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Without any sort of forewarning, a VR game based on the Ghostbusters franchise has suddenly landed on PlayStation VR.
The game is called Ghostbusters VR: Now Hiring and will be released episodically. Its official site carries a link to the PSVR title and carries PSVR branding. However, the game also seems to be available on the Google Play store.
The first episode of Now Hiring only has a playtime of around 15 minutes, during which players explore the film’s firehouse. It of course lets players dabble with the iconic proton packs, and also offers an encounter with Slimer and the chance to sit in Ecto-1.
The game costs $6.99 on PSN in the US (it hasn’t yet appeared on the UK store) and is free download on Google Play, although it immediately presents players with a $5 paywall.
I think Ghostbusters is this wonderful [intellectual property] because it has so many storytelling opportunities,” co-creator Ivan Reitman told io9. And it’s a particularly good one for VR.
VR has always been something I’ve been interested in as a storyteller. The rules of VR are quite different in terms of how you use editing, multiple angles, and most important, how you tell the story.”
Jake Zim, the SVP of VR for Sony Pictures Entertainment added: Where we put out chapter one, if people like it and see what they want, then we can add chapter two and keep going. Ghostbusters is so big you can kind of go all over the place.”
Reitman himself has also said he will have a personal hand in the development of the game.
The producer also added that contrary to previous statements, a new Ghostbusters film remains very much on the cards. Reitman admits that last year’s Ghostbusters film did not make as much money as had been hoped, but argues that the larger problem was in fact the production budget.
