Doctor Venkman;142648
Yes, Sony gets money from the sales of the game, but I assure you they don't get as much from a copy of the game selling on 360 as they do from a copy of the game selling on a PS3. Microsoft surely gets paid something from the sales on the xBox as well. So Sony wants to profit from the people who own both systems who will now buy the PS3 version to have it earlier, as well as the people who have the money to buy a PS3 and then buy the version of the game. Plus, this might boost sales from people who have old PS2's lying around that they never use, who will now break them out in order to buy the PS2 version of the game.

And like I said, almost no one is going to buy a PS3 for that particular game, its not a console pusher no matter how epic the franchise is. Sorry, but its not going to happen.

Doctor Venkman;142644
While I agree that the announcement of the delay at this late point should not have been done, suggesting that a company that owns the rights to an intellectual property should not be allowed to decide what platform a game based on that intellectual property is designed for (especially when they have a video games division and develop and release video games and systems) is pretty silly. Of course Sony would want the game to sell well across platforms, but the more it sells for Playstation and the more Playstations it sells because of the game, the better for Sony. That's obviously where they would most want the game to succeed. Suggesting that the game should just be made for every platform and that the company shouldn't be allowed to decide what system it should benefit the most from is flat out wrong. It makes no sense from a business standpoint, and no business would operate well under your suggested business model.

Ah, but my point is that THIS game has already been made for all the consoles. If Sony -or anyone else- owns a property then they should most definately be able to make that call, but in this case they're taking advantage of the fact that it happens to be their property to drive sales.

Console exclusives are going to be a part of the industry forever, but if a prior arrangement has been made to release it on all systems, development time has been devoted to all systems, the game is ready to ship on all systems, and WILL be in some countries, then it should be.

I guess all I'm saying is that if they wanted this to be a Sony exclusive, they should have thrown their full support in from day one, instead of a last-second realization that they can manipulate the PAL markets. But then, I'm against business practices that put the company before the consumer.

Doctor Venkman;142648
Yes, Sony gets money from the sales of the game, but I assure you they don't get as much from a copy of the game selling on 360 as they do from a copy of the game selling on a PS3.

Maybe, but I think that without a shadow of doubt in the long run they still would've made more money, even at a reduced rate from sales of the copies of the games from their rival consoles, then from people buying Playstation 3s.

Not everyone who is able to buy a game is able to buy a brand new console, especially not with the way the PS3 is overpriced and the planet's in a recession.

Ayame Ex_Goddess;142651
I guess all I'm saying is that if they wanted this to be a Sony exclusive, they should have thrown their full support in from day one, instead of a last-second realization that they can manipulate the PAL markets.

I completely agree with this sentiment, and have from the beginning. In most cases here, I'm just playing devil's advocate, or at least trying to explain the business decision to the people that don't realize that there is a business behind this, and that despite not liking the decision, its unfortunate and it happens, businesses make decisions like this every day.

http://www.cinemablend.com/games/Sony-Violently-Rapes-17-Billion-Orphans-17412.html

A few days ago, I was browsing through the horrible muck splattered across the N4G frontpage, looking for anti-Microsoft articles so I could turn on my caps lock and smash my own face across my keyboard until I could make something like a comment pop out (much like many of the other N4G users). In my drunken fanboy rage, I stumbled across this delightful article by GamePlayer.com.au, titled “Sony Gives 64 million Gamers the Finger.” The article was discussing the recent and horrific deal that Atari and Sony made with Satan himself, in which Ghostbusters: The Video Game will now be (in Europe only) published on Sony platforms before any other.

I admit, this news gave me a healthy dose of righteous anger. Now, some silly fools might ask “so what?” and I spit upon the grandparents of these people. Anyone who can't see the significance of such a blasphemous act is clearly some sort of Microsoft crack whore. Now, I’ve done some quick maths and, not including the potentially limitless PC market, that is approximately 17 billion British orphans (that is combined European, Australian, and Kentuckian sales of DS, Wii, Atari 2600, and X360 consoles) who’ve just been mounted and raped by Sony.

That’s 17 billion enthusiastic gamers given an uppercut to the crotch that has a flaming Sony logo burned with hellfire onto the knuckle, slightly above a tattoo of a dead baby.

Sony is totally setting a horrible precedent here. What if Microsoft suddenly decided to get timed exclusive releases? Imagine a world where the only place you could get new DLC for Grand Theft Auto IV would be the 360? Such an idea keeps me up every night, tossing and turning in my bed until the wee hours of the morning. If that were to happen, the odds are good that I would become depressed, lose my family in an unrelated boating accident, and eventually give up on life.

Only God can now help the European 360 owners who will have to wait a little bit longer to partake in the holy glory of Ghostbusters. As everyone knows, movie games like this one are the absolute highest-quality products in the gaming industry, and Ghostbusters will undoubtedly revolutionize the entire world with its heart-stopping originality, thought-provoking plot, and characters so unique that I'll personally set fire to the front yard of everyone who doesn't love it.

Sure, we’re looking at a bleak future here: but it is out there now. It is done. And for what?

I expect that the lost revenue from piracy (especially on the PC) will vastly exceed any extra revenue from it being limited-time-exclusive to PlayStation.

SlimersPeanut;142688
http://www.cinemablend.com/games/Sony-Violently-Rapes-17-Billion-Orphans-17412.html

is it sad that there were a few moments where I wasn't sure which side he…umm…sided with

JamesCGamora;142711
is it sad that there were a few moments where I wasn't sure which side he…umm…sided with

Few moments? Im still unsure

jonwil;142709
I expect that the lost revenue from piracy (especially on the PC) will vastly exceed any extra revenue from it being limited-time-exclusive to PlayStation.

Very true but it will give them something to complain about.

JamesCGamora;142711
is it sad that there were a few moments where I wasn't sure which side he…umm…sided with

I couldn't either, article looks sarcastic though.

Kingpin;142673
Maybe, but I think that without a shadow of doubt in the long run they still would've made more money, even at a reduced rate from sales of the copies of the games from their rival consoles, then from people buying Playstation 3s.

Not everyone who is able to buy a game is able to buy a brand new console, especially not with the way the PS3 is overpriced and the planet's in a recession.

It's not that cut and dried… Despite the high asking price, Sony are still selling the PS3 at a loss, and the money they make selling just this one game is a drop in the ocean.

Sony's business model for the PS3 is a long term one. The more PS3's sold, the more games in general are sold, because there's a larger userbase, and they obviously get a cut from every game sold on the platform.

Now of course, the question is, will GB:TVG be a console seller?

Let's face it, unless you are a hardcore GB fan, the game is no “killer app”, that's not to say it's not going to be a quality product, but the fact it's a licensed title means to like it you're going to have to be, at some level, a fan of the franchise.

…And as you quite rightly point out the current economic climate isn't quite right for people to impulse buy based on one title, regardless of what it is.

I'm sure it will shift a couple, but enough to have a significant effect on Sony's long term profits? I don't think so.