Itagakigate: Tecmo Responds to "distortions"

IGN reports:

Tecmo issued a response today to yesterday's statement from Creative Officer Tomonobu Itagaki in which the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive producer announced his resignation and litigation over, among other things, unpaid bonuses.

In the statement, Tecmo denies responsibility to pay the completion bonus mentioned by Itagaki in his complaint. The company claims to have a bonus system in place, and states that it paid Itagaki this bonus every year. The bonus Itagaki mentioned in his complaint is, according to the Tecmo statement, separate from this and is something from the time of previous management.

The company also refers to the damages sought out against CEO Yoshimi Yasuda as being the product of "distortions" from Itagaki.

The Tecmo statement goes on to complain about Itagaki's public disclosure of the litigation, which it considered to be a personal matter and thus did not go public with it despite considering it an important issue. It also accuses Itagaki of referring to Team Ninja's productions in his statement as if they were developed exclusively by himself.

Before closing off with an apology to customers, stock holders and business partners for any trouble that might have been caused, the statement notes that Team Ninja has started working on new titles.