Rumours have been flying around the internet this morning concerning the publishing of the forthcoming Ghostbusters: The Video Game. With a turbulent past as it is, fans of the series may well be worried that things aren’t going according to plan.

            Moments ago, however, Sony issued a Press Release to clarify the matter. Ghostbusters: The Video Game will arrive in Europe on PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation2 on 19^th June, 2009, with a PlayStation Portable version scheduled to follow in the autumn. All three of these releases will be published by Sony, as opposed to ATARI, the most recently attached publisher. The game will still make it’s way to Xbox 360 and Wii, however, although at an unspecified date later this year and remaining the responsibility of ATARI.

            From the Press Release: “We’re committed to bringing the PlayStation family the biggest and best gaming experiences first,” says Mark Hardy, European Product Marketing Director at SCEE, “and it doesn’t get any bigger and better than this blockbuster title. This summer, PlayStation owners will be the first to grab their proton packs and fight the spirit world. We’d like to wish them the best of luck in their ghostbusting endeavours and, of course, to remind them not to cross the streams!”

            The European release of Ghostbusters: The Video Game on PlayStation2 and PLAYSTATION 3 will coincide with the Blu-ray release of the original hit movie and licensing programs from Sony Pictures, a potentially incredibly smart move to maximise potential add-on sales in a rejuvenated franchise.

“Atari is committed to maximizing the launch of the Ghostbusters videogame across Europe,” Said Jim Wilson, VP Worldwide Marketing, ATARI. “In partnership with both Sony Pictures Consumer Products, Inc and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, we have a unique opportunity to add new game products and expand marketing opportunities to reach Ghostbusters fans in Europe.”

In Ghostbusters: The Video Game, players grab a proton pack and turn their ghostbusting fantasies into reality as the new recruit to the Ghostbusters team in a story set two years after the Ghostbusters 2 movie. Once again, the city of Manhattan has been overrun with ghouls, ghosts and all things foul – and it’s down to the Ghostbusters team to capture them all and regain control. The game has been written by original Ghostbusters writers Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd and reunites members of the original cast for the first time in twenty years. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson lend their voices and in-game likenesses to the game, which also features performances from favourites including William Atherton (Walter Peck), Annie Potts (Janine) and Brian Doyle-Murray (Mayor Jock Mulligan).

Developed by Terminal Reality and Red Fly Studios Ghostbusters: The Video Game will arrive on PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation2 this June. Electronic Theatre will bring you further details on the release plans for each format as they are revealed.

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