2K joins the circus on Wii, DS

If broad appeal is the name of the game, it's harder to get more broad than "ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages." So it stands to reason that 2K Play could have some significant hits on its hands with today's announcement that it is working on Wii and DS games for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Set for release this holiday season, the Ringling Bros. games will adapt "The Greatest Show on Earth" to Nintendo's popular systems. While the publisher didn't talk about gameplay, the announcement mentioned "a precursor of what to expect" in the form of a recent high-wire performance where one of the circus members walked a 25-foot tightrope with only a Wii Remote and Nunchuk in his hands for balance.

While the game won't be out until the holidays, 2K Play said more would be revealed at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo in June. The Take-Two Interactive label currently publishes a line of popular but crtically panned Carnival games for the Wii and DS.