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View Full Version : Activision Shake-Up: Ghostbusters, Brutal Legend cancelled?

DuttyFoot
07-30-2008, 06:51 PM
heard this on giantbomb and hotspot and thought i would share

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/activision-cans-ghostbusters-game

Activision cans Ghostbusters game

Activision Blizzard has submitted its latest release schedule with no mention of forthcoming title from Terminal Reality, Ghostbusters, 50: Cent: Blood on the Sand from Swordfish or Double Fine's Brutal Legend.

Additionally the company plans to "realign" staff at High Moon Studios and Radical Entertainment, while Massive Entertainment and Swordfish Studios are both under consideration for sale or closure.

The future is similarly bleak for Vivendi Games Mobile and Sierra Online, both of which have been designated as "non-strategic business units", with Activision publishing CEO Mike Griffith extolling an efficiency drive.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6195113.html?action=convert&om_clk=latestnews&tag=latestnews;title;1

Brutal Legend, Ghostbusters, more dropped by Activision

Publisher passes on a slew of Vivendi Games' in-development titles; 50 Cent, World in Conflict: Soviet Assault, Wet also affected.

Earlier today, Activision Publishing announced a streamlining of its Vivendi Games operations, saying it would be bringing into the fold five of that company's franchises: Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, Ice Age, Prototype, and one unannounced game.

An Activision representative later confirmed for GameSpot that those would be the only Vivendi Games franchises coming out of the publisher. That leaves a number of high-profile projects in limbo, including Double Fine Productions' Brutal Legend, as well as Wet, Ghostbusters, Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, World at Conflict: Soviet Assault, 50 Cent Blood on the Sand, Zombie Wranglers, Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust, as well as several Xbox Live Arcade titles.
SheepFactory
07-30-2008, 07:23 PM
I didnt know Activision owned Radical. Staff "realigning" sounds like prspeak for layoffs :(
Venkman
07-30-2008, 08:09 PM
Ghostbusters is a sure fire hit. I can't believe they would "pass" on it so close to release.
erilaz
07-31-2008, 12:06 AM
Apparently the Sierra PR team have said Ghostbusters is not and will not be cancelled. It merely doesn't have a publisher right now.
walrus
07-31-2008, 12:24 AM
A secret message from Tim Schafer on the Double Fine web site (http://www.doublefine.com/news.php/site/more_information/): "Brutal Legend is fine." (You have to scroll over the photo of the weevil.)
JoshBowman
07-31-2008, 12:24 AM
Apparently the Sierra PR team have said Ghostbusters is not and will not be cancelled. It merely doesn't have a publisher right now.

That is true and Brutal Legend is not canceled either, it's still full steam ahead

ADDED: damn, beaten.
DuttyFoot
07-31-2008, 01:42 AM
yeah i read that somewhere else that GBusters dosen't have a publisher.
P_T
07-31-2008, 01:51 AM
They picked Ice Age over Ghostbuster... say what?!? :surprised
Hooch
07-31-2008, 03:52 AM
Ghostbusters didn't do so well on the Atari Console back in the 80's :p
but it was better than E.T.! :D
mustgo3D
07-31-2008, 01:44 PM
I read somewhere it is not cancelled
Zoober
07-31-2008, 03:13 PM
Sounds like Brutal Legend has a new publisher-

http://kotaku.com/5031323/variety-says-brutal-legend-announcement-soon


Both Brutal Legend and Ghostbusters were guaranteed buys for me, I would be suprised if they didn't have a line of publishers waiting to deal with them if indeed Activision decided not to.
Trenox
07-31-2008, 03:51 PM
They picked Ice Age over Ghostbuster... say what?!? :surprised

Makes sense really. GB is a very old IP, while Ice age is still fresh and has huge marketing for the third movie to propel a game.
richcz3
08-01-2008, 06:08 PM
I would imagine they were given previews of WIPs, marketing plans (target audience), and estimate delivery dates. I would have to agree that Ghost Busters is an old 80's franchise with little or no recent exposure to spark interest beyond retro curiosity. (I saw all in the theater).

If the current builds game play and storyline weren't stellar, I could see the reason to drop it. Ask yourselves - To date - How many movie adaptations actually work well in games - let alone a movie thats over 20 years old. :shrug:
Titan
08-01-2008, 08:05 PM
Ghostbusters is not cancelled... :)
aesir
08-02-2008, 03:05 AM
thank god brutal legend is fine...
richcz3
08-02-2008, 04:45 PM
I would imagine there are financial arrangements with Activision that must be met. In this case the games aren't canceled until the developers can't find publishers to continue development.
switchblade327
08-03-2008, 05:01 PM
I didnt know Activision owned Radical. Staff "realigning" sounds like prspeak for layoffs :(

Vivendi owned them so when they merged, Activision Blizzard now does.

And yes, I love how they use "realigning" and "streamlining" as comfy euphemisms for dropping jobs to raise the stocks this quarter. I understand how capitalism works but it's amazing how pleasant they try to make layoffs and canceled projects sound.
yenvalmar
08-05-2008, 11:53 AM
the thing is i think making a new game thats a tie in to an old movie can kind of work in a weird way, much better than a tie in rushed for some movie in theaters now. people working on it are more likely to respect the material at least, one hopes.

but they should keep going back to like charlie chaplin..
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