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First look at Amazon's exclusive Ghostbusters 'Slimer Edition'
We know, we know -- there are those of us who are into Ghostbusters and then there are those of us who are really into Ghostbusters. For the majority of us, dropping a paltry $60 on the Atari-publlished ghost-bustin' game is more than enough. But don't worry, folks, if you were looking to spend $130 bucks for the title, Amazon's got you covered! In the vein of the "Amazon Exclusive" Fallout 3's Survival Edition comes the ... "Amazon Exclusive" Ghostbusters: The Video Game "Slimer Edition." Fancy box? Check. Ecto-1 keychain? Check check. Slimer ... thing? You bet! We've compiled a gallery for your approval below. It seems like just yesterday we were thinking twice about that legendary cat helmet! Update: Amazon has informed us that both the "Slimer Edition" and regular edition of Ghostbusters: The Video Game will be available for release date delivery via Amazon.com. As if we needed more reason not to visit our local brick-and-mortar! %Gallery-50382%
ESRB rates Ghostbusters, two other Atari DS titles for DSi
The DSi category of the ESRB's database is currently pretty small, containing only eight games, including some of the current first-party DSiWare (not all of the existing games are visible yet), a few Gameloft games (Brain Challenge, Real Soccer 2009, American Popstar Road to Celebrity), and ... three Atari games. Specifically, Ghostbusters, N+, and The Chase: Felix Meets Felicity, all of which are now listed as both DS and DSi games. These are the only games in the whole database to have such a distinction -- and the only DSi-listed games that aren't downloads. Unless they are!We don't want to be rumormongers, and we don't want to jump to conclusions, so we'll lay out the possibilities that have occurred to us, from most exciting to least exciting: Atari is planning to digitally distribute DS games via DSiWare, starting with Ghostbusters and extending into its back catalog. The publisher will release special DSi-enhanced cartridge versions of the games. The updated listings are a mistake. Atari PR had the following to say in response: "Unfortunately, no official word from Atari. We'll let this stay a rumor for now ;)" %Gallery-27664%
What you gonna watch? Ghostbusters!
This trailer for Ghostbusters: The Video Game does a really great job of making the game, and the franchise in general, seem dramatic and action-packed. Which is a bit weird, since the actual movies are ... comedies. Of course, the game is based more heavily on the shooting wiggly beams at ghosts and blowin' stuff up parts of the series than on the "being kind of a sleaze to Sigourney Weaver" parts. Along with the trailer, Atari has released new screens. You can call 'em up in the gallery below. %Gallery-50086%
We ain't afraid of new Ghostbusters screens
Look, we're tired. Atari sent over a bunch of new screens for the upcoming Ghostbusters game on Wii and DS and, with all of the clicking and ogling, we're exhausted. So, we're just going to take the easy way out: juice up your Proton pack, point your way towards our galleries below, and try not to cross streams.%Gallery-50084%%Gallery-50085%
Dan Aykroyd prefers Ghostbusters for Wii, says romance got axed for gameplay
Dan Aykroyd really likes the 2004 film, The Incredibles. So much so, in fact, that he believes himself to look like an Incredibles-esque superhero in the upcoming Ghostbusters game for Wii, telling Newsweek, "I love the way we look in the Wii platform ... anybody who looks like an Incredible is automatically a superhero." Though we're not sure if there's a direct correlation between the two, Aykroyd firmly believes so, continuing, "I was so pleased that they shaved off at least 60 pounds from my current bulk." Apparently Aykroyd's current poundage isn't all that was shaved in translation from movie to game, as the romantic elements between Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver have been omitted from the forthcoming title. Aykroyd says "the format of ghostbusting lends itself to a video game beautifully," while apparently the finesse required in convincing Sigourney Weaver to fornicate with Bill Murray doesn't so much. Not even a minigame, folks? We kid! It probably didn't help that Ms. Weaver declined to be part of the game, huh? %Gallery-38587%
Bustin' PSP Ghostbusters rumors makes Atari feel good
Bad news for PSP fans looking forward to a version of Atari's Ghostbusters game: the ESRB listing that seemed to indicate an unannounced PSP version was nothing more than a ... phantom. An apparition. Something ephemeral. What's the word? The listing has now been corrected to cover just the PS2 and Wii versions. In addition, Atari confirmed to Eurogamer that it is not releasing a PSP Ghostbusters. Whether the PSP mention in the rating was a clerical error or indication of an earlier, canceled PSP version, the end result is the same -- there is no Ghostbusters on PSP ... only Zuul.
The DS Ghostbusters game is Ecto-cooler
We know very little about Red Fly Studio's DS Ghostbusters game. It'll have more of a business-management component, much like the classic David Crane Ghostbusters, and it'll use an exaggerated graphical style like the Wii game, but we haven't heard much about the experience of playing the game. We now know from a Co-Optimus interview that it'll be awesome in a way no other version of the new Ghostbusters game is."Driving the Ecto-1 is an exclusive feature for the Nintendo DS version of the game," Red Fly's Dustin Dobson said, "although it will certainly play a big part in all of the games." Sadly for the Wii version, there are no plans as yet for a proton pack attachment, as far as Dobson knows. "But whether or not an official pack accessory is made, I am sure custom ones built by fans of the movies and games are going to pop up! I am excited to see what people come up with." Somebody buy one of the movie props and mod it. You guys have money. You can do this.%Gallery-49171%[Via GoNintendo]
ESRB rates Ghostbusters game for PSP
Looks like the Ghostbusters are heading to PSP, if this ESRB listing is to be believed. According to the ratings bureau, the PSP will receive its own version of Ghostbusters, based on the PS2 and Wii versions of the game. The game has been announced for pretty much every platform including the DS and iPhone, so it's unsurprising that Atari would want to make a quick buck by releasing a PSP port as well. [Thanks, David B.!] %Gallery-38587%
Who you gonna call ... on your iPhone?
Sony Pictures Television just announced a bunch of upcoming mobile games for iPhone/iPod Touch and other mobile platforms, including Q*Bert, Angels & Demons, and Voltron. But the most notable release, if only because it makes the joke in our headline work, is an iPhone/Touch Ghostbusters game to be released in June.According to the press release, the game allows players to "catch ghosts and save citizens from being slimed as you make your way through the big city." The June release date, which coincides with the console Ghostbusters games, suggests that it will be similar in design to one of them -- probably either the DS or Wii game.Also potentially cool: Top Agent, a multiplayer James Bond game for iPhone to be released in August.[Via Electricpig]
Harold Ramis talks Ghostbusters and lengthy game scripts
MTV Multiplayer's Stephen Totilo used his MTV Movies contacts to get some info out of Ghostbusters writer and star Harold Ramis regarding the upcoming video game. Ramis said that he and Dan Ackroyd both contributed to the game's narrative, in addition to lending their voices to their old characters, Egon and Ray. "Dan consulted a lot on the story. I just kind of helped him change the dialogue." Speaking of which, Ramis seemed surprised by just how much dialogue there actually was. "It was a little weird. I had no idea because I'm not a gamer. The game scripts are like 250 pages. You need all these alternatives so it took forever. A lot of it is just yelling, 'Look out! Throw that trap, rookie!'" Hopefully having both of the original writers helping out will make the game as much of a classic as the movies are. We'll find out when the game releases in June.
Alyssa Milano talks about Ghostbusters role
Former Charmed star Alyssa Milano will be in the new Ghostbusters video game and she's here (in video) to talk about her new role as Ilyssa Selwyn. Her character is the love interest for Dr. Peter Venkman (voiced by Bill Murray), and is likely to play a bigger role than one would expect. "Paranormal activities take a liking to [Ilyssa]," said Milano. "So crazy things sort of happen ... she can't figure out why, but we'll eventually, at the end, figure out why." It sounds like the leading lady is at the heart of the mystery for this new Ghostbusters outing. And apparently, there's lots of "flirty, flirty sexual tension" happening between Venkman and Selwyn, too. At least, that's what Milano says ... We can't imagine how much sexual tension there could possibly be starring opposite Bill Murray. %Gallery-42934%
Quazal inks middleware deal with Ubisoft, Petz deathmatch now possible
Have you ever heard of Quazal? You know, the "leading supplier of multiplayer middleware solutions for the entertainment industry," known most recently for working with Atari on the upcoming Ghostbusters game and likely better known for their work with Harmonix on the Rock Band franchise? Oh you have? Good! So you might already know that the company has just signed a deal with Ubisoft for use of its Rendez-Vous, Net-Z and Spark! middleware products, promising also to provide long-term consulting and support. You didn't know that? Yeah, neither did we.But in a press release issued by Quazal, we found out all about the contract inked this past week to deliver "cutting-edge multiplayer experiences" by licensing the middleware to Ubisoft. Christine Burgess-Quémard, executive director of worldwide studios at Ubisoft notes in the release, "By securing this Enterprise deal, Ubisoft is positioning itself to be at the forefront of the next generation of online enabled titles." Though we'd like to point out that the "next-gen" started in 2005, we'll go right ahead and assume she means the real next-gen coming in 2012. 'Til then, we'll have to hold fast hope that the perpetually deathmatch-less Petz franchise receives the long overdue multiplayer mode we've been waiting for.[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
Alyssa Milano replaces Weaver in Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Everyone's dream girlfriend from the '80s and '90s, Alyssa Milano, will replace Sigourney Weaver as the leading lady in the upcoming Ghostbusters game from Atari. Weaver originally declined to reprise her role as musician -- and Bill Murray baby-mama -- Dana Barrett unless the game was of "high quality," until she had a change of heart. Unfortunately for the actress, and Ghostbusters fans, the change came too late in development as her character had been written out to make room for a new leading lady, voiced by Milano. Milano, still stunning at 36-years-old, will play Dr. Ilyssa Selwyn -- curator of the World of Gozer exhibit at the Natural History Museum in New York City. Also missing from the regular Ghostbusters cast is Canadian actor (and spokesperson) Rick Moranis, who has since left show business in the wake of collecting giant stacks of Honey! I Shrunk the Kids money. Ghostbusters go on the hunt on June 16. %Gallery-48356%
Ghostbusters producer talks Atari takeover, describes game as 'Gears of War Lite'
Atari's senior producer for Ghostbusters, Garret Moehring, recently spoke with MTV Multiplayer about the upcoming title and its focus. He said the team is really going for a mainstream experience with Ghostbusters, best described as "an action-shooter - Gears of War Lite, in a way." Moehring described how Atari had made the game more accessible by changing the process of wrangling up those ghosts, making it more of an automatic process.Apparently, after acquiring the game, Atari spent the majority of time on polishing it up, with "probably 70 different people playing the game" throughout the development process. Terminal Reality will continue making various tweaks until Ghostbusters arrives on June 16.%Gallery-21636%
Infernal Engine licensees will get Ghostbusters, in spirit
Terminal Reality, developer of Ghostbusters: The Video Game and the newly commercialized Infernal Engine which powers it, will be helping licensees ease into using the middleware by providing them the framework for Ghostbusters -- sans the Ghostbusters. VP Joe Kreiner explained the dea in an interview with Gamasutra."Once Ghostbusters ships in June, we'll be providing Ghostbusters the game as a framework to our licensees," he told the site, adding, "We'll have to remove the talent and any copyrighted items, but we will be distributing that to our developers once the game ships." So, developers who've licensed the engine will be able to build on what Terminal Velocity learned during the game's development process. Or, they could make a game just like Ghostbusters, with some minor tweaks here and there. Call it Phantom Squad or Spirit Snatcher. Psst! Hey, From Software -- thought you could use those after playing your latest game.
Ray Parker Jr. wants Ghostbusters theme in Rock Band, likes money
Song writer and performer Ray Parker Jr. wants his famous Ghostbusters theme song in Rock Band. Not only because it could be a good fit but because Ray Parker Jr. loves him some money.In an interview with Eurogamer, the 54 year-old artist discussed money made from the original track, money owed to him for the use of the song in the upcoming Atari game and that the film company didn't invite him back for Ghostbusters 2 because they were mad at him because he made too much money. But fans will be happy to hear it isn't all business with Parker Jr., he really wants to work on a Ghostbusters 3 (if it happens) -- both in writing a new song and acting in the film -- because he loves the series. Oh, and there's probably some money in it too. Needless to say if the Ghostbusters theme ever hits Rock Band we don't anticipate it will be free.
Ghostbusters game initially had tactical voice commands
Executive Producer Brendan Goss disclosed that the upcoming Ghostbusters game had once featured voice recognition commands that were ultimately removed because they weren't "a good fit." In an interview with Strategy Informer, Goss mentioned that the tech was available and working, but that there were some instances where character personalities conflicted with the command-and-obey system: " ... if you tell Peter Venkman to go open a door he's going to hit you with something, he's not just going to go over and open the door, so that was something that we had a look at and thought, well this is great, but it's not a good fit for what we're trying to do, so we cut it." As much as we'd like to see Venkman comedically berate us, we guess Goss has a point. You know, if you care about that "gameplay" stuff.
Atari drops Ghostbusters multiplayer deets, neglects vital information
There are a few things to be gleaned from the Ghostbusters multiplayer details recently posted on Kombo.com. First of all, the game features co-operative multiplayer in which players catch ghosts as a team. Of particular interest is the multiplayer campaign mode, which allows you to earn cash and upgrade your equipment. There's also an Instant Action mode for less patient players. Beyond that, there are plenty of other details: six power-ups, twelve maps, six different game types, etc. The problem, see, is that Atari forgot one important piece of information concerning any Ghostbusters multiplayer experience: What happens when you cross the streams? It's a vital detail and, frankly, we're shocked it's not even mentioned. We can tell you this right now: If nothing happens when you cross the streams, the trivial geek rage will be heard the world over.
Sigourney Weaver missed her shot at Ghostbusters game role
We reported last year that Sigourney Weaver was interested in a role in the upcoming Ghostbusters game so long as the project was "high quality." The good news: Sigourney Weaver apparently thinks Terminal Reality's adaptation is up to snuff. The bad news: She came to this conclusion too late. At a recent press event in Stockholm, according to Game Reactor, Terminal Reality producer Brendan Goss stated that Weaver originally turned the role down when it was first offered. When the actress later learned that Bill Murray had signed on to do the game -- on the condition that each Ghostbuster get equal screen time -- she approached the makers asking to be a part of the project. Unfortunately for Ms. Weaver, the game was already too far into production and a new lead female role had been written. We can only assume said role is that of Janine Melnitz, the Ghostbusters' sassy receptionist. We imagine the romance between her and Peter Venkman will be a torrid, strange affair, what with the bug eyes thing and all.
Terminal Reality ain't afraid of licensing no middleware
The developers behind the upcoming PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Ghostbusters: The Video Game have informed us that the engine driving the game, the Infernal Engine, is open for third-party licensing. In fact, Terminal Reality will be meeting behind closed doors to discuss licensing its tech with several folks at the DICE Conference, which is going on right now in Red Rock, Nevada.Terminal Reality says its engine is compatible with all next-gen platforms, including PC, and can take "full advantage of next generation hardware while scaling easily to all systems." It features "an advanced physics solution, powerful particle system, and rendering features that provide ultra-realistic environments and characters." In layman's terms, the Infernal Engine can make stuff.The image above was crafted using the engine, and will serve as one of the items Terminal Reality uses to market its middleware product. So, developers, if you're looking for something that can help you create dudes with glowing eyes, old rifles, and a taste for tacky jewelry, who you gonna call?
