In February, Tecmo Koei and renowned designer Tomonobu Itagaki settled a lawsuit arising from their nasty split in 2008. The two are back on social terms, with Tecmo's boss sending congratulations to Itagaki's new studio, and the studio posting it.
"Congratulations on establishing a new company," Kakihara Yasuharu, the new chairman of Koei Tecmo holdings, wrote to Itagaki's Valhalla Game Studios. "I wish your company's future prospects will be prosperous." Valhalla posted the note, with many other well-wishings from other games industry luminaries, late last week.
The two sides ended their litigation on Feb. 26, with Itagaki calling the settlement "mutual" and "harmonious." But you might remember that the Itagaki-Tecmo split was at one point extremely personal and very ugly, with Itagaki being fired, then claiming Tecmo hadn't paid bonuses due to him. Many of Itagaki's Team Ninja cohorts followed him out the door. Hey, does that sound familiar?
Tecmo Koei Sends Best Wishes To Valhalla Game Studios [Siliconera]