According to analyst Doug Creutz with Cowen and Company, Nintendo is looking to one of the masters of mature-themed games, Take-Two, to bring hardcore gamers to happy-go-lucky Wii and DS platforms.
After a meeting with Take-Two chair Ben Feder, Creutz asserted in a note, "The upcoming launch of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for the DS will be an important test of Take-Two’s ability to make inroads on Nintendo’s wildly successful DS and Wii platforms.
"Nintendo wants their platforms to appeal to all gamer segments (not just casual/family) and views Take-Two’s IP as an important driver of core gamer interest."
Chinatown Wars, slated for release on March 17, is an M-rated (17 and up) game for the DS, a handheld whose biggest sellers include titles such as Pokemon and Mario Kart. The Rockstar-developed Chinatown Wars will feature drug dealing and other mature themes that GTA players are wholly aware of.
Creutz also said Take-Two management is "frustrated" by used game sales at specialty retailers such as GameStop, as publishers see no return on secondhand transactions. According to the analyst, Take-Two "is examining ways to ameliorate the problem, which includes strategies around online play and downloadable content which extend the lifespan of AAA titles."