Microsoft has unveiled a new intellectual property that the company wishes to develop in the coming years. The game is called Ninja Blade and it's shaping up to be a tough contender for the title of "Blandest game name of the year 2008." The development process for the title is handled by From Software, the makers of such games as Tenchu and Otogi for the original Xbox.

 

For a while, a Microsoft leaked document detailed the name of the game but offered no clear signs regarding what it was all about. Now Microsoft has shown a brief trailer using pre-rendered scenes, showing a ninja-like character moving through what seems to be downtown Tokyo while battling hordes of demon inspired enemies. It looked very slashy, with the combat movements beautifully choreographed and with some cool looking monsters.

 

At the same time, it looked pretty much like a rip-off of Ninja Gaiden, where another ninja, named Ryu, slashes through hordes of demon creatures. The similarities are pretty obvious; however, while the resemblances might be due to the work that the developers have done on Tenchu, they might also underline an effort on Microsoft's part to create a successful game by taking interesting elements from other creations. In this case, the company seems to be interested in cornering the ninja game market.

 

Ninja Blade is in its early development stages and we will likely hear little of it in the coming months, while a release date might be in the second half of 2009 or in the first half of 2010.

 

In the meantime, you might be able to quench your gaming thirst with re-releases also coming from Microsoft. As part of its Platinum Collection the publisher is aiming to publish budget versions of such games as Ace Combat 6 and Assassin’s Creed.