Tomonobu Itagaki: Well, for anyone who is having a hard time programming the Xbox 360 on all three cores, they're welcome to come over to Team Ninja and we'll help them out. (Laughter.) No, I don't think the Xbox 360 is difficult to program for.

IGN: It's really interesting, some of the first developers didn't get their kits until very late, and they were using G5 Macs to program for, and they weren't used to programming for multiple processors. What do you use the six different threads on the three cores for?

Tomonobu Itagaki: Well, for instance, if you were to shut down two of the threads in the engine, then you wouldn't see some of the hair blowing or some of the ribbons or strings moving in the wind. So even on the same hardware, how we really use the hardware really depends on the title. So if you're working on a game like Ninja Gaiden 2, where it's really important that enemies are smart and challenging, then we might use up to two threads on AI. But for a game like this, where our main goal is to make the girls look good, then we can use two threads for hair and cloth physics. So it's really important to make the hardware do what you want to show.

IGN: So you said that this game will ship around Thanksgiving in North America. Will this game ship in Japan, Europe and North America simultaneously?

Tomonobu Itagaki: It will ship around the same time in all three regions.

IGN: Looking into the future, does Team Ninja have plans to develop PlayStation 3 games? And will there be any announcements of said games at TGS?

Tomonobu Itagaki: Yeah, we have seen the PlayStation 3 hardware and we're studying it. We're messing around with it right now. I think it's a good machine. But I think the most important thing is for people to have good games that they want to play on good hardware, so if there is a demand for it, we may follow that path some time in the future. Obviously, we are big supporters of the Xbox platform. There are a lot of fans of the Xbox that support us and are with us because of that, so I just want everyone to know that we are going to continue bringing out the newest releases on the Xbox platform before they're on other systems.

How come Itagaki have done DOA3, DOA Ultimate, DOAX Beach Volley (whatever its called), DOA4 and Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox/360 only. I know that NG2 is coming for 360, but I would kind of pissed if it gets ported to PS3, if now he really is thinking about the fans. In the Sony section there are no Ninja Gaiden fans like the Xbox fans. I hope it stays exclusive, so we get the awesome NG games on the Microsofts side.
Besides, NG2 is not going to be made like until 2008 or something, but it would be so awesome for a CGI teaser at TGS, but thats just a long shot.

That doesn't make sense, why would he not want more fans, and why would he not want PS3 user to experience his games.

As a fan of the series and the 360, I hope PS3 fans do get to play it, they don't know what they are missing out on... (or maybe they do!!)

Samething with DMC titles, or God of War. Why cant those games come to Xbox and get more fans for both sides. Its the samething Jolli, thats why there are exclusives to each consoles. Its like saying why cant Zelda come to Playstation or Xbox. I see Master Chief and Ryu Hayabusa as Xbox icons.

And believe, PS fans have played Ninja Gaiden as the Xbox fans has played DMC. Not everyone can get what they want.

Because Zelda is developed by Nintendo who already have their own console.

We aren't talking about Sony or MS making multiplatfrom, we are talking about 3rd party companies doing it.

I think my point is that a lot of people here want to see DMC4 on the 360 , yet they aren't keen on seeing so called 360 exclusives on the PS3. (thats a pretty greedy attitude to have)

Because Zelda is developed by Nintendo who already have their own console.

We aren't talking about Sony or MS making multiplatfrom, we are talking about 3rd party companies doing it.

I think my point is that a lot of people here want to see DMC4 on the 360 , yet they aren't keen on seeing so called 360 exclusives on the PS3. (thats a pretty greedy attitude to have)

The reason things got ported to the PS2 and not vice versa is because of the installed base, nothing else. You guys have to understand that releasing something on Sony's platform GUARANTEES sales, whereas things can totally tank on Xbox, especially in japan.

PS2 was more popular, simple as that.

The reason we're "dead set" against exclusives - at least if I speak for myself - is that logic just speaks against them. Unless MS secures titles for the Xbox, there is no logical reason for a developer to put a game ONLY on MS platform, simply because it still doesn't touch the PS2. Risk/chances are the same will be true with the PS3.

And no, there's no such thing as "Itagaki liking Xbox fans", he has NO say if there's a collective decision to put these games elsewhere. I'm certain MS has some kind of relationship with Team Ninja at this point, because I doubt these games would stay exclusive otherwise.

Also, if NG2 was ported to the PS3, Itagaki himself wouldn't have to oversee the proceedings at all. Just as little as MGS2: Substance needed Kojima.

All that said, I still don't expect NG2 to end up on the PS3, just as little as I expect MGS4 to end up on the 360. Both developers seem to put on a show about not being bound by anything except personal preferance for a platform, but I think believing that is a bit naive.

The only good 3rd person action game we got is Ninja Gaiden, and I would be pissed that if NG2 gets to PS3, because it feels like we lost one family member from the Xbox library. What I am saying is that NG2 or any future NG game should stay on Xbox/360. I am not so keen about exclusive because I dont care, but NG is some where the line breaks for me.