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UK chart get: Prototype on top, Ghostbusters debuts at third
According to Chart Track's UK software sales figures from last week, we know the Barry Pepper-voiced free-roamer, Prototype, has managed to secure the top spot. It wasn't an easy battle, as Radical Entertainment's title had some stiff competition in Terminal Reality's Ghostbusters, which made its debut in the UK last week. The ghost bustin' reunion was not enough to topple the "go anywhere, kill everything" game, and managed to secure the bronze with a third place showing. It should be noted that this is the all-format charts, and with it being a PS3 exclusive in the territory (Xbox 360 owners do have options, though), third is pretty impressive for a game on just one platform (excluding Wii Fit). As for second place, The Sims 3 dropped down from its cushy throne last week thanks to a 49% decline in sales. Don't feel too bad for the game, though -- it did have the best PC launch in EA's history, you know.
SOCOM and Ghostbusters join PlayStation Home
PlayStation Home is getting yet another update today, with the introduction of a new SOCOM Confrontation game space and a new for-purchase personal space based on Ghostbusters.The "SOCOM Tactical Operations Center" space is actually the first half of the SOCOM Home hub. This space will allow players to gather and create strategies around the Telestrator. Sounds a lot like the Warhawk game space.The Ghostbusters firehouse personal space is a three-story complex, ripped straight from the Ghostbusters video game. The personal space will come with unique items, like an Ecto-1, and features Stage Set functionality, so players can create their own Ghostbusters-themed movies. Finally, you'll be able to fly around as Slimer as well. Both these updates should be available in Home later today.
Atari responds to missing multiplayer in Ghostbusters PC
We suppose it's a little ironic that the multiplayer for the PC version of Ghostbusters is little more than a phantom. That is to say that the PC version doesn't actually have multiplayer at all, a fact our compatriots at Big Download reported earlier this week. Naturally, PC gamers probably have a few questions about this, chief among them being, "What gives?" When asked by Big Download for a response, Atari sent along comments from Dan Irish, CEO of Threewave, the game's multiplayer developer. According to Irish, Threewave had intended to create multiplayer for both consoles and the PC, but eventually decided to focus on the console versions in order to keep the quality bar as high as possible. According to Irish, if the company had attempted to develop both the PC and console versions simultaneously, "something would have to suffer." Probably not the answer PC players were hoping for. Another question that has yet to be answered, according to Big Download, is whether Atari and Threewave have any plans to add multiplayer in the future.
Ghostbusters on PS3 lags behind 360 version; developer explains
High-res HDMI captures: Ghostbusters (PS3) & Ghostbusters (Xbox 360) Richard Leadbetter – Director of HD consultancy Digital Foundry and author of Eurogamer's multiplatform comparison Face-off features – tweeted that playing Ghostbusters on the PS3 was like "time-warping back to the dawn of PS3 development." Ouch! That's especially painful to read considering the high hopes Terminal Reality – developers of the just-released Ghostbusters game – have for their multiplatform Infernal Engine. Internet reports of a less-than-stellar PS3 version of the title originated at Lens of Truth on Monday, were later corroborated by Gamezine.co.uk and, following tomorrow's publication of Leadbetter's most recent Face-off feature, will be further corroborated by Eurogamer. Confusing the issue even further is the following quote from Terminal Reality's Mark Randel, who told VG247 last year, "We're one of the few developers who love the PS3 and have a great time with it. We have great technology for the PS3 and we want to show it off." Instead of leaving it up to internet Matlocks, we asked Terminal Reality to comment on the controversy. A spokesperson for the developer told us, "For the record, the PS3 version [of Ghostbusters] is softer due to the 'quincunx' antialiasing filter and the fact we render at about 75% the resolution of the 360 version. So you cannot directly compare a screen shot of one to the other unless you scale them properly. The PS3 does have less available RAM than the 360 – but we managed to squeeze 3 out of 4 textures as full size on the PS3." So: is the PS3 "maxed out"? Or is Terminal Reality's engine – despite comments to the contrary – just not up to snuff on the PS3? With most recent multiplatform titles performing comparably, if not identically, on both the Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles, we'd be inclined to agree with Mr. Leadbetter: it's like "time-warping back to the dawn of PS3 development" when PS3 games were routinely outperformed by their Xbox 360 counterparts. Let's hope the irony of the situation is lost on Ghostbusters' exclusive European publisher ... Sony. As well as the franchise's owner ... Sony Pictures. %Gallery-66218% Source – Head2Head: Ghostbusters Source – @Digital_Foundry
Review: Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Xbox 360/PS3)
Listen ... do you smell something? Stripped of its license, Ghostbusters is a passable, if largely forgettable game. The entire experience is held together on the merits of its source material alone, with occasionally witty dialog and story draped like a sheet across what amounts to inconsistent gameplay and level design that would make most amateur modders cringe. Still, given Ghostbusters' rocky road to retail, I suppose we should be grateful that there's a game to complain about at all. %Gallery-21636%
Xbox 360 Ghostbusters not region-locked, Europe doesn't need to wait
According to a number of reports from North American purchasers of Ghostbusters: The Video Game, the highly anticipated film-to-game adaptation is more than capable of crossing the stream known as the Atlantic Ocean. Yes, players are claiming that the Xbox 360 version of the title isn't region-locked, and can be played on consoles worldwide -- even in Europe, where Sony recently scored the publishing rights for the title, turning it into a PS3 exclusive. In other words, for Europe's import-savvy 360 owners, the chance to digitally don a proton pack is just one transatlantic cargo plane journey away.
Now Playing: June 14-20, 2009
Who you gonna call this week? Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
Unlock Legendary cars (for free!) in Burnout Paradise: Big Surf Island
Don't want to pony up the $8 to download Burnout Paradise's premium "Legendary" cars? Well, here's a cheaper alternative: buy Big Surf Island for $13, as it includes special toy versions of all four DLC cars. You can get a cute mini version of the hovering 88 Special (pictured above), Bootlegger, Manhattan Spirit and GT Nighthawk by completing various tasks around the new Burnout island: Toy Hunter Cavalry Bootlegger - Jump from all 15 Island Mega Jumps Toy Jansen P12 88 Special - Hit all 45 Island Billboards Toy Carson GT Nighthawk - Complete all 24 Island Road Rules (Timed & Showtime) Toy Hunter Manhattan Spirit - Hit all 75 Island Smashes We'll admit that we were too cheap to pay for the Legendary DLC, but with a little bit of skill, we'll be able to drive our own Ghostbusters-inspired car in no time.%Gallery-41360%
Seen@E3: Ghostbusters Ecto-1 bustin' ghosts in front of the LACC
(click to stay puft-size) While walking into the convention center earlier this morning to kick off our E3 coverage in earnest, we spotted what appeared to be the Peter Venkman kartin', ghost bustin' beast that is the Ecto-1. Unable to contain our rose-colored joy, we snapped a handful of pics to show you, dereast reader. Do yourself a favor and give 'em a peek, but don't freak out too much -- we've already done plenty of that for you.%Gallery-64858%
Fat Princess gobbles up June release
It's been a long time coming, but the European PlayStation.Blog has confirmed that Sony's online cake-fest, Fat Princess, will receive a June release. Just in case you didn't notice, that's this month. While the release timetable is only confirmed for Europe, it's likely the PSN capture-the-princess game will find a global release.In addition to Fat Princess, SCEE confirmed June releases for Trash Panic, Numblast and a Ghostbusters demo. PSP owners will be able to expect Ape Academy 2, Everybody's Golf 2, Syphon Filter Logan's Shadow and WipEout Pulse in the European PS Store.%Gallery-27941%
Ghostbusters DS almost visible in new trailer
Atari's latest trailer for Ghostbusters: The Video Game finally gives us a look at the DS version -- sort of. You can see it on the tiny screens when the floating DS turns to face us. Right there, behind the character art. We think it looks pretty good. While we're on the subject of Ghostbusters on DS, we hope the Ghostbusters' games' approach to multiplatform game design pays off, because it's the kind of approach we like to see. Rather than having developers create stripped-down versions of another developer's game, Atari (actually original publisher Sierra, we guess) got Terminal Reality and Red Fly, developers who know what they're doing on their respective consoles, to make different games for the different platforms. So this DS game isn't a crappy version of an Xbox game, for example. %Gallery-50992%
WoW Moviewatch: Gnomebusters
Maitseling of Chroniques Darnassiennes posted Gnomebusters over on Warcraft Movies. The movie came about because, apparently, Maitseling's guild mates complained that he hadn't featured gnomes in machinimas. How better to address that issue than with an homage to one of the finest films ever created?The video's a lot of fun. I like the way Maitseling translated the world of Ghostbusters into something visual in Azeroth. My only complaint would be that none of the soundtrack references WoW, since the song and dialogue is pretty much a direct lift from the original movie. That didn't really detract from my enjoyment of the film, though. I'm old enough that I saw the original film in the theatre, and Maitseling's work really took me back.Who's afraid of those gnomes?If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch
Ghostbusters dev targeting more Infernal Engine licensees this year
Terminal Reality hopes other developers ain't afraid of licensing the studio's Infernal Engine to use on future projects. In fact, the Ghostbusters dev's VP of sales and marketing, Joe Kreiner, tells GI.biz that his goal is to secure "at least another half a dozen to a dozen within the next year, at minimum." An attainable goal, according to Kreiner, which if achieved would put the number of customers in Terminal Reality's containment unit somewhere in the neighborhood of twelve since the middleware first opened up to developers in February.Rather than a short-term solution, Kreiner further notes that the Infernal Engine was designed to work across multiple CPUs and SPUs, something the marketing chief believes "future-proofs" the tech for use on later console platforms down the line. In the short term, however, he adds that Ghostbusters shows off the engine "really well." Hopefully other studios will come calling now that the game's publisher merry-go-round has (hopefully) stopped ahead of the title's anticipated June launch.
Mass hysteria: Ghostbusters multiplayer trailer
After watching this GameTrailers-exclusive Ghostbusters trailer, featuring multiplayer footage from the PS3/360/PC version of the game, we started to wonder if the promotion for this game was going to make us tired of Ray Parker, Jr.'s Ghostbusters theme song. Then we remembered that it was impossible to get tired of that song. As for the game, the multiplayer component features flagrant stream-crossing, on-the-fly revival of fellow Busters, and multiple instances of the same character. If someone else is Winston and you wanted to be Winston, no problem! What a relief. This trailer also briefly highlights the game's "Protection" mode, in which players battle ghosts in order to keep them from destroying vulnerable technology.
Ghostbusters dev: Publisher changes not 'ideal'
We realize it's a surprise, but apparently Terminal Reality believes that constantly changing publishers isn't all that great. The Ghostbusters game has traveled a very rocky publishing road, starting with Sierra, then sitting in limbo following the Activision / Vivendi merger, then moving to Atari and then moving to Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for the European market. Adding to the mess, SCEE will initially release the game only on PS3 and PS2 in Europe, leaving the 360, Wii and DS versions for later this year. Speaking to GI.biz, Terminal Reality executive producer Brendon Goss said that the situation is not "ideal" as the developer prefers to create "a collaborative relationship" with publishers. He adds that all versions of the game are complete and he hopes that European release schedule won't cause confusion, which he said could harm sales of the game. In the face of the publishing decisions, which Goss said Terminal Reality had no say in, the team decided to focus on improving the game. We'll find out if that work paid off when the game releases this June.
Sony publishing Ghostbusters in Europe, PSP version resurrected [update]
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has announced that it will be publishing Ghostbusters in Europe this June, meaning that the game is now a PS3 and PS2 exclusive in the region. Not only that, but the rumored and debunked PSP version has also been confirmed for release later this autumn. The PS3 and PS2 versions are currently set for a June 19 debut. Eurogamer has confirmed with Atari that the deal is for timed exclusivity on Sony platforms, with all other versions being released "later in the year." It's certainly a strange move on Atari's part, especially when limiting their potential consumer base is being called "maximizing the launch of the Ghostbusters videogame across Europe" by Atari's VP of Worldwide Marketing. Pushing non-Sony versions further towards or, even worse, into Q4 won't do the 360, Wii and DS versions any favors. Update: Atari US has clarified its publishing plans for the North American region. The 360, PS3, Wii and DS versions will all be released in the US on June 16, as previously announced. The PSP version will be released worldwide in Autumn.
Rumorong: No Ghostbusters demo crossing streams with Blu-ray movie
We're ain't afraid to tell you that rumors of a demo for Ghostbusters being packaged with the upcoming Blu-ray version of the film can be safely locked away in an Ecto-Containment Unit (or the nearest parallel dimension). A recent listing by online retailer ShopTo.Net excited some by listing a demo among the movie's features. However, Atari reps busted our hearts, saying simply "there will be no demo for Ghostbusters: The Video Game on the Blu-ray disc." It's worth mentioning, however, that the retailer in question is rooted in the UK while the PR person we spoke with was US-based. So there is a slim possibility that differences exist in how the movie will be packaged in the different regions, or perhaps ShopTo.Net is bundling the demo itself as part of some special promotion. Again, unlikely, though the store tells Joystiq that based on our inquiry it is checking with its suppliers and will "update the website accordingly if it's not going to be included."
We're ready to believe this Ghostbusters intro movie
We're of two minds about the intro sequence to the 360, PS3 and PC version of Ghostbusters: The Video Game, available after the break. On the one hand, it is a definite mistake to be interested in licensed movie games based on how closely they resemble the movies, rather than on their own merits as games. But on the other hand, wow, that is totally Ghostbusters. From the awkward mundanity of the self-produced advertising, to the Gozer/Shandor references, to the off-screen museum scare, this intro just gets it right. There's something weird, and it does look good. Good thing the game itself looks like a winner as well.%Gallery-21636%
Ghostbusters DS: shades of Ghostbusters II
The latest set of screens from the DS version of Ghostbusters shows off some of the nice, kind of creepy lighting effects at which Red Fly Studio seems to excel. The developer's DS release of Mushroom Men featured the same kind of atmospheric use of colored lights.Speaking of earlier projects, look what has appeared in the inventory: a "slime blower" like the ones used in Ghostbusters II to neutralize the dangerous Peter MacNicol and vandalize the Statue of Liberty. In this game, it renders "caustic Black Slime" inert and highlights invisible platforms. It's apparently self-regenerating as well! The 'Busters have had some time to upgrade their tech!%Gallery-50992%
First glimpse at Ghostbusters Wii gameplay footage
Atari has released a new trailer for June's Ghostbusters and it's full of the requisite paranormal phenomenon. Recoil in horror at the negatively charged ectoplasmic entities. Gasp at the sheer awesomeness of the proton-powered nuclear blast streams. And be sure to guard your foodstuffs, because Slimer is on the prowl.%Gallery-27664%
