Rockstar Games, the studio behind the Grand Theft Auto series, have signed in a new long-term contract with publisher Take-Two Interactive. Guess studios like Electronic Arts and Activision Blizzard lost their chance to nab the Houser brothers.

The stint between Electronic Arts and Take-Two Interactive is the stuff of anticlimactic legends in video gaming. Now that the short-lived love affair's over, EA explains that their attempt to acquire T2 was only an attempt to help them out with holiday sales of Grand Theft Auto IV.

Dan and Sam Houser are the founders of Rockstar Games, and the brains behind the Grand Theft Auto series. If you were a video game company, you'd want them on your team.

Their contract with Take-Two Interactive will expire in just a few months, and already Activision Blizzard's CEO is making a play for them. So, what do you think of the creators of the Grand Theft Auto working for the studios that gave us Guitar Hero and Warcraft?

Michael Pachter's made some pretty big predictions before, but this one might take the cake. You know how EA backed off from its attempt to take over Take-Two? It may not have lost ownership, but according to Pachter, it might lose its key creative talents: Sam and Dan Houser, the powerhouse siblings of Rockstar Games. More in the full article.

With EA's deadline for Take-Two Interactive coming up fast, a lot of people are eagerly waiting for Take-Two's reply to the game publishing giant's takeover bid. Whatever happens, though, it seems like Rockstar Games president and co-founder Sam Houser actually sees a few good things about an alliance with EA.

Rockstar Games has acquired Mad Doc Software and has thus created Rockstar New England from it. Looks like the development empire of the company is by no means slowing down despite the heavy criticisms for its prominent game titles (GTA is a dead giveaway). See how this new partnership sprang up over at the full article.

Thanks to zakir8 for the tip!

Amid all the controversy and all the protests, Manhunt 2 has finally hit store shelves in North America. Now, gamers will finally get to see what all the fuss is about.

"Manhunt 2 has gone through much to reach this day," said Sam Houser, Founder and Executive Producer of Rockstar Games. "We are very excited that fans will finally get a chance to experience the magnificent horror experience we've crafted with Manhunt 2."

The sequel to 2003's similarly controversial Manhunt, Manhunt 2 puts players in the shoes of Daniel Lamb, a scientist working on the Pickman Project who ends up locked away in an insane asylum for six years. Players must now guide Lamb towards freedom and the truth.

Manhunt 2 for the Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation Portable, and Nintendo Wii is now available in retail stores all over North America. The game carries an M rating.


Buy: [Manhunt 2 (PSP)]
Buy: [Manhunt 2 (Wii)]

A handful of fans think that there's one video game title from Rockstar that is a bit out of place, given the company's library of games and reputation. That title is the Rockstar Leeds and Rockstar San Diego collaboration Rockstar Presents Table Tennis, which was released on the Xbox 360 last year.

Well, it seems that Rockstar has been listening to their fans as it decided to give a whole new spin to the title. According to Rockstar Games CEO and co-founder Sam Houser, they decided to port the game to the Nintendo Wii. Here's how the CEO put it:

Ever since we released Table Tennis, fans have been asking us to create a Wii version. By bringing Table Tennis to the Wii and utilizing the motion-sensitive Wiimote, a new audience can now experience a game that is beautifully designed and impossible to put down.

There are still no details right now about the game's controls, but we guess we can all figure those out by ourselves given all the other Wii titles that use the remote in a similar manner. Aside from that, there's still no word whether additional content and features will be provided as well.

Rockstar Presents Table Tennis for Wii will be available this Autumn.

Rockstar Games' Manhunt 2 is set to be released for the PSP, the PS2, and the Wii. Of course, gamers that support the mentioned platforms are eagerly awaiting this violence fest of a game. What follows are a few more details on the game's story, just in case you're one of those who need a bit help with the wait.

The folks of WorthPlaying inform that in Manhunt 2, an experiment at a secret research facility has gone wrong. Daniel Lamb and Leo Kasper are the only surviving subjects. The immediate goal of course is to survive The Pickman Project, an entity that will stop at nothing to hunt the protagonists down, and prevent the truth from leaking out.

Sam Houser, executive producer at Rockstar Games had this to say about 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. ...We are also excited to have our newest development team, Rockstar UK">London, working on the title alongside our two established UK studios, Rockstar North and Leeds.

The game's press kit teases:

Demented screams echo around the dank asylum that has caged you for the last six years. You open your eyes. A white-coated body slumps to the floor through your shaking hands. A bloody syringe slips from your arm. Waves of confusion and paranoia crash over you. You have no idea who you are or how you got here. ...The door to your cell is open. One choice. One chance. They took your life. Time to take it back.

The game is Rockstar London's debut title, and is reportedly set to hit retail come Summer 2007.

Take-Two Interactive Software's publishing label Rockstar Games has announced today that it has just appointed a new guy who will be heading its marketing division. This new guy, quite interestingly, used to work for Apple. Yes, Apple. As in the one who makes iPods.

Alex Moulle-Berteaux used to handle the worldwide Apple marketing campaign over at TBWA/Media Arts Lab in Los Angeles. If you really want to know, he was the mastermind behind global ad campaigns for the Mac, iPod, iTunes and the iPhone. Moulle-Berteaux mentioned that he is delighted to work with Rockstar as he has always admired the company. The former Apple guy remarked,

Rockstar Games is a uniquely positioned entertainment brand that has earned incredible loyalty from its audience based on the company's obsession with quality, integrity and innovation in the games they make. I am looking forward to leveraging my experience to continue to build the brand and bring Rockstar's games to an ever-broader audience.

Likewise, Rockstar Games is also excited to work with Moulle-Berteaux. Founder and Executive Producer of Rockstar Games Sam Houser commented that Moulle-Berteaux's talents will help them to "realize our mission to propel the compelling games we create to the center of the entertainment industry."

Rockstar Games currently has the long running Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series on PlayStation Portable (PSP) with Vice City Stories and Liberty City Stories. It will be releasing Grand Theft Auto 4 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (PS3) this coming October.