Has Ghostbusters been cancelled?
It’s been a bumpy road for the Ghostbusters game these past few months. Ever since the title was dropped by Activision, it’s been floating in a sea of the unknown, with gamers all over wondering who’s going to publish it and when it’s coming out. Unfortunately, GameStop thinks that the Ghostbusters release date might be "never."
According to reports, mega-retailer GameStop (and its subsidiary EB Games) has been cancelling all pre-orders of Ghostbusters and has removed all mention of the title from its official company website, with a search of the term bringing up only this result. So what are we to make of all this? Has a once-prominent game now been given the axe, leaving legions of forlorn Ghostbusters fans wondering who they’re gonna call?
We doubt it, as all we’ve heard these last couple months are that regardless of the issues is that this game is going to happen. With all parties involved in the title’s creation being so insistent that everything is fine, we find it hard to discount their claims without due reason. In all likelihood, GameStop is cancelling pre-orders simply because there’s no longer a release window (never mind a specific release date) for the game, so information has been removed pending confirmation of a publisher and a release. At least, that’s what we’re going to tell ourselves is going on, because if Ghostbusters is really cancelled then I might just be inconsolable.
TGR Verdict: Rumor Unlikely
Do You Have to Pay for a Final Fantasy XIII Demo?
In a clever bit of marketing, Square Enix is trying to drum up extra interest in the upcoming Blu-ray release of Advent Children by including a separate disc which houses a rather meaty Final Fantasy XIII demo. The move can be seen as either a touching gift to fans or a shameless attempt to cash in depending on how you look at it, but either way it’s pretty clear that Square Enix is fixing to make a whole lot of money on the combo when it arrives. Now, it’s starting to look like that won’t be enough as Yoichi Wada and company might just need a bit more money to buy that second yacht.
The latest juicy tidbits claim that the company is looking to offer the demo separately, but at a price other than the standard cost, which is "free." I know what you’re thinking, "So Square wants to sell me a demo?" The answer is that’s how it appears.
When given the opportunity to dispel this rumor, Square Enix issued a big no comment, thus leaving us scratching our heads and wondering if there isn’t something to all this after all. We’re all adjusted to the idea of buying a separate product and getting a demo as a bonus; indeed, it’s what Square did with Dragon Quest VIII when they included a demo of Final Fantasy XII. However, trying to pawn off the demo separately just doesn’t sit right. Still, the fact of the matter is that Square Enix knows there are a whole lot of people out there desperate to see Final Fantasy XIII in action, and they’ll likely be willing to shell out a few bucks for the experience. Also, the company’s silence on dispelling the rumor thus far has been quite telling; if they haven’t already decided to sell the demo separately, they’re certainly thinking about it. We’ll see how this one plays out.
TGR Verdict: Rumor Somewhat Likely
Rockstar to Make the Next Max Payne Game?
It appears that Rockstar wasn’t happy wallowing in the piles of cash that GTA IV brought in, and the company is itching to get out there and make another game. This time though, the title in question may just be the continuation of a beloved, long-dormant franchise: none other than Max Payne 3.
According to EGM’s ubiquitous Quartermann, Remedy Entertainment is so swamped trying to finish Alan Wake, that they’ve gone ahead and passed off development of Max Payne to a certain world-renowned studio. According to the shadowy sources, the same team that handled The Warriors is in charge of all things gritty, bullet-timey, and generally noir.
This is the rumor that gives us the biggest pause this week, as Quartermann, or rather the various entities that comprise him, are notoriously hit and miss when it comes to their rumors. When they’re right, they’re normally dead on the money; when they’re wrong, they usually couldn’t be farther off the mark. Still, considering the troubles Alan Wake has caused Remedy, and the fact that EGM is reporting not only that Rockstar will make the game, but also which development team is working on it makes you believe that this might just be a case of inside information rather than wishful thinking. We’re going to go out on a limb and proclaim this as likely, don’t make us look dumb Quartermann.
TGR Verdict: Rumor Likely
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