Rockstar has announced that the original Manhunt will be released on PSN next week, May 14th. For $9.99 / €9.99 / £7.99 it will join nearly all of Rockstars' PS2-era games - including Grand Theft Auto III through GTA Vice City Stories, Midnight Club 1 & 2, Red Dead Redemption and Bully.

The announcement also mentions that The Warriors will be joining Manhunt on PSN in the near future.

The only remaining PS2-era titles in Rockstar's backlog now are Manhunt 2, Max Payne 2, The Warriors and State of Emergency. I've mentioned before that I can't see State of Emergency being re-released, however Max Payne 2 is near guaranteed to be seen on PSN in the future - it would complete the collection.

Manhunt 2, on the other hand, could be more tricky; if they re-release the censored version I can't see an issue, however with the controversy surrounding the game, it's hard to say whether it's a contender or not. That being said, the original Manhunt had no easy ride on the market either, and they've made is PSN ready, so let's be optimistic. Manhunt 2 was originally released uncut and adults-only on PC, until the reseller was acquired by another company who chose not to store AO games.

We'll keep you informed of any new announcements. Until then, be sure to download your copy of Manhunt on PSN May 14th.

Announced this morning, Rockstar Toronto will be expanding into a new, much larger facility through partnership with the Ontario government. Rockstar Vancouver will also be merged with Rockstar Toronto, with employees of the Vancouver studio given the option to moving to the new complex or take positions at other Rockstar studios around the world over the next six months.

"Expanding Rockstar Toronto and bringing our Canadian development talent together under one roof underscores our commitment to building world-class teams that can make the kind of groundbreaking entertainment experiences Rockstar Games is known for," said Jennifer Kolbe, Vice President of Publishing and Operations for Rockstar Games. “We believe a single Canadian team will make for a powerful creative force on future projects. We plan to add more than 50 new positions to our combined Canadian team, and are pleased to be entering into this strategic partnership with the Ontario government." 

Toronto is currently an in-house development team for Take-Two, developers of The Warriors adaption, with Vancouver being the minds behind Bully and Max Payne 3, with Toronto playing a large part in the development process of the latter. This merger and relocation brings together two medium sized development studios, making one very powerful studio, and shows that Rockstar has some rather hefty plans for their Canadian talent. I'd speculate that a much anticipated Bully sequal could be in the works, or at least in the pipeline.

Rockstar is also looking to expand Toronto further, expecting to grow the studios staff over time.

News Release from Take-Two: Rockstar Games Expands Toronto Development Studio

Just under a month ago, I published an article on a podcast which I felt very passionate about: InRockstarSpect. The podcast looked at the films which inspired, and no doubt continue to inspire, Rockstar Games throughout their development of critically acclaimed games, and fond gaming moments and memories we all share. The podcast wrapped up this past week, be sure to check out any you missed:

Thanks to all the brilliant people behind the podcast for the compressive in-sites, interesting opinions and, of course, taking the time to focus on Rockstar and their games.

I remember my first time playing a Rockstar game. It was Grand Theft Auto III, of course; the game which introduced most of us to the company and their unique, but seriously addictive, story telling mixed with mayhem. I've never been a hardcore gamer, in fact I only like a particular collection of games - all of which just happen to be developed by the very company RockstarWatch has been dedicated to for the past six years.

There is a reason Rockstars' games are the only ones I have an interest in: their games have soul. They aren't just about the graphics, the gameplay, the characters, or the story - their about the whole package. Rockstar tells a story, and they tell it well, and they mix it with unique, memorable, characters along with gameplay that doesn't get old. Plus, the graphics... how many games have the level of detail or the quality of Grand Theft Auto IV? People upgraded their televisions just to play the game, and most modern PC's still can't handle it with the graphics settings maxed out.

Rockstar doesn't just manufacture a game, they don't just crank out another generic mix of pixels; they are selling experiences... and I've been buying up since 2001.

Side-note: Recently brought to my attention via Twitter, End-Gamers published an article on Why Rockstar Games’ Games Rule. Check it out, along with this podcast, and let me know what you love most about Rockstar @RockstarWatch.

Earlier this week, Peter from InRetroSpect Podcast contacted me to let me know about a series of 5 special podcast episodes his team is currently producing investigating the films that have inspired Rockstar Games in their development of the games we know and love. From the one game directly based on a movie, The Warriors, to classic Western movies which inspired the look and feel of Red Dead Redemption, the noir-style movies L.A. Noire payed homage too, and the movies-upon-movies which have been parodied or reinvisioned when recreate famous locations and time periods in the Grand Theft Auto series, films have always played a huge part in Rockstar's development cycle.

Films inspire creativity, and above all else, reflect the lifestyle, culture and feeling of different locations at a particular point in time. If you need proof of how close films are to Rockstar's heart and soul, you need look no further than the 'Rockstar Recommends' articles posted periodically on their Newswire in the run-up to a new game release. They've done so for Red Dead Redemption, L.A. Noire and Max Payne 3, and they'll continue to do so for future games. Why? Because Rockstar are all about cinematic experiences, realism and connection. You can't become a true outlaw without capturing the old West in its harsh realisim, and noir-style recreate L.A. in the 1940's is vastly different to the modern day - not just physically - and when dealing with countries culturally removed from what is normal to most, you cannot create that atmosphere without understanding. Films inspire Rockstar, they always have.

The InRockstarSpect Podcast is the first of it's type; a look into how films are shaping the games we are playing. It's unofficial, it's critical, and it's damn intriging. The first 2 episodes are already available, covering The Warriors and L.A. Noire respectively, with the 3rd, Red Dead Redemption, coming next week. Being that The Warriors is one of my all-time favourite games, I started listening to the first episode with a strong sense of bias. That being said, I found the podcast very interesting; it's an opinion, but one that has been well thought out and researched. Props to Peter for such a fantastic insite in the game, the movie, and how the two inter-relate. I finished listening to the episode with one thing on my mind: The Warriors badly needs a HD re-release like GTA 3 and Max Payne have had in the past year. Wishful thinking? Perhaps. For now, I'll have to continue thrashing my dieing PlayStation 2...

I highly recommend you tune in: InRockstarSpect

Rockstar Leeds fantastic work of game porting has once had them listed in the top of the game charts and reviews, this time for their port of the cult classic The Warriors from PlayStation 2 to the PlayStation Portable earlier this year. PSPBlenderBlog.com this week release a list of it Top 10 PSP Games of 2007, coming in at #9 behind some questionable competitors was The Warriors. I say "questionable" as some of the games that beat it are [in my believe] not of the same standard. However being named in a Top 10 list is always a good thing, especially when there are so many PlayStation Portable games available. Now with The Warriors being noticed as a killer PlayStation Portable game, and the adaption of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories/Vice City Stories all Rockstar Leeds ports have received their well-deserved respect. Well done Leeds, another job well done!

A full list of all competitors can be found below:

1. Crush
2. Virtua Tennis 3
3. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
4. Sid Meier’s Pirates!
5. Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters
6. Tony Hawk’s Project 8
7. Sega Mega Drive Collection
8. Metal Slug Anthology
9. The Warriors
10. TOCA Race Driver 3 Challenge