Activision is the new EA: Brutal Legend, Ghostbusters, 50 Cent canned?

Fiaryn

Brutal Legend better still be made. Or I...I'll be a little sad.

cloudeagle

Ghostbusters is almost dead certain to get another publisher, and Brutal Legand has a pretty good chance at getting a publisher. On the one hand Psychonauts didn't sell well on release, on the other hand it's become a cult classic, Microsoft bent over backwards to get it on the 360, and it was featured on Gametap commercials.

Speed Racer

Didn't Schafer lose Psychonauts' publisher at the last second too?

Strayth

Spoit wrote: »

What are the odds that EA will come to the rescue?

Tell ya if they did, I'd respect em more. Lately I've been wavering on my distaste for them, they've done some good. not that I like their clogging of titles after September, but it's completely normal and costing them apparently.

Sucks about Ghostbusters, but maybe it would have been bad. I'm just gonna stick with that maybe, since it looked so cool. As for Blood in the Sand, I'm... not sure I'm ready to talk about that yet. It hit the family pretty hard.

Scotty

Strayth wrote: »

Sucks about Ghostbusters, but maybe it would have been bad.

Ghostbusters is apparently still on.:^:

My Name Is Luke

Mushroom Pie wrote: »

Didn't Schafer lose Psychonauts' publisher at the last second too?

Yes, I think that Microsoft Games was the original publisher but then they went on to Majesco.

templewulf

titmouse wrote: »

Activision Blizzard has other publishing arms like Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Value that were not covered by the press release and could be among the options being reviewed. As of press time, representatives from those companies did not return requests for comment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_assets_owned_by_Vivendi#Video_games

Activision Value is a subsidiary brand of Activision, a merger of Expert Software and Head Games Publishing, with offices located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis.

As its name implies, Value is the publisher of budget titles for Activision. Its most prominent titles are the Cabela's line of hunting and fishing-related games, and the World Series of Poker.

That isn't going to be publishing anything of value from the looks of it. Red Octane only publishes Guitar Hero games. I think that leaves Blizzard.

God damn it, I was about to apply for Activision Value. Oh, well, I guess I'll have to find someone else to port shitty peggle remakes for.

FyreWulff

My Name Is Luke wrote: »

Mushroom Pie wrote: »

Didn't Schafer lose Psychonauts' publisher at the last second too?

Yes, I think that Microsoft Games was the original publisher but then they went on to Majesco.

Majesco also picked up Phantom Dust, a Microsoft Games Studio game, after Microsoft refused to publish it in the US

MundaneSoul

B:L wrote: »

Activision killing:
Tim Schafer's Brutal Legend
Ghostbusters: The Video Game

I am not a violent man. But if this is true, then there is much destruction and pillaging to be done.

Activision, I apologize for your mental deficiencies. But please stop it.

Dehumanized

i'm just waiting for actiblizzard to announce their new CEO

i predict it'll be this guy

Spoiler:

Aoi

FyreWulff wrote: »

My Name Is Luke wrote: »

Mushroom Pie wrote: »

Didn't Schafer lose Psychonauts' publisher at the last second too?

Yes, I think that Microsoft Games was the original publisher but then they went on to Majesco.

Majesco also picked up Phantom Dust, a Microsoft Games Studio game, after Microsoft refused to publish it in the US

As much as I loved the game (Phantom Dust), I can't say I blame them. Despite Majesco's non existant marketing job on the game, it wasn't even anything remotely mass market, and likely would have sold pretty poorly either way. Doesn't make me love the game any less though.

MundaneSoul

Dehumanized wrote: »

i'm just waiting for actiblizzard to announce their new CEO

i predict it'll be this guy

Spoiler:

Needs more forehead.

Aoi

I really wouldn't worry about Brutal Legend, though. Again, he's lost publishers before. It's not like they're dismantling the studio or anything.

cloudeagle

FyreWulff wrote: »

My Name Is Luke wrote: »

Mushroom Pie wrote: »

Didn't Schafer lose Psychonauts' publisher at the last second too?

Yes, I think that Microsoft Games was the original publisher but then they went on to Majesco.

Majesco also picked up Phantom Dust, a Microsoft Games Studio game, after Microsoft refused to publish it in the US

Considering Majesco lost tons of money and is now a value-oriented publisher, we can't count on them to come to the rescue again.

Media consolidation sucks.

Edit: I'd worry about Brutal Legend a bit more considering there are now fewer publishers out there than in Psychonauts' day.

YardGnome

It's funny, I was considering buying GT:WT because it looked like they were getting their act together, but then they go and fuck over Brutal Legend and Ghostbusters? Fuck you Activision, fuck you.
I knew nothing good could come from this fucking merger.

Aoi

YardGnome wrote: »

It's funny, I was considering buying GT:WT because it looked like they were getting their act together, but then they go and fuck over Brutal Legend and Ghostbusters? Fuck you Activision, fuck you.
I knew nothing good could come from this fucking merger.

... Ghostbusters is apparently fine, and nothing specifically has been said about Brutal Legend, and again, the publisher isn't going to cancel their game Worry about it when Doublefine comes out and says its dead, not when the publisher says they maybe might not be publishing it.

Operative21

Glad to hear Ghostbusters might be okay. However, if they screw Massive Entertainment - that would be a travesty of...err...massive proportions. World in Conflict was an excellent game, and I've really enjoyed their previous offerings from the Ground Control series.

The_Scarab

World on Conflict sold well enough that no publisher would fuck with them.

over a million in germany alone wasn't it? or something insane.

if sierra dump them they will float right into another stable no problems.

Valic

I will curbstomp someone if Ghostbusters does not come out.

MundaneSoul

Valic wrote: »

I will curbstomp someone if Ghostbusters does not come out.

Do not try to curbstomp Staypuft Marshmallow Man.

It will end in goo.

elkatas

Edge Online Sez wrote:

Activision Blizzard is expected to offload newly-acquired label Sierra, publisher of the Ghostbusters videogame, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the game is dead in the water, Edge-Online has learned.

Jeff Mills, director of production at Austin, Tex.-based Red Fly (developer of the Wii, PS2 and DS versions of Ghostbusters) confirmed in a phone interview that Activision will not be publishing Ghostbusters.

Not all hope is lost, however. Asked if Sierra would still publish the game if Activision Blizzard sells off the label, Mills said, "That's all up in the air right now," adding, "It will be published by someone."

Terminal Reality is developing the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC versions of Ghostbusters.

Activision is currently in cost-cutting mode with its new studios acquired from the merger with Vivendi Games. The company said Monday that it would be keeping franchises including Crash Bandicoot, Ice Age, Spyro and "two new intellectual properties" from Vivendi.

No mention was made of other franchises or games in production such as Sierra's Ghostbusters, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand and Brutal Legend.

We've contacted Activision for comment.

Source

Viscountalpha

I wonder if ecto 1 will be at pax now with all these ghostbuster issues flying around.

LordOfMeep

elkatas wrote: »

Edge Online Sez wrote:

Activision Blizzard is expected to offload newly-acquired label Sierra, publisher of the Ghostbusters videogame, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the game is dead in the water, Edge-Online has learned.

Jeff Mills, director of production at Austin, Tex.-based Red Fly (developer of the Wii, PS2 and DS versions of Ghostbusters) confirmed in a phone interview that Activision will not be publishing Ghostbusters.

Not all hope is lost, however. Asked if Sierra would still publish the game if Activision Blizzard sells off the label, Mills said, "That's all up in the air right now," adding, "It will be published by someone."

Terminal Reality is developing the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC versions of Ghostbusters.

Activision is currently in cost-cutting mode with its new studios acquired from the merger with Vivendi Games. The company said Monday that it would be keeping franchises including Crash Bandicoot, Ice Age, Spyro and "two new intellectual properties" from Vivendi.

No mention was made of other franchises or games in production such as Sierra's Ghostbusters, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand and Brutal Legend.

We've contacted Activision for comment.

Source

In addition:

We have a quote from the Sierra PR team regarding Ghostbusters: "It is not cancelled and will not be canceled."

cloudeagle

There's news about the fate of Brutal Legend! From Tim Schafer's blog at Doublefine:

You want to know the sad thing about this diet? I’m totally excited about eating that jello right now. And I have been for the last hour and a half. “Soon, soon,” I have been thinking obsessively, “I get to eat jello!”

Believe it or not, this is game related. People have asked me, “Why isn’t Brütal Legend at E3?” And I can not tell them the real truth: That I am just too fat to go to E3. But let’s not say fat. Let’s say “Jolly.” And I don’t mean, “Wah, wah. I’m too jolly and everyone will laugh at me.” I mean I am physically too jolly to fit out the door of Double Fine. I’m stuck in my office, wedged into my tiny-looking Aeron chair, my jolly flesh poking through it’s woven back like cheese through a fine grater. I am now forced to bathe by scraping the sticky parts of post-it notes over my armpits. Somewhere in one of my jolly belly rolls, my cell phone is ringing, but I cannot find it. Oh, woe is my jolly.

But I have my jello, and soon the world will be sorry.

Okay, this doesn't tell us anything about whether or not Brutal Legend has a publisher, but it is a reminder that the dude is damned awesome.

Also, he goes on and on and on about a dead weevil he found in his office. There's like, three entries devoted to it.

www.doublefine.com

Edit: Also, he forces his newborn daughter to play Wii Fit.

GimeC

Brutal Legend should be fine. If worse comes to worse there's always Gamecock, which already has a bunch of old lucasarts employees under it's publishing group.

Error

cloudeagle wrote: »

There's news about the fate of Brutal Legend! From Tim Schafer's blog at Doublefine:

You want to know the sad thing about this diet? I’m totally excited about eating that jello right now. And I have been for the last hour and a half. “Soon, soon,” I have been thinking obsessively, “I get to eat jello!”

Believe it or not, this is game related. People have asked me, “Why isn’t Brütal Legend at E3?” And I can not tell them the real truth: That I am just too fat to go to E3. But let’s not say fat. Let’s say “Jolly.” And I don’t mean, “Wah, wah. I’m too jolly and everyone will laugh at me.” I mean I am physically too jolly to fit out the door of Double Fine. I’m stuck in my office, wedged into my tiny-looking Aeron chair, my jolly flesh poking through it’s woven back like cheese through a fine grater. I am now forced to bathe by scraping the sticky parts of post-it notes over my armpits. Somewhere in one of my jolly belly rolls, my cell phone is ringing, but I cannot find it. Oh, woe is my jolly.

But I have my jello, and soon the world will be sorry.

Okay, this doesn't tell us anything about whether or not Brutal Legend has a publisher, but it is a reminder that the dude is damned awesome.

Also, he goes on and on and on about a dead weevil he found in his office. There's like, three entries devoted to it.

www.doublefine.com

Edit: Also, he forces his newborn daughter to play Wii Fit.

http://www.doublefine.com/news.php/site/more_information/ mouse over the picture. 8-)

GimeC

Error wrote: »

cloudeagle wrote: »

There's news about the fate of Brutal Legend! From Tim Schafer's blog at Doublefine:

You want to know the sad thing about this diet? I’m totally excited about eating that jello right now. And I have been for the last hour and a half. “Soon, soon,” I have been thinking obsessively, “I get to eat jello!”

Believe it or not, this is game related. People have asked me, “Why isn’t Brütal Legend at E3?” And I can not tell them the real truth: That I am just too fat to go to E3. But let’s not say fat. Let’s say “Jolly.” And I don’t mean, “Wah, wah. I’m too jolly and everyone will laugh at me.” I mean I am physically too jolly to fit out the door of Double Fine. I’m stuck in my office, wedged into my tiny-looking Aeron chair, my jolly flesh poking through it’s woven back like cheese through a fine grater. I am now forced to bathe by scraping the sticky parts of post-it notes over my armpits. Somewhere in one of my jolly belly rolls, my cell phone is ringing, but I cannot find it. Oh, woe is my jolly.

But I have my jello, and soon the world will be sorry.

Okay, this doesn't tell us anything about whether or not Brutal Legend has a publisher, but it is a reminder that the dude is damned awesome.

Also, he goes on and on and on about a dead weevil he found in his office. There's like, three entries devoted to it.

www.doublefine.com

Edit: Also, he forces his newborn daughter to play Wii Fit.

http://www.doublefine.com/news.php/site/more_information/ mouse over the picture. 8-)

That... is... awesome.

I love this company.

Viscountalpha

cloudeagle wrote: »

There's news about the fate of Brutal Legend! From Tim Schafer's blog at Doublefine:

You want to know the sad thing about this diet? I’m totally excited about eating that jello right now. And I have been for the last hour and a half. “Soon, soon,” I have been thinking obsessively, “I get to eat jello!”

Believe it or not, this is game related. People have asked me, “Why isn’t Brütal Legend at E3?” And I can not tell them the real truth: That I am just too fat to go to E3. But let’s not say fat. Let’s say “Jolly.” And I don’t mean, “Wah, wah. I’m too jolly and everyone will laugh at me.” I mean I am physically too jolly to fit out the door of Double Fine. I’m stuck in my office, wedged into my tiny-looking Aeron chair, my jolly flesh poking through it’s woven back like cheese through a fine grater. I am now forced to bathe by scraping the sticky parts of post-it notes over my armpits. Somewhere in one of my jolly belly rolls, my cell phone is ringing, but I cannot find it. Oh, woe is my jolly.

But I have my jello, and soon the world will be sorry.

Okay, this doesn't tell us anything about whether or not Brutal Legend has a publisher, but it is a reminder that the dude is damned awesome.

Also, he goes on and on and on about a dead weevil he found in his office. There's like, three entries devoted to it.

www.doublefine.com

Edit: Also, he forces his newborn daughter to play Wii Fit.

I had no idea their blog was even there. Thats very awesome. I have my weevil fix for the day now! thanks!

cloudeagle

Error wrote: »

cloudeagle wrote: »

There's news about the fate of Brutal Legend! From Tim Schafer's blog at Doublefine:

You want to know the sad thing about this diet? I’m totally excited about eating that jello right now. And I have been for the last hour and a half. “Soon, soon,” I have been thinking obsessively, “I get to eat jello!”

Believe it or not, this is game related. People have asked me, “Why isn’t Brütal Legend at E3?” And I can not tell them the real truth: That I am just too fat to go to E3. But let’s not say fat. Let’s say “Jolly.” And I don’t mean, “Wah, wah. I’m too jolly and everyone will laugh at me.” I mean I am physically too jolly to fit out the door of Double Fine. I’m stuck in my office, wedged into my tiny-looking Aeron chair, my jolly flesh poking through it’s woven back like cheese through a fine grater. I am now forced to bathe by scraping the sticky parts of post-it notes over my armpits. Somewhere in one of my jolly belly rolls, my cell phone is ringing, but I cannot find it. Oh, woe is my jolly.

But I have my jello, and soon the world will be sorry.

Okay, this doesn't tell us anything about whether or not Brutal Legend has a publisher, but it is a reminder that the dude is damned awesome.

Also, he goes on and on and on about a dead weevil he found in his office. There's like, three entries devoted to it.

www.doublefine.com

Edit: Also, he forces his newborn daughter to play Wii Fit.

http://www.doublefine.com/news.php/site/more_information/ mouse over the picture. 8-)

Hahaha, there we go: confirmation that the game is OK hidden within part 3 of the dead weevil saga. Seriously, he (and his blog) is awesome.

Xagarath

And this is why we all love Tim Schaefer.

darunia106

Xagarath wrote: »

And this is why we all love Tim Schaefer.

Besides the fact that he's made some of our favorite games like Grim Fandango, Psychonauts, etc.

zilo

His post on Uncharted: Drake's Fortune had me rolling.

Monger

I don't go by the Double Fine website often. That needs to change, because every time I do my heart grows three sizes and the world becomes just a little bit more magical.

I can't really get myself worked up over this. Mr. The Air Marshall 50 Cents will invariably get picked up by EA or some such. Schafer's got too much of a history to not find a new publisher pretty quick. Ghostbusters is far too big a property to not get fought over. That, and Akroyd and Ramis seem pretty stoked about it. WET... I don't think there was enough released about it to really know if we're missing out on anything or not.

Okay, I take that back, I'm kind of worried about Riddick. I'm not entirely sure who's going to throw money at a remake of a game that got as little appreciation as Butcher Bay. If it gets canned I'm probably going to stab someone, though. Repeatedly, and with extreme prejudice.

Rizzi

Yeah, so I am never buying anothing Activision title.
Edit:
Hahaha. Dead weevil.

Couscous

I'm worried about what will happen to the studios.

Dehumanized

Huh? I thought Escape from Butcher Bay was pretty well received?

cloudeagle

Dehumanized wrote: »

Huh? I thought Escape from Butcher Bay was pretty well received?

Well reviewed, yes, but I'm not sure how it sold.

Couscous

It sold well.

Monger

Really? I got the impression that everyone avoided it at release due to being a movie tie-in. No one talked about it, and I don't really remember anyone recommending it until almost a year later. It seemed like the best recent example of a sleeper outside Psychonauts.

darleysam

Surely it's a bargain for a new publisher to pick up something like Ghostbusters or Brutal Legend. Rather than funding the whole game's development from start to finish, won't they just be paying from now, with anything already done having been funded by Activision? Or is it not as simple as that.