Ghostbusters

[Mazzy]

check out these very early vids of a Ghostbusters game. looks a bit basic but it is very early footage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxNFmUmbm98&eurl=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7SzmWyc37w&eurl=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etGWugTbGwk&eurl=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ku4aQOmt0o&eurl=

[carocat]

I heard about this game earlier, sounds like a great idea. :)

[linkofhyrule]

And using the Unreal 3 engine as well!

It looks promising.. I wonder how far off it is until it's ready to go

[Tugsy]

Potentially a very fun game in the making, those video's look entertaining but I doubt the final game will be anything like that.

Four player co-operative would be an immense experience.

[BlueHoopedMoose]

many people here play the original Ghostbusters game? or am i really that old?!

liking the sound of this tho', and as said 4-up co-op would positively rock :D

[Addict 74]

No your not that old Moose I remember playing Ghostbusters on the ZX Spectrum.

http://www.mobygames.com/game/zx-spectrum/ghostbusters/screenshots

Who needs next gen HD graphics :eek:

Anyway back to the new game, heres a quote form the developers site:
We are very glad to see the overwhelming response to the Ghostbusters prototype movies. What you’ve seen is indeed in-game footage of early prototypes on the Xbox 360, running on ZootFly’s proprietary engine. Due to licensing issues, further development of the Ghostbusters game hit a bump on the road, but everybody here at ZootFly is working actively on resolving the challenges with the owners of the Ghostbusters IP.


If a Ghostbusters game generates this much excitement I can see the Owners of the IP selling the licence to the highest bidder.

[carocat]

Oh no. Zootfly are the devs? They have a great company logo with some jazzy music, but are also responsible for one of the worst games I have ever seen and played in my life.

Nevertheless, maybe they have learned since then, I do like the look of the Ghostbuster videos.

[Tofer]

That game could well rock the socks! Awesome potential! Please dont screw it up guys????

[DayC]

Looks good they best not mess up!

[Mazzy]

they should make a GB 3 movie. and i can remember the mega drive GB. and that was classic.

[carocat]

Over the weekend, Ghostbusters fans were aflutter with some videos that appeared on YouTube. The clips showed footage of a game based on the apparition apprehenders made famous in the 1984 sci-fi comedy film. But instead of featuring fish-out-of-water geeks awkwardly shooting from their proton packs, the videos showed Gears of War-style gameplay, massive destruction, and a gritty New York cityscape.

The videos were posted by the game's developer, Slovenia-based ZootFly, who later admitted that the Xbox 360 game was merely a prototype and that intellectual-property issues momentarily sidelined its development.

GameSpot pulled ZootFly CEO Bostjan Troha aside to talk about the possibility of the Ghostbusters game getting made and the buzz the videos made in the gaming world.

GameSpot: The first obvious question is, why release these videos of a prototype Ghostbusters game to the public? Was it designed to drum up interest in the game?

Bostjan Troha: We hoped the publisher would sort out the IP issue in a jiffy and we'd be recharging proton packs in no time. Unfortunately, they didn't push to untangle the IP hard enough and the whole thing stalled a bit. There's actually no insurmountable problem with getting the IP. It's just that extra mile someone needs to stride to get it.

As diehard Ghostbusters fans we somehow felt obliged to share the early prototypes with the public. Also, we hoped to show that the fan base is enormous and that there's a wide and genuine interest for a next-gen Ghostbusters game.

GS: What was the response to the videos?

BT: Absolutely unbelievable. I don't think anyone expected such an overwhelmingly positive response. We got countless e-mails from people of all walks of life, young and old. The fan base seems to span across generations, and it's not just us 30-something kids who loved the four crazy New Yorkers in overalls.

GS: How long was Ghostbusters in development? And how long ago did development stop?

BT: The development started in May 2006 and was put on the back burner in July 2006, at which point we shifted the focus to TimeO, a Ghostbusters-inspired game.

GS: Talk to us about the IP issues you are having. Who owns the license, and have talks to acquire the license started?

BT: As I mentioned, the IP issues are surmountable. I'd prefer not to go into details right now, I am sure you'll understand. I hope the buzz we created will create enough wake to resolve the issues.

GS: Has word gotten out to any of the potential cast members of Ghostbusters? The Peter Venkman cutscene was great...

BT: The publisher went through a Beverly Hills-based talent agency that represents some of the movie cast members, but I don't know whether the word has gotten to any individuals.

GS: Was the engine that the game is running on built for Ghostbusters?

BT: Actually, the engine is based off of a common code base we have at ZootFly. After our previous titles were released it was upgraded to next-gen to run a prototype of World War III, a game where the US and Europe duke it out. The Ghostbusters footage was running on an intermediate build of the engine that now powers TimeO.

GS: I believe this would be your first game based on an existing license. Why did you choose Ghostbusters, and are you worried at all about the game not living up to the hopes fans may have?

BT: Yes, Ghostbusters would be our first game based on a really cool license. It was a very obvious choice. Many of us were in their teens back in the eighties and just loved the coolest carefree geeks chasing ghosts.

But there was nothing new Ghostbusters-related out there: no movie sequels, no games, nothing. It was simply unbearable; we had to do something about it. It would be an intolerable loss for the Western civilization to let Ghostbusters slip into oblivion. I don't give a flying Wiimote for Kafka, but Ghostbusters...

Of course, delivering on par with the expectations of the fandom was our main concern. We wanted to keep all what's sacred intact, but put in a bit of that grittiness of the post-9/11 world.

GS: Would this game follow the storyline of the original Ghostbusters, or are you working on a new story?

BT: The story would follow the original, by all means. It's the perfect equilibrium of horror, action, and comedy with crazy New Yorkers dealing with crazy stuff. We would update some aspects of the IP, but only slightly.

GS: In the past, IP issues have caused some copyright owners to shut down operations of game development for infringing on trademarks. Was this ever a concern for you?

BT: We worked very closely with the publisher from the word "go," and they in turn worked very closely with the IP holders to avoid any infringements.

GS: What are the chances of this game being made?

BT: I believe the chances are great. It's tough to imagine letting such an opportunity [go] to waste. In the Land of Lost Opportunities this would be the One to Rule Them All. We will do all we can to make it happen and would like nothing better than to be able to finish this game we've come to love.

[...]

GS: If you are able to resolve the issues with Ghostbusters, would your team immediately get back to work on it and put TimeO on hold?

BT: If the Ghostbusters issues resolve before we sign TimeO, then absolutely. If not, it's hard to tell. TimeO is a great concept and we enjoy developing the game very much.

GS: Thank you very much.
Gamespot (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6164344.html?sid=6164344&part=rss&tag=gs_news&subj=6164344)

Sounds promising.

[Liam]

Who ya gonna call?

[Black Magic Pug]

I remember Mouse lol on my old Amstrad 464 state of the art with built in tape drive freakin Sweet ! lol

It was like a top down view game like a really old skool GTA 1

[DayC]

I remember Mouse lol on my old Amstrad 464 state of the art with built in tape drive freakin Sweet ! lol

It was like a top down view game like a really old skool GTA 1

Jesus an Amstrad IS old skool, what were the games like on that thing? (apart from mouse)

[Mazzy]

and sony have now forced the company to cancel the game, nice one sony.

[carocat]

and sony have now forced the company to cancel the game, nice one sony.
Do you have a link for that?

[Mazzy]

http://www.gamesradar.com/gb/xbox360/game/news/article.jsp?sectionId=1006&articleId=20070126113741171077&releaseId=20070115104852453068

sorce.

[zcaliber]

Lol I actually just signed that petition. I don't give a c**p about the game but sony are w*****s.

[Addict 74]

If a Ghostbusters game generates this much excitement I can see the Owners of the IP selling the licence to the highest bidder.

Didn't realise it was Sony, I can't see a petition making much difference. Expect a new Ghostbusters game to be released by EA :p

[gradinator]

At least now Sony are making an effort to stop their games from appearing on rival consoles.

[Mazzy]

it probably was gonna make an apearance on the ps3 as well, but sony just said pancake you and said you didnt make ask permission before starting the game, so no, NO you cant make the game.

[gradinator]

it probably was gonna make an apearance on the ps3 as well, but sony just said pancake you and said you didnt make ask permission before starting the game, so no, NO you cant make the game.

In which case the developing team were very foolish, any other company would have known better.

[Mazzy]

i know, but come on. sony should at least consider makeing the game, im a fan on GB and love to play a new game, hell id love to see a new movie !!!

[Pirate Balloon]

Sony hold the liesence so they have the right to do whatever they want.
Lol I actually just signed that petition. I don't give a crap about the game but sony are wankers.Now wasn't that just an idiotic thing to do.