Obsidian Developing South Park RPG for PS3, 360

South Park is no stranger to tie-in games, but no one has ever managed to fully capture the scope of its absurd universe. Sure, tower defense games and sidescrollers are well and good, but South Park is a show that thrives on humorous, usually controversial dialogue and a cast of dozens upon dozens of characters.

That's why today's announcement that Fallout: New Vegas developer Obsidian games is teaming up with Comedy Central and THQ to produce South Park: The Game is oddly comforting. If there's any genre that's a great fit for the show's ridiculous world, it's an RPG, and Obsidian has the track record to pull this off successfully. 

According to Game Informer, whose upcoming January issue features a complete reveal of the game, you'll play the role of a new kid in South Park, working to make friends and defend the town. Series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone will be penning the script, voicing the dialogue, and consulting on the development, so the game should stay true to the spirit of the show.

Unlike the franchise's recent XBLA releases, South Park: The Game is a full-scale retail release for the 360 and PS3, and it's apparently on track for a 2012 release.

Still, as optimistic as I am at the news, it's important to remember that The Simpsons already did it.