Rockstar and Nintendo to Go on a Manhunt

After a decade of carrying a "kiddy image" label and doing little about it, the venerable Japanese videogame experts at Nintendo (Pink Sheets: NTDOY) have finally scored the ultimate assistance in possibly moving away from that image.

In addition, while in the process of doing so, they have scored a relationship with what may be the most lucrative developer of mature-audience videogames.

On Tuesday, Take 2 Interactive (NASDAQ: TTWO) in-house publisher Rockstar Games announced that Manhunt 2, the sequel to one of the most controversial titles of 2003, will be released over the summer for the Wii videogame console. The title is in development at Rockstar's recently formed London development studio. Creative assistance from both Rockstar North - where the series originated - and Rockstar Leeds also are contributing to the project. Rockstar Toronto is developing the Wii version of the game."With Manhunt 2 we have tried to create a game that stays close to the original concept of chilling suspense and stealth, whilst pushing the game design and storytelling forward," said Rockstar founder and series producer Sam Houser. "We are also excited to have our newest development team, Rockstar London, working on the title alongside our two established UK studios, Rockstar North and Leeds." The game will also be released on Sony's (NYSE: SNE) Playstation 2 and PSP handheld consoles.

The news of a Manhunt sequel, however, is not likely to ease tensions between many campaigners against violence in videogames, particularly in Britain - where the media linked the original game to the murder of teenager Stefan Pakeerah. Still, it is evident that the original Manhunt sold more than many had imagined, having certainly generated enough hype through its controversial serial-murderer theme in order to thrive despite reviews that appeared as something of a mixed bag.

Indeed, the original Manhunt was a controversial action game putting the player in the shoes of a criminal on death row who gets new life through killing gang members and police officers to make snuff films for a seedy billionaire. The game received numerous bans against its sale in Australia, New Zealand, and Germany, and was restricted to adults in Ontario and Ireland - though the game never garnered quite the controversy in the United States as Rockstar's flagship series Grand Theft Auto.

"When Nintendo of America President, Reggie Fils-Aime said that Wii was going to cater more better to the adult-orientated gamer than the GameCube with more Mature rated titles, some hoped for the best, but most of us knew what to expect," noted Hang Luav of The Game Feed upon hearing the announcement. "It seems Reggie has earned himself a big, "I told you so." It's unknown if Manhunt 2 's violence and mature themes will be played down a bit for Wii, but the appearance of the franchise on a Nintendo platform is shocking enough."

Still, Luav admits that the game's announcement brings forth a strange irony to its words. "Yes, hell has frozen over and pigs are now flying," he said.

Manhunt 2 has yet to receive an official rating from the ESRB. The game's release is currently scheduled for this summer.