Atari knows what's up: Riddick and Ghostbusters have a new home.

[fistfulofmetal]

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117994909.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&query=riddick

Riddick and the Ghostbusters have both found a new home at one of America's oldest videogame companies.

Atari has bought rights to publish the videogame sequel to "The Chronicles of Riddick" and a new game based on "Ghostbusters" from Activision Blizzard, which declined to pick up the two projects after merging with Vivendi Games this summer.

The publisher confirmed it will release "The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena" this spring. It's a follow-up to Vivendi's 2005 movie tie-in "Chronicles of Riddick: Escape at Butcher Bay," which sold decently worldwide and was critically acclaimed as one of the best-ever film-based games.

In addition to buying publishing rights to the game from Activision Blizzard, Atari also has signed a new licensing deal with Universal that will let it continue "Riddick" as a videogame franchise.

Riddick sequel finally hitting a console near us this spring! Yay!

[Mr. Gundam]

EA snagged Brutal Legend, right?

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

Riddick sequel finally hitting a console near us this spring! Yay!

More like Riddick 1.5.  I hope the extra content is substantial but right now it's looking like it'll be a director's cut of Butcher's Bay....which is still cool.

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

Riddick sequel finally hitting a console near us this spring! Yay!

More like Riddick 1.5.  I hope the extra content is substantial but right now it's looking like it'll be a director's cut of Butcher's Bay....which is still cool.

Its the entire campaign of Butcher Bay, done up all snazzy next-gen style, as an UNLOCKABLE after you clear the all new main campaign.

  Starbreeze

[fistfulofmetal]

yeah
i read that they decided to just go a head and make it a real sequel, which is why it wasn't out last year.

[cool breeze]

I'm somewhat happy.  I want the games, but...it's Atari.  I expect low budgets and poor marketing, possibly also some rushing.

[Bebpo]

yeah
i read that they decided to just go a head and make it a real sequel, which is why it wasn't out last year.

 

Awesome.  I loved Riddick but thought this was just the PC version with a 5 hour subquest added in the middle.  Glad to hear they're expanding it into a full game.

[Don Flamenco]

wow, phil harrison might redeem atari

this is the first thing I've been excited about from them since the 2600 dropped to UNDER FIFTY BUCKS! *turntable scratch*

spoiler (click to show/hide)

oh and the witcher

[close]

[demi]

Yuck

[chronovore]

EA snagged Brutal Legend, right?

Probably not:
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=20652

"I have seen it," says Riccitiello. "I am well aware of what the game is. It’s a very significant creative risk."

[Himu]

That doesn't mean a thing man. EA's been awesome lately!

Man, why does the new Riddick have to be a sequel? The whole appeal of the remake was that I'd be able to play it on my damn 360.

[fistfulofmetal]

Man, why does the new Riddick have to be a sequel? The whole appeal of the remake was that I'd be able to play it on my damn 360.

And you will, after you beat the new game and unlock the next-gen Butcher Bay.

[Bebpo]

Man, why does the new Riddick have to be a sequel? The whole appeal of the remake was that I'd be able to play it on my damn 360.

Why would you want a remake of a game that still looks great on PC instead of a BRAND NEW GAME.  smh.

[Himu]

Man, why does the new Riddick have to be a sequel? The whole appeal of the remake was that I'd be able to play it on my damn 360.

And you will, after you beat the new game and unlock the next-gen Butcher Bay.

ohhhhhhhhhh

Man, why does the new Riddick have to be a sequel? The whole appeal of the remake was that I'd be able to play it on my damn 360.

Why would you want a remake of a game that still looks great on PC instead of a BRAND NEW GAME.  smh.

Because sometimes sequels suck and the original is my favorite single player fps?

[Mr. Gundam]

http://weblogs.variety.com/the_cut_scene/2008/10/brutal-legend-s.html

As noted in my previous post, it seems almost every near complete Sierra game that Activision Blizzard decided not to publish has a new home. Except one: Brutal Legend.

While doing my reporting on "Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena" and "Ghostbusters" (info here), I checked in on everyone's favorite heavy metal action game starring Jack Black and, well, the news isn't great.

Sources close to the process confirmed that "Brutal Legend" hasn't been set up at a new publisher since, as I reported back in August, negotiations with MTV fell through.

Whatever the exact reasons, it seems that tensions are running high between Double Fine and Activision Blizzard as they try to make a deal with a new publisher.

I spoke to some sources on the Double Fine side and they said the problem isn't that other publishers aren't interested. They say it's that Activision Blizzard has been "an impediment" and that they're "blocking the process."

Now of course everyone has their own agenda in a negotiation and I'm sure Activision Blizzard, which declined to comment, has a very different perspective. But when one side is willing to bad mouth the other, you can be certain of at least one thing: talks are not going well and people are pissed. If they were close to a deal, everyone would keep their mouths shut to keep the process going smoothly.

So, whatever the exact details, it seems that the Double Fine side feels that Activision Blizzard is intentiontally trying to make setting up "Brutal Legend" at a new publisher difficult, if not impossible. Which means things won't be sorted out anytime soon and we probably won't be hearing an announcement about the game's fate, let alone playing it, for a while.

I've got the preorder bonus Brutal Legend t-shirt from Gamestop, it will be interesting if this super fatman sized shirt ends up being the only thing related to the game to ever get released.

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

Man, why does the new Riddick have to be a sequel? The whole appeal of the remake was that I'd be able to play it on my damn 360.

And you will, after you beat the new game and unlock the next-gen Butcher Bay.

Seriously?  GOTY.

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

this thread has been very useful in determining who actually reads posts besides their own.

[Hitler Stole My Potato]

Hey, I don't know why I didn't see your response.  I just scrolled down and read fistfullofmetal's post.

I blame this new monitor.  It's too damn big.  Strains the eyes.