Well, I can honestly say I didn’t see this one coming.
According to the UK office MCV Magazine, Sony – owners of the Ghostbusters IP – has struck a last minute deal to publish the Ghostbusters video game in all PAL territories – this means you, Europe.
A Sony spokesperson told the magazine that Sony will be publishing the PS3 and PS2 versions on June 19th, to coincide with the Blu-ray movie release a few days earlier – Atari will publish the Xbox 360, Wii, and DS versions “later in the year.” And if that’s not shock enough, the article claims a PSP version will follow from Sony in the Fall.
I will clarify, because I just know someone isn’t going to understand – as reported, this means Sony has struck a deal to ensure that the Sony SKUs of the game – PS3 and PS2 – are released this Summer in Europe and get a jump on the competitor platforms. As reported this DOES NOT affect North American releases, so until we hear otherwise…
Also, up is down. This just in; dogs and cats, living together. Let the mass hysteria begin. Thanks to Eric and James for the linkage.
[UPDATE] Atari sent out a press release on the matter today, and the facts at spelled out right at the top (emphasis mine);
- Published by Atari Inc. in North America and Coming to Xbox 360®, Wii™, PLAYSTATION®3 system, PlayStation®2 system, PC and Nintendo DS™ on June 16th, 2009 -- Coming Exclusively to PLAYSTATION®3 system and PlayStation®2 system in Europe and PAL Regions on June 19th 2009 Published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe -
- PSP™(PlayStation® Portable) Version Coming Worldwide Autumn 2009 -
The short version is “Everybody gets in in North America on June 16th. PS3 and PS2 owners in PAL territories get it June 19th, everything else comes later. And PSP version is out in the Fall.”
[UPDATE] Some notes, based on comments;
-PAL is “Phase Alternating Line”, but without getting too technical, all you need to know is that it’s a format for how TVs produce their pictures, used by a big chunk of the world, including Europe. North America uses NTSC.
-”Timed Exclusive” has a literal meaning. For Sony, they are releasing the Ghostbusters game on PS3 and PS2 exclusively, but there is a time-limit – by Fall, Atari will get to release the other formats and Sony’s exclusive period will be up.
-No, the Xbox/Wii versions are not pushed back in North America. Mind you, yesterday I didn’t think there’d be an exclusive anywhere, and here we are – but this has to be considered in territories and prestige. As popular as the franchise is around the world, it’s biggest fan-base is in the US, hands down. And it’s not to Atari’s advantage to strike a similar deal here. It IS to Atari’s advantage to strike this deal for other territories, as it means they aren’t footing the entire bill for distribution. So, today, I’m not surprised by much of anything, but I still find it unlikely any versions of the game will be pushed back in NA – if they were, that deal would pretty much have to be locked by now.
Stay Tuned. (what, nobody’s curious about the PSP comment?)
Not logged in 
[...] report, originally found at MCV and reported through Kotaku and Proton Charging, doesn’t seem to affect North American publishing, but it doesn’t say it won’t [...]
Excuse my langauge but FUCK YOU SONY.
I dodge a bullet on this one. But still furthers my fanboyisms for my 360. I know 360 has pulled the rug under PS3 a few times but nothing like this. “Later in the year” If i was Microsoft. I would release The game in other countries like 2 weeks before Sony does. It is sad the this console war is now effect people in a huge way and Sony is doing what they can.
Sounds like some serious clutching at straws if you’re not expecting this to apply to non PAL regions as well.
“As reported this DOES NOT affect North American releases, so until we hear otherwise…”
Oh, it’ll probably follow I bet. I hate big business.
I know this is for the PAL versions, but I’m still worried that it’s only a matter of time before we hear that the versions here in the States will be effected in a similar fashion – I mean, why would Sony pull such a move that only effects Europe? I’d prefer to play Ghostbusters on the 360 if given the choice, and I certainly don’t want to wait until “later in the year” to get my hands on a copy. One massive delay already is one too many…
No offense to anyone here because as a fellow ghosthead i consider myself friends with all of you but it feels great to be american today.
This better not effect the US version, please I’ve waiting too long as it is! I’m sorry for you guys in Europe, that sucks ass.
Wow, thank you for this post. I went on Kotaku this morning and saw this: http://kotaku.com/5242106/sony-now-publishing-ghostbusters-non+sony-releases-threatened
…And nearly had a heart attack. Thankfully, I don’t believe ANYTHING Kotaku has to say about Ghostbsuters and I came here to check before I got all angry. Sucks for PAL fans though. I feel for you guys (being a gamer, I’ve had to deal with my fair share of game delay disappointments).
I’m confused.
What’s PAL?
What’s a “timed exclusive”?
Does this mean that the game is no longer coming out on the 360?
If the same thing happens in North America, I will be furious. I’m a big enough GB nut that I’ll buy PS3 just for the Ghostbusters game, but I won’t be happy about it!
Seriously though, what the hell is Sony’s problem? First they sit on a goldmine franchise for over a decade doing absolutely nothing with it. Now that they decide to dust it off, they’re terribly mismanaging the property! PS3 exclusivity should have been decided way before now – back when Sierra was still helming the project!
PAL is the European PlayStation format basically. I really hope this doesn’t affect North America, because seriously, this is getting TOO DAM ANNOYING. We already waited a year before it got delayed a month before the release, and now if it happens again? God, who the hell is running the company to think they could keep changing the date before people will say “screw this”.
I feel sorry for the Europe fans that have to wait, hopefully it doesn’t happen here, but knowing Sony, it probably will.
they are doing this becuse 360 out sells the ps3 in the uk, so all gb fans will go out and get a ps3 just to get the game
I honestly knew that this is going to happen-Sony somehow making Ghostbusters PS3-exclusive. After all, they produced the movies. I bought PS3 instead of X-BOX 360 knowing that Sony might screw owners of non-Sony consoles.
I live in Australia and we have PAL, so the PS3 exclusive thing is going to happen.
That totally sucks!
Lucky me, I bought a PS3 on Easter-Monday and now don’t have to wait till later that year!
But I don’t think that the 360 Version ‘ll be pushed back in North America. Sony Europe and Sony US are complettly different. They’ll are many DVDs that are relased in Euorpe by Sony, but not in the US.
We just have to wait for sure…
This comes as a small surprise to me. I mean, as I was poked fun at on the Ghostheads podcast for mention, Sony does own the franchise. It’s in their best interest to keep this game associated with the Sony brand. I mean, I preordered my copy on PS3 with this in mind.
Sorry to any 360 or Wii owners, but I’ve been screwed before with exclusive games and DLC Microsoft had paid for. I guess I just win this round.
PAL = Phase Alternating Line – the way colour is encoded / decoded for broadcast television. This is also true for video game systems.
yeah go figure, doesn’t sony own the rights to ghostbusters anyway? well all you xbox guys that sucks, well score one for the sony team ha ha hah ps2 woohoo!!!
I still don’t quite understand what is happening.
Have the release dates changed?
What formats is the game coming out on?
This is just a line of BS done by big business.
Matthew… although it seems pretty clear, and has been laid out, I’ll try to explain it more for you, as things stand right now.
ALL versions are coming out June 16th in North America.
PS3 and PS2 versions are coming out June 19th in Europe. All other versions (360, Wii, PC, DS) will be coming out later in the year, again just in Europe.
And again, this is all just for right now. Its entirely possible that Sony will change things for North America as well.
Nothing ever seems to go smoothly with ghostbusters related merchandise.
Gameindustry.biz just posted a release from Atari confirming that they are still publishing ALL versions of the game for the US to be released June 16. Hopefully, they’ll stick with it.
Some background on the videogame console wars, for those of you confused by this…
“Exclusive” titles help drive the purchases of new consoles. If there’s a game people want and it’s only available on one of the consoles, people will buy the console just to be able to play that game. This is a strategy that all three of the console makers (Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo) use.
Notice how you can’t get a game with Mario on anything other than a Nintendo console (or handheld)? It’s been like that for years.
One of the big shifts in the war this time is that Microsoft pulled ahead of Sony by getting titles that were previously only available on Sony platforms to come out on the 360. And sometimes they get DLC that’s exclusive to the 360! So gamers buy the game on the 360 and then buy the extra DLC from Xbox Live as well.
A “timed exclusive” is just another way of saying that for a few months, the game will only be available on one platform. So if the game will ultimately come out on all platforms, but you’ve gotta play it when it first ships, you have to get it on the one that has it for an exclusive period of time.
Part of the business of the console wars is that Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo each make money on sales of each copy of a title sold on their platforms. (There is a royalty per copy the publisher pays.) So even if a title is published by another company (such as Take Two for Grand Theft Auto), if more copies are sold on the 360 than on the PS3, Microsoft makes more money.
Any time a game that was an exclusive to one platform comes out on the other, it’s a big deal. And it’s also why titles like Halo or Killzone 2 are a big deal for their platforms. They help drive sales of that specific platform.
Euro gamers will have to tell us if the PR blitz around Ghostbusters for the PS3 is big. The timed exclusive might work to its advantage by getting more visibility than Atari could afford.
fuck you sony you fucks!!!!!!
i am british and have read the news and now i am really really p****d off i have a 360 and i will not buy a playstation 3 because they are crap! i hope they guy at sony reads this because his plan to make everyonein europe buy a ps3 wont work and he can go and f*** himself. if i met him in the street i would kick him in the head. i cant believe i have to wait ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Once again, Sony take the screw to the European consumer.
They must surely not have any feet left the amount of times they have shot themselves since the announcement of the PS3! The one game which they would still rake in the cash even if it sells more on other consoles, because they own the IP and they limit the scope of potential buyers, cutting their nose off to spite their face because PS3 sales in Europe are not meeting expectations.
My mind does not boggle at the idea because you can sort of see the need to try something to pick up Ps3 sales. It does boggle my mind how they somehow think it will work! I thought it was widely known that Europe is in the same recession as the rest of the world and people are (finally) keeping hold of their money and look to justify spending their cash these days. They cannot expect people to cave in without question and get a PS3 even if it is Ghostbusters in the current climate.
All this will do is advocate import buying or even worse, piracy.
Really the thing that gets to me is that if they said a year ago they were doing this in all regions, it would still be crappy of them but at least people would have time to make a choice and figure out how they were going to buy the game and it would not be that big of an issue.
However to specifically target the European region with a timed exclusive enforcement, where they already have a poor rep with due to previous failings, a month shy of release is unacceptable at a colossal level!
Not even Ghostbusters is enough for me to justify buying a PS3 and in fact pulling this stunt only makes me more adamant not to get one, even though I detest all this console fanboy-ism with a passion.
I suspect Sony will ensure the 360 is regioned locked at bare minimum for online play, if not locked out right from playing on a Euro 360 at all so guess I will be getting the PC version imported.
I’m curious about the PSP comment…
…Although I don’t own a PSP. I bet it’ll probably be a PS2 port. Maybe. Can’t imagine a port of the DS due to the touchsreen menus and controls. Also can’t imagine an entirely new game, but might be.
I was interested in a PSP version, but only if it is downloadable. I’m done buying UMDs. I opted out of the console wars long ago. I only have a backwards compatible PS3, but if it was the other way around, and it was an XBOX timed exclusive, I’d wait. If it was an EXCLUSIVE exclusive I’d probably buy a XBOX for it. I’m just that GB crazy.
How long a delay do we think we’re looking at guys?
Has there been a ‘timed exclusive’ on other games? And if so how long was the delay?
this pisses me off supremely. How dare Sony do this to us- very PISSED OFF English person
I admit this sucks for the UK ghostheads that don’t have Sony systems, and I know a UK friend who’s gonna be pissed….
Either way, it doesn’t effect me. I have a PS3 and I live in NA.
What I really want to know about now is the PSP version! I’ll be able to play Ghostbusters on the go without wasting my money on a DS! Yay!
Well… Who do you blame? This has had to have been in the works for a while. They couldn’t have called like yesterday and made the deal on the spot.
I can see how having SIMULTANEOUS release in big regions would be hard/costly. Sony is willing to help publish and distribute overseas and throw their money into it. What is wrong with that?
Aren’t game releases usually staggered? I’m pretty sure I read UK gamers complaining as they have to wait for their versions to be offered months later compared to the US.
How do we know that Atari wasn’t having issues? How would you feel if they said “Sorry, EVERYONE has to wait a few months to get this in PAL..” Would that be acceptable???
We don’t know all the facts. Atari might have been looking to push back the releases outside of the US which plenty of other companies do. Sony, seeing how they own part of the property must have really wanted to “bundle” this with the blu-ray releases. So they could be doing the GB fans across the pond a favor.
If they didn’t step it, some of them MIGHT have had to wait until fall to play this.
I own every console anyway so this doesn’t effect me too much. It’s good though that Sony has made Ghostbusters a multi platform game. It is their licence afterall and they could have easily kept it all to themselves if they really wanted to. Judging by the popularity of Ghostbusters, the looks of the new game and its potential for future sequels Ghostbusters is a very strong licence with a bright future which Sony could have made into a complete exclusive to entice more people into buying Playstation 3, Playstation 2 and PSP, but instead they are allowing it to appear on Microsoft and Nintendo consoles and handhelds. So, for those that are complaining for this timed exclusive, it could have been alot worse!
Clever Move by Sony. They have just made my mind up for me on which console to buy. Im not going to wait any longer than I have to for this game.
I’ll never own another Playststion, Sony fails.
Yay! Well done Sony!
Too right it comes out 1st on a Sony platform, sony own the bloody rights!
I give up. The wait for this thing has been so frustrating since the delay from last year. The wait for October alone took long enough, and then they went and delayed it for 8 months.
It was annoying as hell but we had to accept it and be patient, so I did, safe in the knowledge that the delay could only help the developers to improve the game.
Finally Summer rolls around and I’m all set to pre-order on the 360 in time for next month’s release, after 8 months of constantly checking this site to see how the game is coming along. And now they go and pull this move, and they don’t even have the decency to give us a timeframe for when to expect the new delay to end.
I give up, I’m not buying this game anymore, the wait is too frustrating and I’d rather just forget about it. All the excitement I had has been quashed by Sony and now I’ve just completely lost interest because I don’t even know when I’ll ever get to play it. I’ll be spending my pre-order money on Prototype instead.
This tactic is possibly for self-minded reasons, simply Sony wants to compete with the other competition but this game IS licenced by sony so for marketing issues it won’t effect sony much since our money is going to them anyways regardless to what console we have.
And why target EU? I really don’t understand their goal but remember this fact, business = money. Maybe it’s the population or gain further development fund for future products. Nintendo and Microsoft may get a small factor of their profit but Sony is not gaining their full benefit for their company’s potential efficency because they’re holding back more than they get back.
Woo, to be honest I’m don’t understand how business work in bigger industries but I tell you this, I’ve got a lot to learn how they roll.
If they announced it last year I wouldn’t be so pissed. The fact that I was all excited thinking that I can finally play the game next month after years of waiting just kills all my interest in this game. I’m really tired now I just want to give up.
The last time it got delayed I was devastated I could hardly bare it and now I’m being told that I’m to experience the same devastation again? I don’t know if I can take that in this time.
It just seems that this game is cursed! Gettin a little angry with all this delay now! Why so close to the release?! Corrupt! guess the ol’ 360 is just gonna have to hang in there a little longer, yeah ok sony own the rights fair enough! But fall? fall? give it a month or so then bring it out by the time its out that will make it about two years waiting time!!! Damn some peeps have had shorter prison time! Ok so it hasnt been cancelled, but nice one Sony for ruining my summer!!!
@Matthew J: So, you support lost sales huh? Nice.
Wow when did this turn into a 360 fansite? PS3 fails? Well according to recent sales numbers plus the fact that the 360 has the highest system failure % of any system in history…no it doesn’t. Sony is doing this because 360 is outselling them in Europe? Once again with all due respect…no it’s not. The only area 360 is outselling PS3 or Wii for that matter is North America. Please end fanboyism and flaming, it doesn’t prove anything. As for that actual delay, I personally believe it’s really stupid, and this is from someone who’s on his 3rd 360. It’s not a system exclusive so why pull this crap? Everyone should be allowed to play Ghostbusters as soon as humanly possible, especially after all the delays anyway. If I could see some point to all of it maybe I’d see it differently. But since it just really seems like a middle finger to Nintendo and Microsoft I think it’s extremely lame and a bad move. But it’s not like Nintendo and Microsoft haven’t pulled A-hole moves before either. Just give the world Ghostbusters please!
taking a street date as if it is set in stone is never a good idea. I have a dev friend who posted online numberous times when his team’s game was going to be released. well when that fell through more then once, he stated his new motto was “when it is done”.
I feel like the gamers (and especially PAL gamers) should be used to this type of thing…
again I ask, would you rather Atari had come out and said ALL systema were delayed over there?
to me, it looks like there could have been some distribution issues since sony will be publising it over there. atari isn’t what it once was, maybe they couldn’t handle the burden on their own. I don’t know but that is how I am seeing things.
“to me, it looks like there could have been some distribution issues since sony will be publising it over there. atari isn’t what it once was, maybe they couldn’t handle the burden on their own. I don’t know but that is how I am seeing things.”
Doesn’t mean they have to stiff the non-Pal 360, Wii, DS and PC users while doing it though.
The Pal 360, Wii, DS and PC users* Blargh.
I think Sony regrets not jumping it and nabbing worldwide publishing rights to the game when they could, and since they’re now contractually obligated to let Atari publish all versions in North America, they nabbed up whatever rights they could, which was Europe and the PAL regions.
Ok after doing so more research on this I have to say while it is kind a dick move it’s pretty smart business. Don’t think for a minute Microsoft or Nintendo wouldn’t do this is the have the rights to the game. It’s a smart way to boost sales. You have a game people really seem to want and if you can make it only available on your system for a while, it’s a pretty safe bet some of those people will buy your system to get it. I know I bought my PS3 for Metal Gear Solid 4 so I know it works. At any rate I’m just glad they didn’t mess with the north american release date. I’ve had my copy paid off for months and can’t wait to pull an all nighter when I finally get my hands on it.
Geuss I’m the only dutchman around here, and probably also the only one here who bought his xbox360 only just to play gb-the game, I’ve got to say everyone’s got a good point in this discussion.
It’s true this game’s going to make people buy more Sony consoles/handhelds, and it’s also true that whatever licencensed rights Sony has on the GB franchise they’re legally allowed to use them for their own benefit.
But taking something such as Ghostbusters, which stands than more than just a franchise.
I can say the Pal-gamers here in Europe are in their full right to loathe Sony for this move.
Ghostbusters is more than just marketting to all of us, it’s not something we just spend our money on to own or collect.
It’s something we’ve all grown up with, had parts of our imagination based upon, and hey maybe even some of us dreamt about a night ghostbusting with spengler and venkman with they were a kid.
I know I’m pointing out the sentimental side of this issue, and let’s face it that’s the part that truly matters to us here.
We’ve waited long enough, got spooked far to many times about possible cancelling of the game, and to be honest seeing marketting strategies influence what little there was left of our childhood memories in such a awfull way, is enough for me to say.
that I’m dissapointed in whatever’s left of the ghostbusters today.
Disgraceful – ghostbusters is massive here in the UK – why should we be treated differently to the Americans.
Can’t believe I used to be a Playstation fan boy… everything about the PS3 stinks and leads me to believe Sony have lost the plot and are now getting desperate. Microsoft have really made a far superior console in the 360 – and its much cheaper! Most people I know own a 360 whereas I know just 3 people who have PS3′s. It was the complete opposite for the PS2 and the XBox.
[...] latest front name applied to the long-sickly Infogrames, and the speculation that last week’s surprise deal with Sony was because Atari couldn’t properly produce, market, and distribute the Ghostbusters game [...]
omg i got a 360 i don’t have a ps3. I am thinking gb the game looks pretty darn cool and will be surprised if it get bad reviews. its not 100 percent movie licence as some of the stuff in there is what ghostbuster 3 would have been if they ever made it. sony you most offically suck in my mind now even though i do have a psp gits
Hmm…no mention of the PC version. Apparently the release date for Australia is June 25th. Wonder if that still stands?
What a disgrace, I’d understand if it was a few months beforehand but 10 days. Well done Sony.
[...] report, originally found at MCV and reported through Kotaku and Proton Charging, doesn’t seem to affect North American publishing, but it doesn’t say it won’t [...]