Gritty manga series to receive two games over the next five years.

Namco has announced that GDH has granted them exclusive rights to develop games based on 'Afro Samurai,' the gritty manga series created by Takashi Okazaki. The deal allows Namco to create two games over a five-year period.

"'Afro Samurai' is a visually striking and rich story." said Jeff Lujan, business director at Namco Hometek Inc. "With its gritty and unique mix of hip-hop and samurai styling, 'Afro Samurai' is perfectly suited for video games. We are looking forward to working with GDH in bringing this exciting new property to life."

'Afro Samurai' is the story of a man who witnesses the murder of his father, and then dedicates his life to avenging his death. An animated TV series is coming to Japanese screens soon with Samuel L Jackson co-producing and providing the lead voice. A live-action feature film will also see Samuel L Jackson as the main character.

"Namco is uniquely qualified to publish games based on 'Afro Samurai,' Gonzo is just ecstatic to work with a company that is so passionate about the vision of the franchise and who has produced so many outstanding, award-winning games" said Eric Calderon, Vice President of Creative Affairs at GDH. "We're all really excited about working together to break new ground - creatively and technologically. I can't wait to play it! We're psyched that it's going to arrive around the same time as our animated series, comics, and then there's the upcoming live-action movie. The timing is just perfect."

Namco are yet to announce any games using the licence.