Devil's Third Message Board

The Ninja Gaiden creator's next game is still coming.

Devil's Third is the long-gestating first game from Tomonobu Itagaki's Valhalla Studios.

Valhalla Games, the new outfit from former Team Ninja head Tomonobu Itagaki, will launch Devil's Third some time next year. It's around 80% complete right now, Itagaki said. "We'll be going all out next year, so please look forward to it."

There hasn't been much word on Devil's Third since its old publisher THQ went out of business last year and rights to the game were soon relinquished back to Valhalla Games. In May, Itagaki assured that work on the game would continue even though a new publisher had not been lined up yet.

Devil's Third is a third-person shooter with melee combat elements set during a modern-day world war. It's Itagaki's first game since his controversial exit from Tecmo in 2008.

Speaking with Famitsu, Valhalla Game Studios CTO Tomonobu Itagaki confirmed that work continues on his company's third-person shooter Devil's Third, despite publisher concerns and a lack of updates regarding its development.

"It's going along really well," Itagaki said in an interview translated by Polygon's Kevin Gifford. "We're discussing things with publishers; we're continuing to expand on and deepen the gameplay. That's about the level we're at."

Devil's Third was announced in 2010, and little was revealed about its gameplay in the years since. Devil's Third's intellectual property rights reverted to Valhalla after former publisher THQ failed to find a buyer following its dissolution last year.

"It's like we're continuing to go along under the surface, waiting for the right timing to launch our missiles," Itagaki said, addressing the scarcity of details regarding the project. "Besides, if we revealed where we were hiding under the surface, it wouldn't be much of a war, would it?"

Itagaki notes that Devil's Third will not be shown at E3 next month, due to timing issues.

Tomonobu Itagaki, creator of beach sport simulations and ninja revivals, is bringing his next game to the PC. Devil’s Third is a third-person action game that doesn’t look entirely dissimilar to his previous team’s Ninja Gaiden series, although with a few more shotguns and other metal death pipes thrown in for good measure. The game’s troubled journey to existence appeared to have taken it over a cliff edge when THQ dropped it in May but Itagaki’s own Valhalla Game Studios are now teaming with the dubiously named Doobic to publish the game, Eurogamer have discovered. It’s with this new agreement that the game has been announced as a PC title, alongside 360, PS3 and tablet releases. More details and a short, snazzy trailer below.

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The now independent Valhalla Game Studios has found another studio to assist with the multiplatform development of former THQ project Devil's Third.

Doobic Game Studios, the Korean developer of Combat Arms, has entered into a joint venture with Valhalla Game Studios called "Valhalla&Doobic Co., Ltd," which is handling the development of the PC and tablet versions of Devil's Third.

The technical collaboration agreement we have reached with Doobic will greatly help in accelerating the expansion of the "Devil's Third" franchise," Valhalla CEO Satoshi Kanematsu (the one dressed like Steven Tyler in the above picture) said in the brief announcement. Valhalla's expansion plans call for Devil's Third content for other media in addition to games.

Tomonobu Itagaki's Valhalla Game Studios is developing Devil's Third for more than just "home consoles and PC," says Valhalla CEO Satoshi Kanematsu. The studio is also crafting the game for "a wide range of digital devices," as Kanematsu explains in a letter posted to the studio's site.

What are "digital devices," pray tell? That's a good question - perhaps handhelds like the Vita and 3DS, perhaps mobile devices - we're not sure just yet. But Kanematsu doesn't stop there. "We are also looking beyond the boundaries of video games and plan to work with other various forms of media, including manga, novels, animation and film, to create a blockbuster franchise," he says. Sounds like ex-THQ buddy Danny Bilson and his "transmedia" message may've rubbed off on Valhalla.

Devil's Third is a horror title being produced by Valhalla Games independently, having recently broken away from publisher THQ and retained the rights to the IP.

#valhallastudios After being on ice, THQ dumped Devil's Third, the latest game Ninja Gaiden mastermind and Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki, and gave the rights to Itagaki's Valhalla Studios. More »

#devilsthird Devil's Third, the next game from legendary Ninja Gaiden creator Tomonobu Itagaki, is on ice for now. More »

Ex-Team Ninja head Tomonobu Itagaki's first project after leaving Tecmo could be in trouble. During today's financial briefing call to investors, THQ president and CEO Brian Farrell said Devil's Third no longer fits the publisher's "profitability profile."

"The profitability profile for Devil's Third no longer met our internal threshold and we are currently in discussions with third parties regarding the future of this title," Farrell said. Devil's Third is the first project from Tomonobu Itagaki's new development studio, Valhalla Game Studios. Itagaki, who is quite possibly best known for his years at Tecmo on the Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden series of games, left Tecmo back in 2008.

Besides letting 14 go in Australia, THQ is rumored to be closing its Japan office. Kotaku is following up with THQ and with Valhalla Studios, who is making Devil's Third for THQ. [Kotaku Australia] More »

#devilsthird I got the chance to sit down with Dead or Alive creator and former Team Ninja boss Tomonobu Itagaki yesterday, ostensibly to talk about his studio's upcoming action game Devil's Third. More »

#tomonobuitagaki Ever since this console generation kicked off in 2005/06, Japanese developers have become increasingly irrelevant to the purchasing habits of many Western gamers. There are plenty of theories as to why this is. And Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki has one. More »

We haven't heard a great deal from Tomonobu Itagaki, the long-lost member of Guitar Wolf turned game developer who, after a bit of unpleasantness with former employer Tecmo, went off and founded his own studio. We've known for a while that Itagaki's production house, Valhalla Game Studios, was working on a new action title called Devil's Third, and that THQ would be publishing, but with nothing shown of or said about the title at this year's E3, one could not help wondering exactly what might be going on with the game.

Let's face it: None of us could pull this look off.

Fortunately, Itagaki just recently emerged from his self-imposed exile to give an interview to GAME Watch (which Andriasang thankfully translated), in which he gave a few key updates on the status of Devil's Third.

First and foremost, the game is a good, long ways from completion. Itagaki says that mechanically, the game is 100% in place, but from a content perspective, it's closer to 20-30% done. He currently has Devil's Third's targeted release date as "early 2013."

With all that time between now and completion, that does allow Itagaki a bit of wiggle room in terms of trying out some new things. One thing he may be interested in is bringing about a Wii U port of the title. Though he wasn't at E3 to try it himself, Itagaki is reportedly very excited by the possibilities of the tech, and is actively looking into bringing the title to Nintendo's new system.

Lastly, Itagaki noted that we should expect to hear more about Devil's Third around this year's Tokyo Game Show, where he hopes to have new announcements regarding the game's multiplayer modes. Evidently, the core multiplayer component is already up and running, and now simply requires additional content and tweaks to add more players. However, it does sound like this will only be a competitive mode, and that co-op play won't be included during the primary campaign.

It's not much, but for a title we've heard little-to-nothing about for quite some time, it's nice to see Itagaki pop up for air (and perhaps a new pair of sunglasses) and let the world know where the development process is at. Sounds like we'll know a whole bunch more come September in Tokyo.

Expected for a 2012 release, shooter Devil's Third won't be out until 2013, said the game's designer and board game lover Tomonobu Itagaki. [Game Impress Watch] More »

#e32011 The creative force previously behind Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive series, now on the upcoming Devil's Third, Tomonobu Itagaki, says he has wanted to make games since he was a teenager. He just didn't want to make video games. More »

Having watched a new behind-the-scenes teaser for Devil's Third, we still don't know much more about Tomonobu Itagaki's upcoming project at Vallhalla. We have learned that it will be showcased at this year's Tokyo Game Show. As for the rest of the video, it's ... well ... hrm. Just watch and see.

#watchthis I'll spoil the ending of this new E3 2011 trailer for Devil's Third, the multiplayer action game from the ex-Team Ninja talent, right now: it says wait for Tokyo Game Show. But don't let that deter you. More »

#devilsthird The future is a mysterious thing. Best to be prepared. So make your video games scalable. More »

It's still up in the air what the "third" in Devil's Third means -- could it be the third dimension? Tomonobu Itagaki told Impress Watch during a TGS 2010 interview (the game wasn't at the show in any kind of official capacity) that he was looking into 3D. "It's not a game that's built around it, but I'd like to at least offer it as an option," Andriasang translates.

3D was a hot topic at TGS 2010, something that Sony's pushing big time with the PS3. But what about the Xbox 360? Itagaki said he could do it, as long as it's "side by side" with the PS3 version, but considering his game won't be out for years -- Itagaki reiterated during the interview that the game would not launch in 2011 -- we'd suggest sitting back and seeing how this whole 3D thing plays out before diverting sunglasses and leather jacket funds to making the game 3D.

#thq We got a look at Tomonobu Itagaki and Valhalla Game Studios' next title, Devil's Third, earlier this year, but we won't actually play it for a long, long time. More »

Previously only hinted in a slide on an investor presentation, we know have a somewhat clear idea of at least the year of release for Tomonobu Itagaki's new game, Devil's Third. "The game is currently scheduled for release in THQ's fiscal year ending March 31, 2013," according to publisher THQ's latest earnings release.

Perhaps Valhalla Game Studios would be able to get the game done before then, but the kind of quality that justifies Itagaki-level boasting takes time. Besides, there are trains to build.

#tomonobuitagaki Tomonobu Itagaki, creator of jiggly fighting franchise Dead or Alive and the upcoming Devil's Third, is keen on getting into Japanese politics. Oh, he also thinks the country's game industry is dying and that Japan failed to import Western capitalism. More »

THQ gives release window for new title from Itagaki.

Guns & swordplay, now that's my kind of game.

This is the first artwork we've seen.

#itagaki Famed video game designer Tomonobu Itagaki and his select group of creative warriors at Valhalla Game Studios are making a new game, Devil's Third, a hyper-violent shooter for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. More »

Valhalla Studios announces its new game just before E3.