Tecmo Koei

The game, which in a handy coincidence is released in the US today, uses the 3DS camera and augmented reality features to, Nintendo says, "scare you in brand new ways." More >

Floundering UK retailer Game Group has received more bad news this morning with the confirmation that Tecmo Koei will not be supplying it with copies of two upcoming releases. In a brief statement on its website, the publisher confirms that neither Ninja Gaiden 3, released on March 23, nor Warriors Orochi 3, due a fortnight later, will be available from Game, Gamestation or their respective websites. More >

Tomonobu Itagaki has revealed that he almost quit the industry after an incomplete build of Dead Or Alive 2 was released for PlayStation 2 without his permission. Speaking at last week's Dice Summit in Las Vegas, reported by Joystiq, Itagaki explained that the PlayStation 2 port of Dead Or Alive 2 was behind schedule and unlikely to make its intended release date when a sales manager came to him and asked to borrow a copy of the incomplete build, on which the team had only spent two and a half months. More >

The Japanese RPG publisher and developer will become a wholly owned subsidiary in a deal worth ¥22 million (£181,000). More >

Tecmo Koei has taken the unusual step of giving an exclusive bundle to independent retailers. MCV reports that UK indies ordering stock of the game - released last Friday - will receive a figurine of Fuka, one of the game's characters, for each copy. The figure will not be available from major high street chains. More >

Team Ninja is on record as saying that Ninja Gaiden 3 - the first game in the series to be developed away from the watchful eye of the departed Tomonobu Itagaki - will be less bloody, and will focus on the effects on protagonist Ryu Hayabusa of having killed so many people. That goes some way to explaining the below trailer, though we're wondering what heinous crimes we've unwittingly committed to deserve the British accent in the opening moments.

The smart money was always on another Dead Or Alive title when news broke last week that Tecmo Koei was to announce a new game at the Tokyo Game Show, and so it proved: Dead Or Alive 5 is in development for Xbox 360 and PS3. Attendees of the publisher's TGS event today were shown a teaser trailer of a pre-alpha build showing Ninja Gaiden's Ryu Hayabusa battling Hayate. Team Ninja head Yosuke Hayashi hinted at a departure for the series, describing it as "fighting entertainment" instead of "just a fighting game."

Here's the first trailer for the creepy looking AR horror game for 3DS, Shinrei Camera, developed by Fatal Frame creators Tecmo Koei. Follow the source link for more details on the game and its unique notebook 'peripheral'.

Shinrei Camera, a collaboration between Nintendo and Keisuke Kikuchi's team at Tecmo Koei, will make use of the 3DS's AR features in what sounds like a unique spin on the horror genre. The game will ship with an AR notebook, which while looking harmless enough in real life will reveal hidden messages, clues and the odd demonic enemy. "I wasn't all that interested in AR to start with," Kikuchi told Famitsu, "but as I explored the possibilities I really started to get into it. The result is this style of horror that does away with the boundaries between the natural and the supernatural. Compared to previous Fatal Frame titles, though, there isn't as much actual time spent with the game itself, because you'll also be spending time turning pages on the AR notebook and looking around in real life instead of moving your character around within the game." Nintendo is to publish Shinrei Camera in Japan, but there's no news on a release date.

The third game in Team Ninja's action-adventure series will support PlayStation 3 motion-sensing peripheral PS Move, publisher Tecmo Koei has announced. Team Ninja head Yosuke Hayashi said: "Ninja Gaiden 3 is all about slicing and chopping through flesh and bone and PlayStation Move brings players even closer to the game's protagonist Ryu Hayabusa. The game will be compatible with all Move peripherals and will feature full compatibility with this exciting new hardware."

Tecmo Koei's 3DS fighting game was removed from sale two weeks ago after a media outcry over its PG rating. Nintendo has since resubmitted Dimensions for appropriate classification and it has been awarded an M rating, and should be back on sale in the near future.

Ryu Hayabusa returns, and it's very much business as usual - swinging swords, power chords, and fountains of blood. Coming to PS3, Xbox 360 - and Wii U, under the working title Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge.