How Bruce Willis Saved Tomonobu Itagaki - D.I.C.E. 2012
By
Brendan Sinclair, Senior Editor
How Dead or Alive 2 drove Itagaki to drink, and how Aerosmith and Armageddon saved his life.
"Aerosmith and Armageddon saved my life, my company, my friends and my family." Tomonobu Itagaki said that during his D.I.C.E. 2012 presentation, a surprisingly personal trip recounting his entry into games, a months-long alcoholic depression spurred by a dispute with Tecmo and the shipping of an unfinished game, and his ultimate redemption thanks to Michael Bay's blockbuster action film featuring a hit song from Aerosmith on the soundtrack. There's more to the story, but it's probably best to let Itagaki explain in his own words.
The D.I.C.E. Summit (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) is a once yearly conference dedicated to exploring approaches to the creative process and artistic expression as they uniquely apply to the development of interactive entertainment. It is organized by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences and hosts the annual Interactive Achievement Awards, which celebrate the best games of the past year, as voted by AIAS members. Comedian Jay Mohr will return to host the awards show, which takes place on February 9.
For more, check out GameSpot's coverage page, which will feature full video of every panel and keynote address from the 2012 D.I.C.E. Summit.
By
Brendan Sinclair, Senior Editor
Brendan Sinclair has been a games journalist since 1999. His tastes are eclectic, though he has a definite affinity for games with arcade roots. He's Canadian, but has also been at home in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, and San Francisco.
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Now I need a good book ;]
I'd like to smash that translator chic. +5 respect points to anyone who actually watched this all the way through.
madre mia pobre itagaki prospero aņo Mr Itgaki San
[This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]
What a muppet
W/ curled hair, Micheal Jackson
I liked Todd Howard's presentation better
that was just bizarre
It take a strong person to share that type of story publicly. Great story and a great game developer.
Itagaki is awesome. Michael Bay is garbage.
Very moving. Definitely worth listening to.
its awesome that a man who reads Raymond Carver can cry from Armaggedon.
Such a SEXY translator :P
Raymond Carver is awesome read alot of him in college.
Is it just me, or does her English sound semi-British?
@Fandango_Letho Nice Tie/Myspace Bathroom Photo tool.
a haircut is a necessity
his story moves me hes real not fake Tomonobu Itagaki will all ways be a god in my book
This man is a true inspiration to future developers. What a guy, great story.
Such a bad translator
Dude looks like a lady...
Look, Itagaki, we all have problems. If Bruce Willis and Aerosmith saved your '' life '' ( actually, gave you the balls to stop whining and realize that your situation is far from being horrible ), then good for you. Cool story itaga-bro.
When Itagaki-san left TECMO, I was heart broken. All of his games were quality games that didn't just hide behind their names. I always wondered what really happened and I am glad he shared that with us. As a writer and a future game designer, I took every word he said to heart. All media is a way and the best way to make an impact in peoples lives. I pray that Itagaki-san's Studio does well and one day I hope to call him my sempai. Thank you for your passion Itagaki-san.
Deep guy. We need more developers with such passion for making good games, instead of just trying to make as much money as possible.
what a nerd
@Her0 He's a gambler.
@Her0 That does... *puts glasses on* ...look shady YEEEEEAAAAHH! =P He looks cool, if you really want answers though, ask the CSI TV teams =)
Did anyone else constantly look at the translator's legs?
Aerosmith and Armageddon - I can't decide which is more awful.
Why this guy wearing sun glass in such a dark place? :S
Deep Impact was better
Loved the video. It was really nice.
Bruce Willis saved everyones life. That asteroid wasn't just headed for Itagaki's house...
Seems Tecmo love to force unfinished games out.
I'm glad he has the same taste as me. I found critics towards Armageddon to be unbelievable (the movie got extremely low average scores on Metacritics) despite the fact that it's my most favorite movie. "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" has also become my all time favorite song. Still, his personality doesn't seem to be great, but it's not like everyone can be a saint anyway and I'm sure the molestation things he was accused of might just be a normal behavior of people in Japan to let their frustration of their superior on their workers.
Glad to know more about him. Can wait to play Devil's third, but I feel a bit sad to think he won't be making anymore DOA or NG games.
It was Ninja Gaiden 2 that shipped unfinished in my opinion (Ninja Gaiden Black is a masterpiece). That game had some strange glitches, and a few flat out terrible bosses. On the hardest difficulty, NGB gave you the ultimate test of reflexes and skill while NG2 gave you an exhaustive lesson in how to be spammed to death by off screen projectiles. He knew there would be some Japanese players that would become very skilled at NG, but when he found out how many American and European players were beating Ninja Gaiden on the hardest difficulty he felt ashamed that the game was too easy and immediately got to work on NGB. (Source: Game Informer). I look forward to the Devil's Third and Itagaki-san's hopeful return to prominence. We need game directors like him.
It's confirmed, next title from Tomonobu Itagaki's Devil's third will comes out on PC too :D
too badass to talk in english
*sniff* this was beautiful
Why does it not surprise me that Itagaki has sh@# taste in movies?
Dude sure loves Aerosmith. :P
Woooo, got a bit choked up there. Itagaki-san's a cool guy. Eccentric, yet grounded in ways that most people aren't. DoA2:Ultimate has always been my fave in the series. Felt like the most complete title, with the most to offer, and the most refinement. I look forward to DoA5, but also to whatever Itagaki-san puts his creative talents to in the future.
Ugh. Cannot stand that song. My ex-girlfriend played it all the time. It drove me nuts. But for reals, I love Bruce Willis. Die Hard is still one of the greatest movies ever made. 12 Monkeys, The Fifth Element, The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable... He's one of my heroes too.
he looks a lot like geddy lee from rush.
lol, Steven Tyler didn't write the Armageddon song
It is good to see that he's getting back on track.
a surprisingly nice story :)
Itagaki baby! The man brought us D.O.A, Although that chick is kind a hot though it was she make me watch this whole thing.
Itagaki has all my respect and admiration (the lady is not bad either)
Dead or Alive 2
-
PS2, DC, ARC
- Publisher:
- Tecmo
- Category:
- Action
- Release:
- Feb 29, 2000
- ESRB:
- T
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