Ghostbusters to hit next-gen game consoles?
There's something strange in the neighborhood. Spectres are floating about the intrawebs about a Ghostbusters video game being pitched by ZootFly, the developer responsible for the game Panzer Elite Action. The rumors are abuzz with visions of crossing proton streams (don't ever, ever cross the proton streams!!!) and having to deal with Slimer's midnight messes.
Is there a game coming though? The image you see above comes from a PDF presentation delivered by ZootFly's Bostjan Troha. Below are two YouTube videos coming from what is believed to be a prototype of the game. Such videos would be used in their sales pitch to potential investors and publishers, no doubt.
Next… if ZootFly is developing (or would like to develop) a Ghostbusters game, which platform? Their company website does mention their plans to develop on next-gen consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PS3. ZootFly did have experience developing for the original Xbox and the PC, but this does not necessarily rule out development on handhelds either (beats lugging a proton pack the weight of a nuclear reactor).
Finally, how would a Marshmallow Man boss battle play out? 'Cause I got a ton of hot chocolate that needs some TLC!
January 17th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
The Gears of War-style camera angles and gritty New York City environment (as well as one cutscene featuring Bill Murray’s Peter Venkman) have left us with hope that we may be busting ghosts on a home console soon. But is this indeed an original game or just a Half-Life 2 or Gears of War mod that will never see the light of day?
ZootFly has now updated their website and confirmed that the footage was indeed real, was not a mod of another game, was in-game footage, and was running on the Xbox 360. However, they state that the game is merely a prototype and development has “hit a bump on the road.”
Sources state that the “bump” is apparently intellectual property (IP) issues with the Ghostbusters name. A post on ZootFly’s website says, “Everybody here at Zootfly is working actively on resolving the challenges with the owners of the Ghostbusters IP.” Fingers crossed that ZootFly manages to surmount those licensing obstacles so it can continue making our ’80s movie dreams come true.
Besides what you can see in the videos and pictures posted, the following information can be confirmed about the development up to this point: (1) There has been a slight retooling of the character designs, (2) the classic Ghostbusters logo has been replaced with a tougher, street-look logo, (3) it has a new rock and roll theme song and (4) the ECTO-1 1959 Cadillac ambulance has been replaced by the ECTO-2 2006 European-model Chrysler 300M Wagon.
In the meantime, ZootFly is working on an original game called TimeO, which also deals with a spooky New York setting. In TimeO, an “urban explorer” and an investigative reporter open up a portal to a parallel New York, “where the city itself is a war machine threatening to wipe out our world.” ZootFly has said that TimeO is being developed for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and “probably for [the] Wii.”
If you ask me, we truly need to see a new Ghostbusters game. Seeing the four proton pack-wearing dudes in action once more definitely brings back fond memories. And I’m definitely ready for a little more, “We came, we saw, we kicked its ass!”
January 17th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
“Everybody can relax, I found the car. Needs some suspension work. And shocks, brakes, brake pads, lining, steering box, transmission, rear-end… also new rings, mufflers, a little wiring…”
I don’t know how I feel about the Ecto-2 being the only wheels in the game. Don’t get me wrong: I like the new ride. But the Ecto-1 is so much a part of Ghostbusters that any game without it would seem noticeably incomplete. Then again, as Balthazar pointed out, this is just test footage. I’m hopeful this car might be just a placeholder while ZootFly gets the legal rights to reproduce the Ecto-1. Then again, maybe they were unable to secure those rights, and making a new Ectomobile was their only alternative. Ideally, I’d like to see both cars in the game.
By the way, is it just me, or does the new gear make the boys look like Colonial Marines? You secure that shit, Venkman! Click here or on Balthazar’s pic above for a larger version of the image.
January 18th, 2007 at 9:36 pm
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: Let’s talk about TimeO for a second. Can you give us an overview of the game?
BT: It’s a third-person action game for the Xbox 360, PS3, and hopefully for the Wii. It’s an upbeat story about two diehard urban explorers who got trapped deep in the shadow world of a parallel New York. The city itself is a war machine threatening to wipe out our world. Zed Condor and Violet Munro have three days to stop it.
TimeO is in part based on a true story about two urban explorers that disappeared in New York City in August 2006, while exploring a Harlem basement rumored to house an ancient portal into the parallel world.
GS: How long has it been in development, and when do you think it will be complete?
BT: We started prototyping in summer last year. The development of a 20-minute vertical slice of TimeO started in late October 2006. Right now it’s hard to tell when it’s gonna be complete. Currently, we are actively looking for a worldwide publishing deal for TimeO.
GS: You’ve told us that in addition to the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, you may bring the game to the Wii. What are your thoughts on that system?
BT: I love the Wii. And I have enormous respect for the courage Nintendo showed by going ahead with such a revolutionary concept and the most incredible name. In my view, the Wii is not in competition with either the Xbox 360 or PS3. It’s a complementary platform; it seems to be more a toy than a console, which is great.
GS: Do you have any other projects currently in development?
BT: We’re working on an Xbox Live Arcade/E-Distribution title called Toy Wars. This time it’s about toys that have taken over the house and the backyard. It’s a multiplayer-only game where players control a variety of toys–from bulldozers to robots–and fight it out in sandboxes and living rooms.
GS: Japan and North America have traditionally been identified as the powerhouses of game development. What are your thoughts on the state of European game development, specifically in Eastern Europe?
BT: Europeans–Eastern and Western–acutely suffer from quasi-intellectualism. It seems we just cannot grasp the concept of entertainment. We keep getting bogged down with weird games about micromanaging a hotel chain, or setting a gun on a tank for 10 minutes and then eventually shooting once. It’s a tremendous handicap that we’ll have to get rid of as soon as possible if we want to compete with North American and Japanese developers. It seems European designers are creating games for themselves, not for the playing public. I guess it’s the egocentrism of Europeans–that’s why we have 10 different types of wall sockets.
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.
January 20th, 2007 at 10:16 am
I just wanted to prove that not everything based on Ghostbusters is a guaranteed chunk of awesome:
January 21st, 2007 at 12:24 am
You’re wrong… that is awesome! In so many wrong ways! -rotflmao-
January 21st, 2007 at 7:18 pm
Sampling the Ghostbusters theme does not make this “based on Ghostbusters.” Don’t get me wrong: if it were any good, I’d claim it as being “based on Ghostbusters.” I’m like that. But this just sucks, so I disavow any association between the two. You want some good Ghostbusters sampling, head over to my Chris would bite “The Ghost That Feeds” article and download some of those. Those remixes rock, and therefore they are totally “based on Ghostbusters.”
Rave mash-ups + Ghostbusters = BFF.
January 25th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
Let’s talk for a minute about ZootFly’s planned Ghostbusters game. We all saw the videos. We all got excited (I did, anyway). Now we’re looking at the possibility that it’s never going to happen.
ZootFly’s Ghostbusters videos have just been pulled off of YouTube at the request of Sony Pictures Entertainment. The only thing you’ll see when you try to look for them is “This video has been removed at the request of copyright owner Sony Pictures Entertainment because its content was used without permission.”
All references to the game have also disappeared from the ZootFly website. According to ZootFly, “the videos were indeed removed at the request of Sony Pictures and all references to the game have been removed from its website while negotiations over the rights continue behind closed doors.”
Well, at least negotiations are still ongoing, so there’s still hope that the game will still see the light of day. With Sony now starting to move, maybe it’ll get a PS3 release. Heck, it could even become an exclusive. Whatever happens, though, we’re definitely making sure we don’t cross the proton streams.
February 3rd, 2007 at 8:09 am
The on-again-off-again-just-give-us-more-info-dammit Zootfly project has been the topic of much talk recently. The Ghostbusters video game has got everyone abuzz. Despite all the ectoplasmic clouds obscuring the game and its details, Dan Aykroyd was able to spill a couple of beans about it.
If you guys remember (and how could you possibly forget?!), Aykroyd starred as Raymond Stantz in the movies way back when. Now, when the Edmonton Sun interviewed him recently, he gave a rather interesting remark:
Universal purchased the rights from Sony for a game. I’m actually going to have to perform and do some motion capture for them. That will be next year.
Seems like this pretty much confirms it. A Ghostbusters game really is coming out. And it seems that development isn’t going to start until next year. Now whether it’s really Zootfly developing the game or not, we can only guess. As for a playable Slimer character, gee, no confirmation if he’s on the boat on this one.
February 6th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Aykroyd has also written a full script for Ghostbusters 3 and Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson were ready to film. But when Bill Murray said he wouldn’t be in it, Ramis and Aykroyd decided to scrap the project. Too bad, too. Its sounds like ZootFly’s game borrowed a LOT from his concepts for the third film.
February 9th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
Just stole a bunch of info from the web and thought I'd share it. This came to me from both Balthazar and Quentin by way of GameSpot; apparently Balthazar tried to post it earlier this week, but it never showed up on the site… fuckin’ WordPress. Never fear, Balth; I got yer back.
A little more of the same from kotaku.com, a website with a logo so cool that I'm going to post it right here:
And the news gets even better, sports fans. Just got this from Cinematical:
August 16th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
JESUS HOCKEYPLAYIN CHRIST!!!
GB3, the Movie!! CGI!! I think cgi is an awesome medium to re-energize the franchise.
I know GB was never truly dead, but come on guys, after 23 years and not a single new thing?? It was definitely on some intensive life support.
I just hope it’s not just some cheezy remake of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.
One thing i would like to see as a CGI movie is Starship Troopers (the first one, i wouldn’t wipe my dogs ass with the second one)!! I liked the movie,(again, the first one), LOVED the cartoon, and would pay good money to see a new movie based on the cartoon.
Lets just hope beyond hope that us real fans don’t end up with another great big ball of What-the-fuck?!? like we did with the newest Transformers move. I mean, come-on, Jazz was killed, err-umm, damaged beyond repair waaaay too soon after being introduced. But as a stand alone, and not really a franchise builder/remaker i guess it was tolerable.
Please, please, please to any powers that be, do not let this project turn into a piece of crap, or even worse, get our hopes built up, and built up, and… then find out the plug was pulled 5 minutes after the first article hit the web.
August 16th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
T2K7, good to see you again!
23 years?? No way, man! There was Ghostbusters 2 in 1989, The Real Ghostbusters went off the air in 1991, Extreme Ghostbusters in 1997, the most recent video game and a novelized sequel to the movie in 2004, the Ghostbusters: Legion comic in 2005, and the new videogame from ZootFly coming out in 2008. The franchise is definitely not dead, just in need of a lot more positive exposure.
I’m totally with you on the WTF status of TransFormers and hope that GB3 doesn’t fall into that trap, but I have high hopes for this movie. I’m actually looking forward to a movie again. I can’t believe it. And even though YouTube pulled the videos and I can’t show them to you, you have to trust me on this: the videogame looks fucking AWESOME. I may have to break down and buy an X-Box 360 when this thing drops. Sweet mother of crap, I can’t wait.