Ninja Gaiden & Dead Or Alive Director Tomonobu Itagaki Has Passed Away

Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive have both played major roles in the history of Xbox over the past 24 years, and we're saddened to hear that a key figure on both those franchises has passed away.

It's been announced that Tomonobu Itagaki, who created the Dead or Alive series and revived the Ninja Gaiden series back in 2004, died recently at the age of just 58.

A post on his Facebook page appears to share his last words to the public:

“Last Words

The light of my life is finally fading.

The fact that this message has been posted means that the time has finally come. I am no longer in this world.

(I'm asking a loved one to make this final post.)

My life has been a series of battles. I kept winning.

I've caused a lot of trouble, too.

I'm proud to say that I followed my beliefs and fought to the end.

I have no regrets.

However, I'm filled with regret that I wasn't able to deliver a new work to all my fans. I'm sorry.

That's just how it is.

So, it goes.

Itagaki Tomonobu”

Itagaki's Dead or Alive series obviously ended up becoming a massive success following its first installment back in 1996, and he ultimately worked on seven titles in the series between then and 2006 - six as a producer and director.

He also served as director and/or producer for four games in the Ninja Gaiden series, including 2004's Ninja Gaiden which ended up becoming an unlikely Xbox exclusive - apparently because Itagaki himself was so impressed by Microsoft's hardware for the first Xbox console. His final NG release was the Xbox 360's Ninja Gaiden 2 in 2008.

Various members of the industry have been sharing their condolences today, including Xbox's Aaron Greenberg:

"Life is precious, a sad day to hear about the passing of Tomonobu Itagaki. I have fond memories of getting to work with him in the earlier days of Xbox. It was always a special moment when he arrived at our events in his signature leather jacket like a true rockstar. Like others on the team, I grew up in Xbox playing his games. Among his many accomplishments in our industry, he was the creator and driving force behind the modern incarnation of Ninja Gaiden - a legacy our team is honored to be building on with Ninja Gaiden 4 in his memory. True Ninjas never die. Rest in peace legend."

From all of us here at Pure Xbox, our best wishes go out to Itagaki's friends and family.