 on the Dreamcast.

    He was always on the cutting edge of boobs physic engines.

    • popalchemist 9 hours ago

      My exact thoughts, reading this headline. What an interesting legacy to leave behind! I never thought about the person behind DoA but reading the twitter thread from his rival, he seems to have been a very interesting character.

  • nh23423fefe 12 hours ago

    Ninja Gaiden on xbox is one of the best games of all time

    • tclancy 12 hours ago

      I was hoping for the same dopamine hit and bought the new one for Switch and it is very good, but 15 years or so on, even knowing what I was in for difficulty-wise, I don't know if I have it in me.

  • leshokunin 11 hours ago
  • nahnahno 13 hours ago

    Sad. This guy was such a force of nature and a uniquely wonderful, creative personality.

  • msie 14 hours ago

    I was a big fan of the DOA series. Played a lot of it on the PS2. RIP

  • bad_haircut72 9 hours ago

    One of the best movies Ive ever seen

  • ranger_danger 14 hours ago

    RIP King of the age 99 jubblies.

  • throwmeaway222 13 hours ago

    Damn too early.

  • bitwize 10 hours ago

    Because of his somewhat similar traits (long hair, rockstar/edgelord vibe, ego, puerile game tastes) I always thought of Itagaki as "the Japanese John Romero". A personality type for which I have a grudging respect: probably difficult as all get-out to work with, but brilliantly creative, seems like he has a lot of fun with it, and ballsy enough to defend his ideas. I'm sad he's gone so soon.

  • AdmiralAsshat 13 hours ago

    He made one very good game (Ninja Gaiden remake), a couple pretty good games (DOA 1 & 2)....and some crap. I was never really keen on his shit-talking media personality, especially since he had long since admitted that it was purely a marketing campaign.

    • fidotron 12 hours ago

      He wouldn't have got to make the later games, like the NGs, if not for his marketing style.

      He literally saved Tecmo, and then later he had to sue them for not paying bonuses to him and his team properly.

    • mingus88 3 hours ago

      How dare you speak that way about Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball

      • jhbadger 2 hours ago

        The weird thing about that game is kind of the same issue I have with Mario Kart -- how do you have arch enemies (Mario & Bowser in Mario Kart, Kasumi & Ayane in the DOA "Beach" games) putting aside their rivalry to race or play volleyball?