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Rockstar signed on for Wii 2?

French site claims Grand Theft Auto maker among the first to receive development kit for Nintendo's rumored new console.

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Source: A purported loose-lipped source speaking to 01net.com.

What we heard: French tech site 01net has been wading deeply into the rumor mill surrounding Nintendo's possible new console, the Wii 2, which the publisher may or may not be announcing as part of the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June. Last week, the site reported that the console, codenamed Project Cafe, will take on the aspect of a tablet device, or "an iPad with buttons." However, the site's sources said that it would also be as powerful as the Xbox 360.

The site also named third-party outreach as one of Nintendo's major areas of emphasis, and the site reports today that it has lured one of the hottest developers around, Rockstar Games. According to 01net, Rockstar was among the first third-party developers to receive a software development kit for Project Cafe. The studio is reportedly gearing up to deliver a game "early" in the console's life cycle.

Rockstar may be bringing one of its hit franchises to Nintendo's next console.
Rockstar may be bringing one of its hit franchises to Nintendo's next console.

Unfortunately, 01net's source did not indicate the nature of that project, nor whether it will be the increasingly rumored Grand Theft Auto V. However, it wouldn't be the first time Rockstar and Nintendo have collaborated. In 2009, Rockstar released Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for the DS. However, though the game scored extremely well with critics, it proved to make only a minor sales impression on the 145-million-unit-selling DS.

The official story: Neither Rockstar nor Nintendo had responded to GameSpot's requests for comment as of press time.

Bogus or not bogus: As with 01net's previous report, the veracity of its most recent claims remains elusive. However, Nintendo has been clear that it hopes to regain the core gaming audience with its next console, and a surefire way to do that is to bring Rockstar on board.

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