E3: Itagaki, Valhalla To Release Devil's Third With THQ

Former Ninja Gaiden producer Tomonobu Itagaki and his new team at Valhalla Game Studios unveiled Devil's Third, a new third-person action title for Xbox 360 and PS3, to be published by THQ. While THQ has yet to provide a release date or details about the game's story, it has posted a Devil's Third trailer that reveals many elements similar to Itagaki's previous violent work, including sword-wielding protagonists, bloody scenes with dismembered enemies, and a barrage of bullets flying across the screen. The game is Itagaki's first production since his resignation from Tecmo two years ago and his lawsuit filed against the company seeking compensation for unpaid bonuses and "disingenuous statements" made about him. The two parties came to an amicable settlement for that suit last February. Itagaki's studio features many veterans from the producer's old Tecmo group Team Ninja, including art director Hiroaki Matsui and designer Katsunori Ehara. As of three months ago, Valhalla Game Studios employed some 50 workers with potential for further expansion. "A lot of fans probably wanted me to continue making fighting games," said Itagaki in an interview with consumer site Kotaku. "So, sorry about that to anyone who's disappointed," he said. "For people who are fans of Ninja Gaiden, this is going to be a different type of game. Quite different. "Even though the genre is new, it's the same core group making it. Think of the main elements -- animation, maneuverability, speed, violence, beautiful women -- all the core game elements, it's all the same group of guys."