“We learned that Sony and Sierra had been wanting to do Ghostbusters for years but they had not found the right partner. They really wanted a developer that had a passion for the project.â€
There might be something strange in the neighborhood, but there is nothing strange about a Ghostbusters video game. The original film is old – certainly older than most with a game license attached – but it has a permanent spot in the hearts of many, which caused our hearts to beat rapidly after the first gameplay images were revealed for the Ghostbusters game.
Unique graphic effects? Check. Stellar ghost animations? Check. Impressive display of weapons? You get the idea. For Terminal Reality, it was all about creating a game that would live up to the Ghostbusters legacy. “We knew from day one that there would be a great deal of pressure to do the franchise justice,” said Brendan Goss, Executive Producer at Terminal Reality. “There is no middle ground for this title – we will either be hailed for returning a childhood memory in all its glory or be hunted by an angry mob for tainting everyone’s favorite movie. At the same time everyone on the team recognized what a huge opportunity this is for the company and for each of us to participate in the Ghostbusters universe. It was a massive boost when the talent and Sony pictures gave us the feedback that we had really hit the mark and delivered the experience that they were hoping for.”
How did the Ghostbusters game begin? Did the development team start by going directly to the movie studio, speak to actors, etc., to see what they were thinking?
Brendan Goss: We actually were visiting Sierra to show [a] military first person shooter tech demo in what turned out to be our first Ghostbusters meeting. After we presented the Infernal Engine they asked us how we would feel about doing Ghostbusters as a third-person action title. Once we had picked ourselves up off the floor, we told them that we would be thrilled to do it! Later we learned that Sony and Sierra had been wanting to do Ghostbusters for years but they had not found the right partner. They really wanted a developer that had a passion for the project and the technology to handle the massive destruction, robust animation and AI and rendering capable of transitioning seamlessly between outdoor and indoor sets to address all that is required for an authentic Ghostbusters experience
Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis were reportedly in charge of writing the story. How far in advance of the game’s production did they submit their script, and who did the re-writes/revisions (as many games require over the course of development)?
BG: Dan and Harold have been collaborators on the project from very early on. We met to go over what the engine could do and what location in NY we thought would make the best for game play. Dan and Harold went off and massaged our story beats around those locations and mechanics and continued a back and forth dialogue with our design team. It is pretty incredible when we thing about it and how most licensed game are created and do not extensively involve the original creators of that universe. They wanted to be involved throughout; they wanted to understand what we can accomplish in game and how to connect to their story and dialog. Dan even helped develop new equipment that would fit the universe but give gamers a bigger bang than the original proton pack. It was just an amazing ride to watch these guys all come on board (Dan, Harold, Bill, Ernie, Annie, Brian Doyle Murray and William Atherton) and embrace the game as a new chapter in the Ghostbusters saga.
Let’s dig into the gameplay. Ghostbusters is a shooter but it’s definitely not typical.
BG: Ghostbusters is about blasting, zapping, capturing, hunting and generally destroying New York all while saving New York. There is plenty for the player to do!
