This morning we announced Sony's rather surprising coup when it became apparent that Ghostbusters would become a timed PlayStation exclusive. However, it has now become apparent that it's only exclusive in Europe, with Atari now clarifying that the game will release on all platforms simultaneously in North America.
What this seems to suggest is that European Xbox 360 and Wii fans been screwed over while North American owners are perfectly fine. While I didn't agree before that Sony was being anymore dickish than Microsoft has been in the past, this new information really does strike me as quite douchebaggy. The press release makes no mention of Ghostbusters EVER coming to Europe on anything but a Blu-ray disc and has been called a "special deal" that is "exclusive" to PS3 and PS2.
So there you go. The American Xbox fans who were crying this morning can dry their tears, but if you're in the PAL region, congratulations! You've just been shafted quite hard!
[Minor Update: Atari has apparently confirmed that European Xbox 360 and Wii owners WILL get the game at some point in the year, but it is a timed exclusive on PlayStation systems until that point.]
NEW YORK, NY – May 6th, 2009 – Atari, one of the world’s most recognized video game publishers, today confirmed the worldwide launch plans for the highly anticipated Ghostbusters: The Video Game.
The title will launch on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Windows® PC, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ in North America on June 16th 2009 and will be published by Atari Inc.
In an exclusive deal for Europe and the PAL regions, the PLAYSTATION®3 system and PlayStation®2 system versions will launch on June 19th 2009 published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. The launch coincides with the 25th anniversary of the original film’s theatrical release and the launch of the Blu-RayTM of the classic first movie, benefiting from a worldwide launch and licensing campaign by Sony Pictures Consumer Products.
"Ghostbusters: The Video Game is one of our most significant worldwide releases this summer. Through Atari's North America publishing business and alongside our partners at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, we have a strategically diversified approach to maximize a title of this magnitude on a global basis," said Jim Wilson, CEO, Atari, Inc.
He continued: “As excitement in the marketplace continues to accelerate around this title and the 25th anniversary of the movie's release, Ghostbusters' large and loyal fan base and gamers across North America can play Ghostbusters: The Video Game across all major platforms on June 16."
A PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) version of the game is scheduled for worldwide launch in autumn 2009 and will be published in Europe by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game, based on the smash hit motion picture franchise, is penned by original Ghostbusters writers and stars Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd and reunites many of the original cast members to recapture the unique blend of humour and fright that established Ghostbusters as a pop culture sensation. The game’s launch on 16 June 2009 coincides with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s worldwide debut of the original motion picture on Blu-ray Disc™.
In addition to Aykroyd and Ramis, original Ghostbusters Bill Murray, and Ernie Hudson lend their voices and in-game likenesses to the original story set two years after Ghostbusters II, with Manhattan once again overrun by ghosts and supernatural forces. The player joins up as a new recruit with the original team, testing a variety of unique equipment and gadgets, to track, wrangle and trap this wide range of awe-inspiring phantasms in an all new funny and frightening battle to save New York City from its latest paranormal plague.
For more information about Ghostbusters: The Video Game please visit www.ghostbustersgame.com.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
11:41 AM on 05.06.2009
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I want to bust me some ghosts on time, dagnambit!
It's been awhile.
seriously though my comment earlier wasnt crying - i felt that us 360 owners deserved it. sucks to be european.
Luckily my PS3 is fine.
Harsh on 360 owners though.
I do like the way that in the third paragraph of that statement, it tries to make Europeans feel special with their "exclusive deal"!!
released in america, it will be pirated relentlessly in europe, and nobody will buy it when it eventually comes out. sony will blame the pirates, and the market will die a little more.
same deal with the 360 release to an extent. with PS3 being the only pirate proof platform it will have by far the highest sales even after the exclusive period.
fuck sony.
No, that's not a douche move at all, huh guys?
Your an idiot! Its ok for MS to this kind of thing, but not ok for Sony. I swear, it seems as if most 360 owners are 10 years old and still wear diapers. Fucking sissies!
it's "you're an idiot" actually. who's ten now?
did you not notice i was complaining about sony hurting the PC market? when did microsoft lasty announce europe only exclusivity a couple months before release of a multiplatform game?
do you even have a clue what you're talking about?
Yeah, but at least MS doesn't pull this shit a MONTH before a game comes out. We all KNEW ahead of time that there would be exclusive DLC for GTA IV on the 360, not one month before the game came out (Which, I guarantee it, would've made PS3 fanboys go ape shit crazy. Not that they did anyway). Sony has every right to do this, but it doesn't change the fact that this is still incredibly douchebaggy since the game is only a month from release. I'm not European, but this still sucks for all the 360 and Wii owners that live across the pond.
"do you even have a clue what you're talking about?"
Only when im not drinking....
Im tired of people being hypocritical gamers.
Joking aside, I do feel bad for the team that worked on the Wii version as they seem to really be doing some quality work but giving it a bit extra development time is never a bad thing. It's a win-win for all :P
Look I understand that its kind of mean, but it is nothing compared to what MS does. Look at all the great RPG's 360 has that would have been on the PS3 if MS wouldn't have thrown the money at publishers.
Anyway like you said Mushman, as a fellow UK PS3 owner, doesn't really affect us.
Put it this way, everyone gets the game eventually, so forget about it.
A lot of times it turns out.
Why do it early when you can do it a month before release and build hype for the game only on your platform.
As for it being right, right went with exclusive DLC. When they did that and people bought and encourage it you pretty much pushed the "anything goes"button.when you ok that behavior it works both ways, and like I said earlier when they were doing right everyone bashed them.
Now there gonna do what's best for Playstation,wether its right or wrong,thats no longer their concern it seems.
Sony is publishing the game in Europe. "Wait a little longer" is more like "wait until Hell freezes over" for European Xbox owners.
The problem here is Sony didn't have to pay to do this in Europe. Since they are publishing it they just chose to do this.
Still, sucks for European 360 and Wii/DS owners. Really weird move by Sony.
Not saying any more, though. That last topic turned ugly really fast.
Uhh, okay? That doesn't mean it doesn't affect other people.
plus it's a little less insulting when it's exclusive all around instead of ostracizing an entire region
I could care less about other people, or you, the fact is there is a ton of PS3 owners in the UK and this won't affect the tons of peple who own a PS3 over here, or in the EU. After Japan, the EU has the biggest amount of PS3 owners. The EU, historically, has always owne a lot of PS consoles, and that hasn't seemed to change with the PS3.
As Zippyduda says, the game WILL come out for all platforms, eventually, even in the EU.
All you have to do is wait, is that so hard? The waiting game is null for me with the F3 DLC, and that wait will never probably end for the 1.5 million people who brought F3 for the PS3. The same wait will never end for the people, like me, who brought GTA4 and can't get the DLC. But you don't see me complaining about it.
At least your lucky, Pyroph, you'll get this game on the 360(if you own one, that is) in Europe, it will only take time.
If you are that unwilling to wait, import the game. You have every right to do so.
Sony is publishing the game in Europe. "Wait a little longer" is more like "wait until Hell freezes over" for European Xbox owners.
fuck'em! :D
Any news on whether the US 360 version is region free or is it too early to tell?
I don't think Atari is a position to tell anyone to piss off.
ANd that's not me saying that as a Gamer, that's me saying that as a Gamer, an Anime fan and everything besides.
"Waaaaaaaaaaa! Buy a fucking PS3 or deal with it. Fucking hypocrites."
How is any of this hypocritical? Do you even know what the word means?
Do you know for a FACT that everyone who has commented on this page has attacked people complaining about similar circumstances on the 360?
If your future response happens to be anything along the lines of "360 fanboys and gals would have said similar were the shoe on the other foot." don't even bother. You're just as bad as they are.
It is coming to Europe at the end of the year just like in the US, confirmed by Atari themselves.
http://www.teamteabag.com/2009/05/06/sony-take-back-ghostbusters-game-360-wii-ds-versions-delayed/
Case solved eh, and all it took was 1 question to the publishers... Sloppy journalism there Jim, for shame.