One million Ghostbusters games sold

Atari announced that it has sold one million units of Ghostbusters: The Video Game across North America since its release on June 16, 2009. This number - I am guessing - has to include games sold across all platforms including Xbox 360, PC, PS2, Wii, and DS.

Still, a pretty impressive feat for Atari and for the men that got behind this game including Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, and various original Ghostbusters cast members - except Sigourney Weaver..

Ghostbusters: The Video Game is available on the Xbox 360 ($59.99), Windows PC ($29.99), PS3 ($59.99), PS2 ($19.99), Wii ($39.99) and Nintendo DS ($29.99).

Check out Gus Mastrapa’s excellent review now for an honest evaluation of this game: Crispy Gamer’s Ghostbusters Review.

Prototype dominates UK sales charts

Prototype was the top selling game in the United Kingdom, according to ELSPA’s Chart Track for the week ending June 20, 2009 - up from the number two spot the week prior. The Sims 3 was knocked out of the top spot by Activision’s super hero action game, while Red Faction: Guerilla was pushed out of the number three spot by Wii Fit and the debut of the new Ghostbusters game, falling all the way to number six.

Meanwhile, UFC 2009 Undisputed fell two spots to number seven, while Call of Duty World at War rose from number seven to number five. EA Sports Active was down two spots to number eight, while Virtua Tennis 2009 cracked the top ten at number nine and Grand Slam Tennis managed to land at number ten.

The rest of the top twenty can be found below:

UK Retail Sales - June 20, 2009

1 PROTOTYPE
2 THE SIMS 3
3 WII FIT
4 GHOSTBUSTERS: THE VIDEO GAME
5 CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR
6 RED FACTION: GUERRILLA
7 UFC 2009: UNDISPUTED
8 EA SPORTS ACTIVE
9 VIRTUA TENNIS 2009
10 GRAND SLAM TENNIS
11 PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE CURIOUS VILLAGE
12 FIFA 09
13 INDIANA JONES AND THE STAFF OF KINGS
14 MARIO KART WII
15 CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE
16 POKEMON PLATINUM
17 GUITAR HERO: METALLICA
18 INFAMOUS
19 ARMA II
20 RESIDENT EVIL 5

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track

This week in games: June 15 - 19, 2009

This week’s retail releases are somewhere between slim and none. The highlights for the week are the new Ghostbusters game for various platforms and Activision’s Guitar Hero: Smash Hits. Well, if you didn’t pick up Prototype last week or inFamous, perhaps you might want to check those games out.

Anyway you can find the complete list of releases (excluding online only releases, of course) below:

June 16, 2009:

Big League Sports: Summer - Wii, DS

Class of Heroes - PSP

Discovery Kids: Parrot Pals - DS

Diva Girls: Divas on Ice - Wii, DS

Flower, Sun and Rain - DS

Ghostbusters - Wii, DS, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Windows

Guitar Hero: Smash Hits - Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2

Vertigo - Wii

Atari Skipping E3

Atari will not be showing anything of at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in the first week of June, according to published reports. The company and the ESRB have basically declined comment on the matter, but the theory is that the company is trying to save money for better things. Fair enough, if true. The company is currently focusing on Cryptic’s Champions Online, Ghostbusters and some other titles that are “to be announced.”

You know where the best place to announce new titles? E3. While the company is still listed as an exhibitor, it looks like it will not be showing anything off at E3. Judging by what I have heard a small exhibitor booth costs at E3 and the company’s currently shaky financial situation, this is probably the best course of action.

Besides, i’ve played Champions Online, and I think its the best thing the company has to offer right now.

Alyssa Milano Starring in Ghostbusters Game

While Ghostbusters fans around the world eagerly await the release of the upcoming game, one person conspicuous by her absence is longtime Ghostbusters love interest, Dana Barrett, portrayed onscreen by Sigourney Weaver. After originally turning down the chance to join the likes of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis, Weaver’s role in the series had to be recast. After all, what’s a good story without a good love interest? Enter Alyssa Milano.

Over the weekend, word broke that Milano would be playing the role of the obligatory love interest in the upcoming game, with rumors indicating that she would be voicing the character of Dana Barrett in Weaver’s stead. Contrary to those earlier reports, though, Atari announced this morning that Milano will be voicing a brand new character developed for the game.

Read the rest of this entry »

Ghostbusters, Infernal Engine at DICE

Terminal Reality will be showing off Ghostbusters this week at the DICE Conference in Red Rock, Nevada, and with it the engine technology upon which it is built. Beyond promoting the game, Terminal Reality is looking to license the game engine to other developers. Terminal Reality is scheduling private meetings at the DICE Conference (February 17 - 20). The engine is being showcased with a new video showcasing an updated and enhanced version of The Stranger (a popular character from Terminal Reality’s NOCTURNE game).

You can find out what there is to know about the company’s game engine technology by visiting www.infernalengine.com.

Ghostbusters is being developed by Terminal Reality and Red Fly Studios for the Xbox 360, PS3, PC, PS2, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS. Ghostbusters: The Video Game is expected on June 16th, 2009 in North America and June 19th, 2009, worldwide. It will be published by Atari.

Ghostbusters Set to Drop in June

It’s almost time to fire up the ol’ Ecto-1 again, Ghostbusters fans. Terminal Reality’s upcoming video game take on the classic comedy flicks has been lost in ethereal plane for some time now. First, the game was set to come out last year via a publishing deal with Activision. The game even got a huge push from the publisher at Comic-Con International in San Diego. Then, in the wake of the massive Activision/Blizzard merger, the game was surprisingly cut from the Activision lineup. Eventually, it ended up with a new home over at Atari, but with no firm release on the calendar other than sometime in 2009.

That all changed yesterday, though the news didn’t come out of Atari, but rather Sony Pictures, who is gearing up for the 25th anniversary of the Ghostbusters film debut. In a release sent out yesterday, Sony Pictures announced plans to bring the film to hi-def Blu-ray on the week of June 16th. The Blu-ray disc will be released, according to Sony Pictures, in time with the “simultaneous launch of Ghostbusters: The Video Game, the highly anticipated videogame from Atari, celebrates the film’s 25th anniversary, with an all-new adventure from by the film’s original writers.”

“This great franchise is one of the crown jewels in the studio’s library,” said Lexine Wong, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s Senior Executive Vice President, Worldwide Marketing. “With Ghostbusters 25th anniversary upon us and the forthcoming release of an eagerly anticipated new video game, this is the perfect opportunity to release this exciting new edition on Blu-ray Disc.”

So, come the week of June 16th, gamers will finally get their hands on Ghostbusters, and both Activision and Atari will know for sure just how smart it was to cast off and pick up the eagerly anticipated title. For fans, all they’ll have to remember is “Don’t cross the streams!”