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Atari Talks Ghostbusters Date, Popular Franchises

Posted by Soulskill on from the i-guess-we're-gonna-call-atari dept.

Early last month, Atari announced the production of a new Ghostbusters game featuring many of the original actors and set for some time in 2009. Now, they've announced that the game will be scheduled for June. Atari executives also took the opportunity to discuss several of their popular franchises, saying they had plans to revisit the Neverwinter Nights series as well as Baldur's Gate. A console version of The Witcher was confirmed, and Atari detailed "a partnership with famed rhythm-game designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi and Q! Entertainment on a new music-based game for the Wii. Details on the game are slim, and it's operating under the working title 'QJ.'"

33 comments

  1. When the opportunity for a... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    new Ghostbusters games comes along, who are you gonna call? Certainly not Atari.

    1. Re:When the opportunity for a... by Tastecicles · · Score: 1

      it'll fill the hole in New Mexico next to the ET cartridges just nicely...

      --
      Operation Guillotine is in effect.
    2. Re:When the opportunity for a... by jandrese · · Score: 1

      Interestingly enough, the Ghostbusters cart for the 2600 was one of the best games on the system. It had an amazing amount of gameplay given the (severe) limitations of the 2600 hardware.

      --

      I read the internet for the articles.
    3. Re:When the opportunity for a... by v1 · · Score: 1

      I remember playing it on the Apple II. Was a fun game, though not a lot of variety. The only examples of it I can find on the net easily were for the commodore, but the game looked pretty much the same. Playable with keyboard, but you really needed a joystick, which weren't very common back then.

      --
      I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
    4. Re:When the opportunity for a... by jandrese · · Score: 1

      The C64 used the same joystick the Atari did, so they were pretty easy to find and cheap. Granted, it wasn't particularly ergonomic and the build quality was iffy on a lot of them, but they did work. The amazing thing about the 2600 port is that they managed to keep most of the features on a system that was literally an order of magnitude less capable than the C64.

      --

      I read the internet for the articles.
    5. Re:When the opportunity for a... by v1 · · Score: 1

      and the atari had binary joysticks. I assume the C64 were 8 bit. The apple joysticks were 8 bit.

      --
      I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
    6. Re:When the opportunity for a... by jandrese · · Score: 1

      You assume too much. The C64 used the Atari joysticks. They were no more capable.

      --

      I read the internet for the articles.
  2. Billy Murray.. by CometRico · · Score: 1

    ... in video game form? Cannot wait.

    1. Re:Billy Murray.. by StingRay02 · · Score: 1

      Did I miss something? Is this a new game, or just the release of the game that was supposed to come out in November?

    2. Re:Billy Murray.. by andy9701 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Originally, Ghostbusters was to be published by Vivendi/Sierra. However, when Vivendi merged with Activision to form Activision/Blizzard, they decided that they didn't want to publish this game (since they couldn't "monetize" this game every year...yay greed). Atari eventually came along and scooped up the rights to publish it.

      I think originally it was supposed to be released around this time of year, however it was delayed for some reason (supposedly due to the merger, but that seems kind of odd to me).

    3. Re:Billy Murray.. by StingRay02 · · Score: 1

      An acquisition of the game would explain it. I knew there was an issue with the merger, and that the game might not be released. I never heard that Atari picked it up. Thanks.

    4. Re:Billy Murray.. by andy9701 · · Score: 1

      It was only in the last week or so that Atari announced that they would be publishing it. I'm glad they did, though - from the sounds of it the game is nearly complete (including all of the voice acting). Would be a shame if it never got released, since it sounds like it will actually be good.

  3. When the opportunity for a...memory lane. by Ostracus · · Score: 1

    I think it's too little, too late. The time to capitalize on the Ghost busters franchise was when the movies were still fresh in peoples minds.

    --
    Shai Schticks:"You don't make peace with friends, you make peace with enemies"
    1. Re:When the opportunity for a...memory lane. by Kokuyo · · Score: 1

      There were Ghostbusters games... but back in those times, video gaming was not the mainstream hobby it is today.

    2. Re:When the opportunity for a...memory lane. by fbjon · · Score: 1

      They did capitalize on it back then, and the results were not impressive. I think a game now would be (or should be) more of a reinvention.

      --
      True confidence comes not from realising you are as good as your peers, but that your peers are as bad as you are.
    3. Re:When the opportunity for a...memory lane. by shawn(at)fsu · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Why does a game based on a movie have to come out at the same time as the movie? If it can stand on it's own right then it can come out whenever. Some of the most popular games that have come out recently have had no movie to capitalize on and they did quit well.

      --
      500 dollar reward for tip(s) leading to the arrest of the person(s) who stole my sig.
    4. Re:When the opportunity for a...memory lane. by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 1

      Nostalgia counts for a lot. Kids who grew up watching the movies and cartoons and playing with the toys are now adults with game consoles and disposable incomes.

      --
      Slashdot Burying Stories About Slashdot Media Owned
    5. Re:When the opportunity for a...memory lane. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's what I said about the game 1942.

    6. Re:When the opportunity for a...memory lane. by Hatta · · Score: 1

      I'd be a lot more interested in video game adaptations of films from my youth than any of the crap they put out today. I'm not sure Atari is the best company to do this at this point in time, but a new Ghostbusters game is a great idea. I'd also love to see new video game adaptations of Back to the Future, and The Goonies.

      On the other hand, I can't think of a movie made this century that I'd care to play a game of.

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      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
    7. Re:When the opportunity for a...memory lane. by Briareos · · Score: 1

      On the other hand, I can't think of a movie made this century that I'd care to play a game of.

      How about "Max Payne: The Movie: The Game"? :D

      np: Mr. Scruff - Bang The Floor (with Danny Breaks) (Ninja Tuna)

      --

      "I'm not anti-anything, I'm anti-everything, it fits better." - Sole

    8. Re:When the opportunity for a...memory lane. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't think a Japanese company would have felt much in the mood for making that game just yet.

  4. Baldurs Gate by JosKarith · · Score: 1

    C'mon. Pleeeease can we have a version of Baldur's Gate/NWN for the DS? Seriously - I might even break my policy of never buying games full-price for that one...

    --
    'Don't worry' said the trees when they saw the axe coming, 'The handle is one of us.'
    1. Re:Baldurs Gate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why Billy, just for you sure we'll do what you want! Lets get a team of developers together and build you a game.. would you like the main character to look like you? Perhaps it can feature YOUR MUM!!!!!!

    2. Re:Baldurs Gate by chrish · · Score: 1

      You do realise how tiny the DS's screens are, right? Remember how big Baldur's Gate's maps were? Now imagine them each taking up at least 4x as many screens.

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      - chrish
  5. The Witcher? Yahtzee loved it :P by Shivetya · · Score: 1

    http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/22-The-Witcher

    Actually finding Zero Punctuation is about the only thing I will thank Digg for, but having read that Atari is going to bring that game to the consoles reminded me of the review that hooked me on Yahtzee's style. While it isn't for everyone he does make it fun.

    In other words, there rarely are reviewers who say what we want to say let alone so publically

    --
    * Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
  6. BG3 by Enderandrew · · Score: 1

    Baldur's Gate 3 or Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 3? There is a MAJOR difference. And given that Obsidian handled NWN:2 for Atari, and they employ the former lead designer for BG3, including several staffers who worked on BG3, Obsidian seems like the logical choice for NWN3 if not also BG3.

    --
    http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
  7. Ghostbusters trailer by antdude · · Score: 1

    Shacknews has a trailer for it. It looks like a rendered trailer, not ingame.

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  8. He will come in one of the pre-chosen forms. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "During the rectification of the Vuldronaii, he came as a large and moving Torb! Then, during the third reconciliation of the last of the Meketrex supplicants they chose a new form for him, that of a giant Slohr! Many shubs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Slohr that day, I can tell you."

    ---- Vinz Clortho, Keymaster of Gozer, Volguus Zildrohar and Lord of the Sebouillia

  9. You know 80's Movie is RIPE for a great game? by MrPinstripeCom · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The Last Starfighter. Seriously, am I the only one that loves this little gem? EVEN THE MOVIE is BASED on a game...talk about primed and ready. . . kick it up a notch, and you're golden. C'mon!

    1. Re:You know 80's Movie is RIPE for a great game? by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

      For some reason the movie reminded me of Freespace.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    2. Re:You know 80's Movie is RIPE for a great game? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They were going to release a game because of the movie. The movie was *ABOUT* a game that did not exist that was a test.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Starfighter#Adaptations

    3. Re:You know 80's Movie is RIPE for a great game? by protektor · · Score: 1

      Someone made a windows game based on the arcade game in the movie. So in a way there is a game based on the movie. Go to this web site.
      http://www.roguesynapse.com/games/last_starfighter.php

      The guy even made a duplicate cabinet of the game in the movie to house his game. So it looks just like it does in the movie. The plans are all there so you could create one yourself as well.