The Sony event in Sydney is still rolling on but in espionage-like movements that would put Sam Fisher to shame, our Gameplayer staff have managed to get more breaking news through to us. This particular announcement was left until the end, and with good reason; it's huge.
According to our guys on the frontline, Sony has made an agreement with Atari to publish the soon to be released Ghostbusters: The Video Game. While this news may not initially come across as particularly groundbreaking, it's the implications of the late announcement that are potentially extreme.
At its most extreme, the news could mean that Ghostbusters just became a Sony exclusive product. If this turns out to be the case it would mean that only the PS2 and PS3 would receive the game, while the Xbox 360, Wii, DS and PC would be left in the dark.
A less extreme implication may well be that the proposed multiplatform release date just got thrown out the door. It may still arrive on all of the announced platforms, but Ghostbusters may get some exclusive Sony time before the other platforms get their chance to wrangle ghouls.
Because all good speculation comes in threes, it may also mean that a late PSP port could be added to the list, resulting in a wholly Sony exclusive release (be it timed or indefinite) across all three of its supported platforms.
ORIGIN
UPDATE
Sony Computer Entertainment will now be publishing Terminal Reality's Ghostbusters title in a surprise deal signed with Atari today, according toGamesIndustry.biz.
The game is set for a June 19 release alongside the Sony Pictures film, but only on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 2 platforms. They will have a period of exclusivity lasting several months until the PSP edition is launched.
It is unclear exactly what will happen to the Xbox 360 version of the game, although GamesIndustry.biz understands that Atari may look to publish it later on.
This will be the third publisher within a year for the Ghostbusters game. The former Vivendi title was dropped by Activision in the merger last summer, before subsequently being picked up by Atari.
"Wow! Talk about telekinetic activity, look at this mess!"
MORE UPDATE
WHO YOU GONNA CALL? PLAYSTATION®!
SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT EUROPE TO PUBLISH 'GHOSTBUSTERS: THE VIDEO GAME' ON PLAYSTATION® 3, PLAYSTATION® 2 AND PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) IN EUROPE AND PAL REGIONS
- Eagerly Anticipated Software Releasing Exclusively on Two PlayStation Platforms in June for the 25th Anniversary of Original Hit Movie –
- Original Cast of the Hit Movie Come Back Together to Do Battle With the Supernatural on the Streets of Manhattan -
- PSP Version Coming Autumn 2009 -
LONDON, UK – 6th May 2009 – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) , Sony Pictures Consumer Products, and Atari Europe today announced that Ghostbusters: The Video Game for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) and PlayStation®2 is to be published in PAL territories by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe in June, meaning that owners of PS3 and PlayStation 2 will get their hands on the game that reunites the cast of the hit movies. To mark the 25th anniversary of the well-loved franchise, the game will launch in coordination with the Blu-ray™ release of the original hit movie and licensing programs from Sony Pictures Consumer Products Inc. Ghostbusters: The Video Game will launch in Europe and PAL regions on June 19th 2009 exclusively for PS3 and PlayStation 2.
"We're committed to bringing the PlayStation family the biggest and best gaming experiences first," says Mark Hardy, European Product Marketing Director at SCEE, "and it doesn't get any bigger and better than this blockbuster title. This summer, PlayStation owners will be the first to grab their proton packs and fight the spirit world. We'd like to wish them the best of luck in their ghostbusting endeavours and, of course, to remind them not to cross the streams!"
"With our colleagues at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe publishing Ghostbusters: The Video Game, we are thrilled by the dynamic new Ghostbusters game. We think it will have tremendous appeal to gamers and we can't think of a better way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of this beloved franchise." said Mark Caplan, Vice President of Licensing-Interactive for Sony Pictures Consumer Products Inc. "With this superb game launching alongside the Blu-ray release, we will reach existing fans and the next generation, bringing them all into the irresistible Ghostbusters universe."
"Atari is committed to maximizing the launch of the Ghostbusters videogame across Europe," Said Jim Wilson, VP Worldwide Marketing, Atari. "In partnership with both Sony Pictures Consumer Products, Inc and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, we have a unique opportunity to add new game products and expand marketing opportunities to reach Ghostbusters fans in Europe."
In Ghostbusters: The Video Game, players can grab a proton pack and turn their ghostbusting fantasies into reality as the new recruit to the Ghostbusters team in a story set two years after the Ghostbusters 2 movie. Once again, the city of Manhattan has been overrun with ghouls, ghosts and all things foul – and it's down to the Ghostbusters team to capture them all and regain control.
The game has been written by original Ghostbusters writers Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd and reunites members of the original cast for the first time in 20 years. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson lend their voices and in-game likenesses to the game, which also features performances from favourites including William Atherton (Walter Peck), Annie Potts (Janine) and Brian Doyle-Murray (Mayor Jock Mulligan).
Developed by Terminal Reality and Red Fly Studios Ghostbusters: The Video Game will arrive on PS3 and PS2 this June. PSP version of the game is scheduled for launch in autumn 2009. To find out more, visit eu.playstation.com.
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