Following news that
Tecmo's employees have sued the company over overtime disputes, apparently catalyzed by Team Ninja head Tomonobo Itagaki's
announced departure this month, new updates state Itagaki has been struck with a gag order prohibiting the developer from publicly commenting on his former employer.
As detailed in a
Famitsu report translated by
GameSpot, Tecmo successfully sought and received a court-ordered sanction on Itagaki. He may not make any statements about Tecmo, its products, its practices, or its employees, either directly or via third parties or press interviews.
Upon the revelation of his resignation, Itagaki released a public statement, which read in part, "Tecmo Co., Ltd. had agreed to pay a completion bonus to me for this Xbox 360 title, which I produced. However, when the time came for the actual payment, Tecmo Co., Ltd. went against its previous agreement and refused payment."
Tecmo and Itagaki are awaiting court decisions regarding Itagaki's own claims regarding unpaid bonuses, as well as the class-action suit on behalf of 300 Tecmo employees regarding unpaid overtime.
