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Zen Studios' Planet Minigolf will be Move-enabled
Add one more title to the list of PlayStation Move launch games -- Zen Studios has announced that its Planet Minigolf game, set for a release as soon as this spring, will be "Move-enabled." Of course, Move isn't released until later this fall, but Zen promises that their game "will be fully-compatible" with the motion controller anyway. Presumably, that means you'll be able to swing the controller like a putt-putt club, but who knows -- maybe the game will incorporate any number of other minigolf-associated motions, from throwing your club in anger when the clown blocks your shot to stealthily nudging the ball with your foot when your opponent isn't looking. The possibilities are endless!
ZEN Pinball's Ninja Gaiden table trailer slices and dices
Wondering what the official Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 table for ZEN Pinball looks like in motion? Wonder no more -- the video above will show you all of the Hayabusa-style bumper action you'll be able to find, complete with ramps, flashing lights, ninja spirits and... burning pagodas? Boy, those ZEN folks aren't really pinball traditionalists, are they? But it does look fun. The table will bring new gameplay modes and missions along with it to the PlayStation Store on Thursday, January 14, for $2.49 (€1.99). Of course, it's DLC for the original ZEN Pinball game, so you've got to have that, too. Wait, we just rewatched it -- did Ryu just slice the ball in half? That's pretty awesome!
Zen Studios announces Planet Minigolf for PSN
Zen Studios, most notable for Zen Pinball, Pinball FX and, strangely, The Punisher: No Mercy, has announced a new title for the Playstation Network. Entitled Planet Minigolf, we're guessing it strays closer to the pinball camp than the killing-bad-guys camp. The game is set to feature 144 holes of mini-golf spread among "several exhilarating courses around the world," complete with plenty of "crazy, obstacles." You'll be able to choose between six customizable characters. Planet Minigolf also features online multiplayer for up to six players, as well as a local "hotseat" mode, weekly tournaments and global competitions. A release date has yet to be announced. Oh, and Zen Studios also claims that the game will allow players to "embrace a brand new standard in realistic ball physics." We have nothing to add to that; it just needed to be written.
Ninja Gaiden crosses over into ZEN Pinball
We're not sure how the ZEN Pinball team does it, but they've managed to create another crossover DLC table for the popular PSN pinball game. The follow-up to the Street Fighter table pays tribute to Team Ninja's Ninja Gaiden series. The official details will be revealed on the PlayStation.Blog soon, but we're pretty sure it'll be similar to the last DLC offering. [Thanks, HeavyToka!]
Reminder: Xbox Live 'Deal of the Week' is Pinball FX for $5
Just as expected, today's Xbox Live Deal of the Week is none other than Pinball FX. MIcrosoft has slashed its price in half, Major Nelson reports, bringing the cost of the game down to 400 ($5). It's not a bad price and, while it ain't no The Addams Family pinball, it's about your best bet for a fix considering the American arcade has all but gone the way of the ManBearPig.
Ghostbusters PS3 patch is close to 720p, but no cigar
We were moved -- genuinely moved! -- by Terminal Reality's efforts to improve the lackluster visual quality of the PS3 version of Ghostbusters with a recent patch. However, while the implementation of multi-sampling anti-aliasing and a slight bump of resolution make the PS3 title look prettier than its launch iteration, a recent Digital Foundry comparison came to a startling conclusion. Even post-patch, the game fails to deliver on its promise of 720p resolution or equality with the 360 version of Ghostbusters. The Eurogamer-hosted blog has a few enormous image comparisons for the pixel-counters among you. We're not experts on visual fidelity (What's an alias? Why must it be anti'ed?) but we do know that we are owed. Does one penny per missing pixel sound fair to you?
More pixels being patched into PS3 version of Ghostbusters
High-res HDMI captures: Ghostbusters (PS3) & Ghostbusters (Xbox 360) The PS3 version of Ghostbusters was largely criticized for its inferior performance compared to the Xbox 360 version. Developer Terminal Reality told Joystiq, "The PS3 version ... is softer due to the 'quincunx' antialiasing filter and the fact we render at about 75% the resolution of the 360 version." 25% fewer pixels? Unacceptable! Atari is promising to redress the differences between the two platforms with a new patch for the PS3 version which is supposedly available right now. According to the Atari press release, the patch will offer an "increase in resolution to match that of Xbox 360" while offering "numerous other localization fixes." Additionally, the Trophies for the game have been fixed. A glitch – caused when players from Europe and America played with each other – prevented the "Pay Day" and "Capture All Most Wanted Ghosts" Trophies (and subsequently, the game's mandatory Platinum) from unlocking properly. If bustin' ghosts with your international pals makes you feel good, it might be time to fire up Ghostbusters again.
Ghostbusters among GameStop's top five games this quarter
GameStop's quarterly earnings report for its second quarter (May through August 1) included a list of the five best-selling games for that time period. Four of the five – UFC 2009 Undisputed, Prototype, Fight Night Round 4, and NCAA Football 2010 – are safe bets; however, the last game on that list is a surprise: Ghostbusters. Atari's movie adaptation was successful, but its no-show on the last two month's NPD charts suggested it wasn't selling that well. In fact, the NPD tells us that across all six platforms, it has sold just 560,000 copies in North America. The best-selling version, in case you were curious, was the Xbox 360 release, at 225,000. We're contacting Atari about the discrepancy between the NPD numbers and Atari's announced one million sales, but its inclusion on GameStop's top seller list seems to imply that Atari's number is closer to the truth. Which would mean that Ghostbusters is something of a stealth hit!
The Punisher: No Mercy demo, patch coming soon
PlayStation Network-exclusive The Punisher: No Mercy didn't exactly impress the critics, nor did it light up the PSN sales charts. However, that's not stopping developer ZEN Studios from continuing their work on the game. Speaking to Joystiq, ZEN Studios' managing director Zsolt Kigyossy admitted there were some problems with the game's online functionality, but thought the overall game was a good value. "With No Mercy, our main focus was to create an old school FPS with exceptional value and a solid online multiplayer experience that included the style and grit from the Punisher MAX franchise, and we feel we've accomplished this.""However we do understand there are a few issues with online lag time and such, but we've been working on a patch to fix these problems and it's expected to be available very soon," Kigyossy continued. In addition to a new patch, the team is also working on delivering a free downloadable demo for the game "so consumers can test the game before they purchase it."
Interview: ZEN Studios' Zsolt Kigyossy
Today's announcement of ZEN Pinball's collaboration with Capcom was certainly a bizarre, unexpected one. We chatted with ZEN Studios' managing director Zsolt Kigyossy on the surprising success of ZEN Pinball, the studio's future plans with PlayStation Network, and how the Street Fighter deal came about in the first place. ZEN Pinball debuted as the top-selling PSN game in May. Was the team surprised by that achievement? Not too surprised! We've been working on perfecting our ball-and-table physics for six years now, so I guess our team's passion really shines through in the game. Although, with so many new games coming out each month we couldn't simply rely on quality to make our title stand out, and for that reason we owe much of our success to the huge support that we received from both Sony Europe and America. Not only that, our studio owes a big thanks to the PSN community for supporting our titles and helping drive ZEN Pinball to the number one spot. We couldn't have achieved this success without our dedicated fans.
ZEN Pinball: Street Fighter II coming to PSN soon
It may not get the media attention of PSN titles like Flower or the PixelJunk games, but ZEN Pinball is one of the most successful PSN games around. To capitalize on its success, ZEN Studios is planning a number of DLC tables for the game. First up is ZEN Pinball: Street Fighter II, a PS3 interpretation of the Street Fighter II table from Pinball FX on XBLA. "Here at ZEN Studios, we are long time Street Fighter fans and have a great relationship with Capcom, so the idea came naturally," ZEN Studios' managing director Zsolt Kigyossy told us in an exclusive interview. The price hasn't been revealed yet, but the team is aiming to release the table later this month.
ZEN Studios teases new PS3 project with familiar logo
ZEN Studios,which has already created two PSN exclusives, ZEN Pinball and The Punisher: No Mercy, is teasing its new PS3 project. Looking at this logo, it should be pretty clear as to what the team is up to. While you can make your guesses today, the official announcement won't be made until tomorrow. It's really not that hard, guys.
Over one million new Ghostbusters recruits in North America
Since its June 16 release, Ghostbusters: The Video Game has managed to sell over one million copies in North America across all platforms. That's a pretty big deal, doubly so for Atari, a company in dire need of some success. We can't imagine what kind of hot water the company would be in if it couldn't recoup some of that $15 - $20 million it cost to develop the game.
Non-Sony Ghostbusters releases dated in Europe
Namco Bandai partners has announced that Ghostbusters will officially arrive on European Wii, DS and Xbox 360 consoles (and PCs) on October 23, according to VideoGamer.com. Thus far, the game has only been officially available for the PS3 and PS2 thanks to its initial European publisher, Sony. That said, the North American Xbox 360 version is reportedly not region-locked, allowing European gamers to import the title. Still, for Nintendo and Xbox players longing for what Play Magazine calls the "best damn Ghostbusters game [they've] ever seen" (as opposed to the vastly superior version we were hoping for), the wait is going to be just a bit longer.
Ghostbusters cost $15-20 million, devs would love to revisit franchise
Ghostbusters: The Video Game has allegedly sold over one million copies -- after costing $15-20 million to produce. The figures were revealed in a feature about developer Terminal Reality in the Star-Telegram of Texas. Although the price tag may seem high, it's not unusual for next-gen development. Remember, Ken Levine revealed BioShock cost about $15 million in fancy 2007 dollars. Terminal Reality's co-founder, Mark Randel, says he's heard the game's success has sparked interest in a third movie and, if that happens, he'd love for the company to handle development of the obligatory tie-in game. Let's see if we got this straight: the next game would be based on the third Ghostbusters movie, spawned by the success of the video game, created to tie in with the 25th anniversary of the first movie and, of course, the game was written as if it were the third movie. We got that right? %Gallery-21636% [Via Edge]
PSN Thursday: The Punisher will shock you to your Qore
The American PSN update today isn't quite as interesting as the European one, but it's still got an okay amount of content. Punisher: No Mercy has been released, alongside the latest episode of Qore and the normal amount of DLC. PSP fans can choose from a selection of new games, including Capcom Classics Collection Remixed. There are also some more PS3 and PSP themes and some Rock Band Unplugged DLC. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
ZEN Pinball is top downloaded PSN game in May
Looks like our glowing preview of ZEN Pinball paid off for Zen Studios. The first (and only) pinball game on the PlayStation Network met an incredible debut, taking the top spot in May. Perhaps the free demo, which showcased the game's solid physics engine and graphics, convinced gamers to go for the full version? According to GamerBytes, Zen Studios' Pinball FX did "similarly well" on Xbox Live Arcade. That game went on to sell 250,000 units over time -- perhaps ZEN Pinball can meet an equally favorable fate? In addition to ZEN, the rest of the top 5 included many PSN mainstays: ZEN Pinball Worms Mortal Kombat II Wheel of Fortune Flower For the rest of the top 10, and more analysis of PSN sales, check out GamerBytes.
Ham blasting gives 'Kosher' Ghostbusters Achievement
Following the tenets of a religion is supposed to net you blessings and well-being, but that's just not tangible enough for us. Judaism has wised up, though. Those who follow its teachings in regards to keeping kosher – specifically by blasting a ham at a bar mitzvah in Ghostbusters – will be rewarded with an Achievement (and a Trophy, we presume) called "Kosher." It's only 10 points, but still, it's substantial. Man, why does all the best stuff happen to Jews? [Via What They Play]
The Punisher: No Mercy frags PSN on July 2 for $9.99
Courtesy of the PlayStation Blog, we now know that Frank Castle's Unreal Engine-powered, arena-style FPS, The Punisher: No Mercy, will blast its way to PSN on July 2 for a cool $9.99. Aside from multiplayer gameplay that allows up to eight different vigilantes and famous Punisher faces to go at it, there'll be a single-player mode rife with unlockable content. Let's hope that doesn't include Thomas Jane skins. %Gallery-32774%
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.
