It seems like just yesterday that publishing giant Activision Blizzard decided that an orange marsupial was more profitable than iconic film characters from the 1980s. Back in July, the company revealed that it would not be publishing “Ghostbusters: The Video Game,” along with a slew of other titles from Sierra’s portfolio of projects. The game’s future has remained a mystery, as Terminal Reality has yet to confirm any of the rumors that it is no longer sans a publisher. As a result, retail giant GameStop nixed its “Ghostbusters” pre-order program in late August/early September. Woe was this fan.

However, my spirits got an unexpected boost yesterday, after Dan Aykroyd confirmed to a Dallas radio station that the game is still in development and is about “a year away” from being released.

Had the ghost-capturing thespian stopped there, the Internet would have exploded with rampant speculation. After all, the game would have to have a publisher before it could be released to retail. Fortunately, speculation will not be necessary. Aykroyd told 105.3 KLLI that Atari will be publishing the virtual apparition hunt. Fans of the popular gaming blog Kotaku saw this information pop up in a rumor last month.  While you are at it Dan, could you confirm that third “Ghostbusters” film?

We should probably classify this as a rumor until Atari makes an official statement, but I am inclined to believe the actor that brought such joy to my childhood. Plus, he did lend his talents to the game. Aykroyd, famous for his time on “Saturday Night Live,” penned the game’s script along with fellow spook chaser Harold Ramis.

I have long held the belief that Terminal Reality would eventually find a publisher for “Ghostbusters.” The franchise’s popularity and the title’s predominantly positive previews seemed to ensure that it would make gobs of money. How convenient. Atari could use some.

The former videogame goliath has become somewhat of a joke in the industry, but it appears as if the company is finally getting its act together. The now wholly-owned subsidiary of Infogrames actually turned a $3.5 million profit in the first quarter of this year. Though “Alone in the Dark” was panned by most critics, GameDaily reported that it “was a major contributor to Atari’s turnaround” after shipping “1.2 million copies in the quarter.” I guess review scores aren’t so important after all.

As a fan of the franchise, this news brought a smile to my face. I grew up during the ’80s and vividly remember spending an obscene amount of money on the action figures. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have seen the films. It is probably somewhere close to a million. Give or take a few hundred thousand.

I was elated when the first “Ghostbusters” screenshots hit the World Wide Web and was subsequently crushed when Activision Blizzard decided to pass on the game. Though, perhaps I should thank Bobby Kotick and his band of dream destroyers. The game was originally scheduled to ship this month alongside “Dead Space,” “BioShock,” “LittleBigPlanet” and “Fable II,” but its release was delayed after Activision Blizzard dropped the title.

Regardless of my affinity for the franchise, it is probably best that the game was pushed back.  Terminal Reality gets to apply more polish and I don’t fall further into debt. However, I do wish I didn’t have to wait until next fall to play the game. By the way Mr. Kotick, I was lying before. I won’t be thanking you. Not only is your company running “Guitar Hero” into the ground, but you left “Brutal Legend” without a publisher. You suck.

Source: Kotaku via Destructoid