Two popular franchises are coming to a game console near year. Atari has purchased the rights to publish a sequel to “The Chronicles of Riddick†and a new “GhostBusters†game. Both projects were initially developed by Vivendi Games. However, when Vivendi was bought-out by Activision Blizzard this summer, the games were put on the back burner. Now with the move by Atari, both games are back on track for a release next year.
Atari confirmed it will release “The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena†early next year. The game is a follow-up to Vivendi’s 2005 movie tie-in “Chronicles of Riddick: Escape at Butcher Bay,†which won critical acclaim as one of the best spin-off games ever produced. The title sold well enough world-wide to warrant developing a sequel.
Actor Vin Diesel will provide voice-over work for Riddick in the game.
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†is a “high-quality franchise with a strong future that presents a great opportunity for Atari’s portfolio,†said Jim Wilson, CEO of Atari Inc.
As for the long-awaited “GhostBusters†game, sources close to Atari say the game company has purchased the rights to distribute the game. They’ve also signed a deal with Universal Pictures to develop future games in the “GhostBusters†universe should this game be successful. According to reports, the game could hit store shelves next summer in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the hit movie.
The “Ghostbusters†game, which features all four actors from the original movies and a new script by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, is a follow-up to “Ghostbusters II.â€
Atari is paying Activision Blizzard a flat fee to cover a portion of the development cost Vivendi Games spent on both titles. The game company, once one of the giants in the industry, is slowly rebuilding after being close to bankruptcy earlier this year.
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