Game designer Tomonobu Itagaki has settled the 2008 lawsuit filed against his former employer and publisher Tecmo. As previously reported, the action sought some 148M Yen in damages stemming from unpaid contractual bonuses due after the completion of Dead or Alive 4. Proceedings started getting sticky when it was learned that the evidence submitted to the court by both sides included contradicting versions of the contract in question. Since the initial flurry of activity in 2008, little new information had emerged on the matter prior to the announcement of this resolution.

Itagaki offered this comment on the settlement in a statement given to 1UP.com. Read more »

Tecmo announced today that its upcoming stylus-based ninja action title Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword (NDS) has entered manufacturing and will ship to retailers on March 25.

Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword follows in the footsteps of other titles like The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (NDS), adapting a traditional control scheme to stylus-only action gameplay. Tecmo's confirmed March 25 ship date for the title confirms a listing on Nintendo of America's early 2008 release list issued early this year.