Big Download just posted an article with comments from Threewave Software (makers of the multiplayer aspects of the PS3 & X360) about the lack of multiplayer in the PC version of Ghostbusters: The Video Game. Here's what it has to say:

Atari and Threewave comment on lack of multiplayer in PC Ghostbusters
Posted Jun 17th 2009 11:00AM by John Callaham

Gamers were upset when it was learned a few days ago that the PC version of Ghostbusters would lack the multiplayer features that its Xbox 360 and PS2 counterparts have. We asked the game's publisher Atari for comment on this issue and they sent over a response from Dan Irish, the CEO of the game's multiplayer developer Threewave Software:

Multiplayer for the PC version of Ghostbusters is something that Threewave and Terminal Reality always wanted to do. However, our focus was on making the console version the best that they could be - an experience that allows multiple players to re-live and re-fight many of the themes from the movies. When we looked at the resources necessary to pull off multiplayer on the consoles and the PC, it became a question of what could we do and still be excellent in our execution. We couldn't do all versions with multiplayer simultaneously with the resources that we had available - there was simply too much to do. Something would have to suffer. Therefore, we kept our focus on making the console versions deliver on the promise of being an integral player on the Ghostbusters team.

We have yet to receive a response to our other question on if Atari plans to add multiplayer support for the PC version of Ghostbusters via a patch.

One of the commenters over on Big Download said it best: I do believe that's one of the biggest "F**k you's" I've ever heard directed squarely at the PC market. I sure hope they get some more "resources" and decide to put out a patch or something later on that includes multiplayer, I mean, if that is "something that Threewave and Terminal Reality always wanted to do."

What makes this whole situation really sad is that Atari never made any notification to the effect of, "We have removed multiplayer on the PC due to limited resources, so we have dropped the price accordingly for the PC version." If I didn't decide to post scans of the box backs and analyze the specs on them, no one would have known about the missing PC multiplayer until AFTER the game was released and they bought it.

All of the previews and ads for the realistic and stylized versions advertise multi-player features, and naturally it is assumed that the PC and PS2 versions would be grouped in with their respective counterparts for each version and get the multiplayer features. Atari should have made it perfect clear in the deceptive advertisements that the PC and PS2 versions would not get the multiplayer features that the other three versions would have.

It was twenty years ago today, on June 16, 1989, that Ghostbusters II premiered in theaters all across the United States. I wasn't amongst the lucky fans who got to see it that day, but I did get to see it in the theater during its initial run. I went with my mom and sister to the theater at Roosevelt Field mall in Garden City, New York, probably as a present for my 12th birthday (June 25th). I don't remember too much from that day...I don't even know if the theater is still there as that mall has changed SO much in these past twenty years...but I do remember seeing Slimer fly out from the Statue of Liberty at the end, which is a bit missing from all of the home video versions. The theater was a multiplex, and I also remember that after Ghostbusters II was done, we snuck in to see Star Trek V.

Anyway, in honor of this special anniversary, I have uploaded full video of the show to the cast of Ghostbusters II on The Oprah Winfrey Show page.

GET OUT YOUR PROTON PACK AND PREPARE TO BE SLIMED AS 'GHOSTBUSTERS®: THE VIDEO GAME' BUSTS INTO NORTH AMERICAN RETAILERS

- WRITTEN BY DAN AYKROYD AND HAROLD RAMIS, THIS ALL-NEW ADVENTURE INSPIRED BY BLOCKBUSTER MOVIE PHENOMENON IS PART OF THE 25^TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF ORIGINALGHOSTBUSTERS FILM -

NEW YORK, NY - June 16, 2009 - Atari, one of the world's most recognized video game publishers, today announced that the highly anticipated, summer blockbuster title, Ghostbusters®: The Video Game is now available at retailers across North America.

Working closely with Sony Pictures Consumer Products and acclaimed development studios Terminal Reality and RedFly, Atari brings this completely all-new chapter of the blockbuster Ghostbusters saga to advanced gaming platforms coinciding with the 25^th Anniversary celebration of the film's original theatrical release. Ghostbusters: The Video Game, based on the smash hit motion picture franchise, is penned by original Ghostbusters writers and stars Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd and reunites many of the original cast members. In addition, the game also launches today along with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's worldwide debut of the original motional picture on Blu-ray Disc™.

Featuring the unique blend of humor and fright that established Ghostbusters as a pop culture sensation, this new chapter of the blockbuster franchise is available at retailers across North America for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft ($59.99), Windows PC ($29.99), PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system ($59.99), PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system ($19.99), Wii™ ($39.99) and Nintendo DS™ ($29.99).

In addition to Aykroyd and Ramis, original Ghostbusters Bill Murray, and Ernie Hudson, and new love interest, Alyssa Milano, lend their voices and in-game likenesses to the original story set two years after Ghostbusters 2, with Manhattan once again overrun by ghosts and supernatural forces. The player joins up as a new recruit with the original team, testing a variety of unique equipment and gadgets, to track, wrangle and trap a wide range of awe-inspiring phantasms in an all-new, funny and frightening battle to save New York City from its latest paranormal plague.

Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2 combined to gross over $500 million world-wide at the box office. The films spawned some of the most memorable comedic catch-phrases and scenes in motion picture history. To further celebrate the film's 25^{niversary milestone this year, Sony Pictures Consumer Products has licensed the property for several new commemorative products including: toys, t-shirts, comic books, prop replicas, and a theme park attraction. In addition, the original Ghostbusters car (Ecto-1) has been fully restored with plans for special promotional appearances throughout the US and additional replicas touring across Europe. The Blu-ray Disc release of Ghostbusters will see unsurpassed picture and audio quality and advanced new bonus features including Slimer Mode, a picture-in-picture graphical viewing experience, a featurette on the refurbishing of Ecto-1, and more.}

nformation about Ghostbusters: The Video Game please visit www.ghostbustersgame.com.

About the Game
When Manhattan is once again overrun by ghosts and other supernatural creatures, players will take on the role of a new recruit joining the famous Ghostbusters team. Developed by acclaimed studio Terminal Reality, Ghostbusters: The Video Game will make its debut on the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC.The PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system version and the Wii version are being developed by Red Fly Studios, and the Nintendo DS™ version, in which the player takes the role of one of the Ghostbusters themselves, is developed by Zen Studios. The PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and PC versions of the game are developed using Terminal Reality's phenomenal proprietary Infernal Engine technology.

About the Film
Ghostbusters, released in 1984, is one of Columbia Pictures' highest grossing films, spawning a hit sequel in 1989 and three successful animated television shows. Ghostbusters and its sequel grossed over $500 million world-wide. Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, produced and directed by Ivan Reitman, starred Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson as ghost hunters for hire, cleaning up Manhattan's buildings of slime-spewing spooks.

About Sony Pictures Consumer Products Inc.
Sony Pictures Consumer Products Inc. (SPCP) is a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (SPE) based in Los Angeles which handles the merchandising and branding efforts for some of the most recognized properties in film and television.

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution, operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in more than 130 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.

About Infogrames Entertainment and Atari
The Infogrames group, including the Atari brand and the massively multiplayer online game company Cryptic Studios, is a global producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment software for all market segments and all interactive game platforms including consoles from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony, advanced smartphones, Personal Computers, web and online. Its games are sold in more than 60 countries through an international distribution network and direct to consumers via www.atari.com.

Atari's extensive catalogue of popular games is based on original franchises (Test Drive, Alone in the Dark, V-Rally, My Horse & Me, Backyard Sports franchise, Total Annihilation, Outcast etc.), Cryptic Studios titles (StarTrek Online, Champions Online), publishing properties (Ghostbusters, The Chronicles of Riddick, The Witcher, Race Pro etc.), international licenses (Dragon Ball Z, Dungeons & Dragons, Jamie Oliver etc.) and classic games covering the entire history of the video game industry (Pong, Missile Command, Asteroids etc).

© 2009 Atari Europe SASU. All rights reserved.
Atari word mark and logo are trademarks owned by Atari Interactive, Inc.

"GHOSTBUSTERS", The Video Game: © 2009 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. "GHOSTBUSTERS" with the "GHOST DESIGN" is a registered trademark of Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. "GHOSTBUSTERS", and "GHOSTBUSTERS 2" movies: © 1984, © 1989 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. Game Software excluding Columbia Pictures Elements: © 2009 Atari, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

"PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The PlayStation Network Logo is a service mark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Wii and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2006 Nintendo.

Windows and the Windows Vista start button are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries and are used under license from owner.

# # #

Rooting through the files on the game disc of the PC version of Ghostbusters: The Video Game, I found a file named language.pod, which is contained inside setup\data2.cab. This file contains all of the text used in the game, along with text transcriptions of the audio.

This post will list all of the Player Awards, Player Ranks, and Achievements listed inside this file. I believe that all of this relates to multiplayer. However, it should be noted that although this information came from a file on the PC game disc, the PC version does not have any multiplayer components.

Read more »

Thanks to SonofSamhain, I just found out that the official U.S. game site has gotten a massive update (the other sites have not been updated, so check out the U.K. site if you want the old content). Actually, "massive overhaul" would probably be a more appropriate phrase. Although I think that the new site looks nicer, I hate that many great features were removed.

All of the games ("Interview Callbacks") were removed. What sucks is that we never got to play the last three: "Target Practice", "Ghost Hunt", and "Marketing 101". (I found the names of all of the games hidden in a site file last year.) The last time a game was added was back in July 2008 before Activision dropped the game. It would have been nice if Atari would have added the rest in the seven or eight months that they had the site instead of letting it go stagnant for so long and then dropping them altogether.

All of the fan site links were removed. This makes me very sad as I felt great pride having a link on that list.

All of the banners and the instant messenger icon were removed. I've reuploaded all of them and have updated the links and html/bb code on my game page.

The Gallery and Video sections have had some content removed from them, but most content was retained, and what was removed can be found elsewhere in better/higher quality.

Now that I've run through what was removed, let's take a quick look at what was added. The first thing you'll notice is the commercial intro. It's actually a Flash video file, in which the first 0:17 has audio, while the rest of file is silent. It's over the silent portion, which loops over and over, that the Ray Parker Jr. hit plays.

The four Ghostbusters are shown on the screen, and if you click on each of them you'll get a brief dossier file. The About section just gives you a brief synopsis of the game, and the News section gives links to reviews and other such stuff.

Anyway, that's the rundown of the new site design. If you miss the old site design, here's a picture from July 21, 2008 (the last time Sierra updated the site) to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

I received in the mail today a package from Atari containing six copies of the new video game, one for every system. I'm forbidden from posting a review until Friday, though I won't have one ready until much later than that as I'm working on something for the site. However, I think that I can safely post scans of the back of the boxes and list the specs contained on them, as that has nothing to do with what's inside the boxes.

In a few days I'll post a little bit of information on the DRM found on the PC version (yes, it has DRM), and some random information on what I found on the PC disc and what the PC's readme file tells you that you need to know before buying that version. It's rather crummy that Atari is forcing the DRM on us PC gamers, while also giving us the stripped down version - no online multiplayer co-op (or any online activities at all!) and no downloadable content for the PC version - while PS3 and Xbox gets it all! Apparently Atari forgets that PC gaming INVENTED those features!

The PC version isn't the only one that loses out on multiplayer. The PS2 version doesn't have the split-screen (or any) multiplayer that the Wii version has. A comparison of the Wii and PS2 boxes proves this, as does IGN's review.]

PLAYSTATION 3

Get Slimed In This Haunting New Adventure.
Battle Stay Puft, Slimer and a host of terrifying new ghosts in an all new adventure written by the creators of the original movies, featuring the voices and likenesses of the original Ghostbusters crew! Use all the newest experimental equipment to control the chaos -- from the free-roaming vapors to focused non-terminal repeating phantoms...and worse!
* Join the original cast as the new recruit, an experimental equipment technician!
* Bust ghosts with upgradable proton pack, powerful ghost traps, and PKE meter!
* Eliminate paranormal threats in online multiplayer co-op!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Includes Special Bonus Content:
* The refurbishment of the original Ecto-1!
* Blu-ray preview and trailer from Ghostbusters movie!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* Multiplayer, Leaderboards, Lobbies/Matchmaking, Voice Chat, Trophies, Add-On Content.
* Number of players: 1 (online: 4)
* Required hard disk space: At least 4 GB
* Online: Broadband required
* Supported HD video output: 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
* Video output in Full HD 1080p requires an HDMI cable and a 1080p native display with an HDMI input supporting HDCP.
* Headset Compatible
* DualShock 3 Compatible


XBOX 360

Get Slimed In This Haunting New Adventure.
Battle Stay Puft, Slimer and a host of terrifying new ghosts in an all new adventure written by the creators of the original movies, featuring the voices and likenesses of the original Ghostbusters crew! Use all the newest experimental equipment to control the chaos -- from the free-roaming vapors to focused non-terminal repeating phantoms...and worse!
* Join the original cast as the new recruit, an experimental equipment technician!
* Bust ghosts with upgradable proton pack, powerful ghost traps, and PKE meter!
* Eliminate paranormal threats in online multiplayer co-op!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* Players 1
* 68KB to save game
* HDTV 480p/720p/1080i/1080p
* Custom Soundtrack
* In-game Dolby Digital
* Online multiplayer 1-4
* Voice
* Co-op 2-4
* Game-content download
* Leaderboards
* Supports Family Settings
Xbox LIVE System Requirements with Xbox 360 system & games: See orange feature icons above for LIVE features beyond Friends and Achievements. In available games, paid subscription required for online multiplayer; some LIVE services and downloads require additional hardware and/or fees. LIVE is not available in all countries, visit www.xbox.com/live/countries for more information. Broadband Internet service, Xbox 360 hard drive or 256 MB memory unit or greater required (sold separately). Hard drive recommended, and is required for some features. Some broadband services may not work with LIVE and performance may vary.


PC

Get Slimed In This Haunting New Adventure.
Battle Stay Puft, Slimer and a host of terrifying new ghosts in an all new adventure written by the original Ghostbusters creators Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. Use all the newest experimental equipment to control the chaos -- from the free-roaming vapors to focused non-terminal repeating phantoms...and worse!
* Join the original cast as the new recruit, an experimental equipment technician!
* Bust ghosts with upgradable proton pack, powerful ghost traps, and PKE meter!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
OS: Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista 32-bit and 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 or AMD Athlon X2 +3800 *
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Hard Drive Space: 9 GB free hard disk space
DVD-Rom Drive: Dual layer, 8X speed or faster
Video Card: ATI Radeon X1800-series 512 MB, Intel G45 Express Chipset, NVIDIA GeForce 8400 512MB**
Sound: DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound card
Direct X: DirectX version 9.0c (included) or higher
Input: Keyboard, mouse, or Xbox 360 gamepad
Other: Internet connection required for first-time authentication (connection not required after authentication)
* Dual core processors, such as the Intel Pentium D 805, are not supported.
** Video cards that have only 256MB of RAM are not supported.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RECOMMENDED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
OS: Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 or equivalent
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Video Card: ATI Radeon HD 4800 series, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 series or higher video card

Ok, pop quiz. Which of the three realistic versions is getting the shaft? If you said, "PC", you're a winner! Compare the feature list of the PC with that of the PS3 and Xbox 360 and you'll notice that the PC does NOT have: Online multiplayer co-op (or any online activities at all!) and downloadable content, even though a PC game not only is capable of such features, PC gaming INVENTED those features!


WII

Get Slimed In This Haunting New Adventure.
Battle Stay Puft, Slimer and a host of terrifying new ghosts in an all new adventure written by the creators of the original movies, featuring the voices and likenesses of the original Ghostbusters crew! Use all the newest experimental equipment to control the chaos -- from the free-roaming vapors to focused non-terminal repeating phantoms...and worse!
* Join the original cast as the new recruit, an experimental equipment technician!
* Bust ghosts with an arsenal of new equipment and gadgets!
* Eliminate paranormal threats in the co-op campaign mode!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* Requires 2 Wii remotes and nunchucks for co-op play. (I think this is what the icon in the upper right corner means.)


PLAYSTATION 2

Get Slimed In This Haunting New Adventure.
Battle Stay Puft, Slimer and a host of terrifying new ghosts in an all new adventure written by the creators of the original movies, featuring the voices and likenesses of the original Ghostbusters crew! Use all the latest experimental equipment to battle the otherworld's spookiest specters -- from the free-roaming vapors to focused non-terminal repeating phantoms!
* Join the original cast as the new recruit, an experimental equipment technician!
* Bust ghosts with upgradable proton pack, powerful ghost traps, and PKE meter!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* 1 Player
* Memory Card (for PS2) - 56 KB
* Analog Control
* Vibration Function
* Pressure Sensitive

Ok, pop quiz #2. Which of the two stylized versions is getting the shaft? If you said, "PlayStation 2", you're a winner! Compare the feature list of the PlayStation 2 with that of the Wii and you'll notice that the PlayStation 2 does NOT have the split-screen (or any) multiplayer, even though the PlayStation 2 is capable of such a feature (even online).


DS

From The Creators of The Original Films Comes An ALL NEW Ghostbusting Adventure.
* Use the Touch Screen to blast, wrangle, trap and get bustin!
* Equip your team with an arsenal of the latest Ghostbusting gadgets!
* Drive Ecto-1 to get to your mission on time!
===========================
END OF LIST

THIS IS IT, THIS IS DEFINITELY IT!!

It was twenty-five years ago today, on Friday June 8, 1984 (not June 3rd, as that was a Sunday back then), that U.S. moviegoers first saw the ugly little spud attack, a terrifying dog running wild through Central Park, and a giant marshmallow man take a stroll down the streets of New York City. You have to wonder what those audiences thought when they first saw those spectacular sights and sounds that we Ghostbusters fans now take for granted. The shock, awe, and wonder they must have experienced had to have been amazing.

To help celebrate the momentous occasion, Spook Central has teamed up with the leading producers of Ghostbusters merchandise to give fans a plethora of prizes. Spook Central's Ghostbusters 25th Anniversary Prize Giveaway runs from now until June 22nd, which should be plenty of time for fans to submit their entry (one per person and/or e-mail address).

But that's not all as fans have double...nay, TRIPLE the chance to win something good.

Proton Charging's Ghostbusters 25th Anniversary Prize Giveaway will be running from June 16th through June 26th (the day after my birthday). All you have to do is head on over there, send him an e-mail with the proper subject line, and you're in. Nice and simple.

A little more involving is Ghostbusters Fans' Twitter Contest. For this contest, which runs from June 13th to July 1st, you need to (1) Follow @gbfans on Twitter, (2) Post this on your Twitter: Follow @gbfans for the Latest Ghostbusters News, Trivia, Quotes and More!, and (3) Participate in #ghostbustersfriday by posting your favorite GB quote with: #ghostbustersfriday @gbfans


Since we all can't go back in time to view it at the theater (the obvious back-in-time Land of the Lost pun in relation to that marquee pic up there was not intended), and in case it isn't showing on a big screen near you, I present to you two online viewing options.

• Entire Movie: Theatrical Version (1 hour 45 minutes)
• Entire Movie: TV Version (ABC Broadcast on Jan. 29, 1989 - with commercials, 2 hours)
   This broadcast is "edited for television" and contains all of the alternate footage.

Lots of new official websites have popped up recently. Here's the quick rundown of them.

New Site At Ghostbusters.com!!!
Sony finally just did something with the awesome Ghostbusters.com domain name. It now redirects to http://www.sonypictures.com/merchandise/ghostbusters/, which brings up an awesome new site that was just uploaded within the past hour. About two hours ago it was still File Not Found, and yesterday the domain pointed to the Blu-Ray placeholder page.

[UPDATE - Proton Charging, at virtually the same time as Spook Central, posted about this new site tonight - but with some additional information: As Sony explained to Proton Charging, they will continue to release materials [to Ghostbusters.com] every month for the foreseeable future. Sounds like we'll finally have an official site that won't be a forgotten relic from last century.]

I went through the site completely and it's really good...at first. All of the nice little interactives disguise the fact that there really isn't much there. There are five sections:

• Home Entertainment - The Blu-Ray trailer and links to buy it, the DVD gift set, and the UMD.

• Photos - 61 photos from GB1 and a few from GB2, mostly on-set, and most never-before-seen. This is the real highlight of the site.

• Consumer Products - All GB merchandise currently available. It's nice to have this all in one place.

• Message Board - Finally, an official Ghostbusters message board.

• Newsletter Registration - Just what you think it is.

As I said, the nice things are all of the interactives on the site. Clicking your mouse fires a proton stream, holding it down fires a better one. Hovering your mouse over certain areas does some neat things, and be sure to stay tuned for the RGB ghost cameo in the middle area walking down the alley away from the Shandor building.

Oh yeah, one more thing...hidden in the code on the main page is this text which most people probably won't see since they have the plugin already.




Ghostbusters Is Hiring
GhostbustersIsHiring.com (which redirects to http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/ghostbusters/splash/) is Sony's new site for the 25th Anniversary and Blu-Ray release coming in June. Visitors to the site will be greeted by Harold Ramis, who invites them to participate in a number of activities. The site features a contest that gives you a chance to win a trip to Comic Con 2010 and has a coupon for $5 off the Ghostbusters Blu-Ray. Ghostbusters fans can also submit photos and videos of themselves to become candidates to potentially get hired on as Ghostbusters and have your video appear on BD Live.

An e-mail promoting the new site just arrived in my inbox a few minutes ago. It included these links to some "never-before-seen footage" from the new Ghostbusters Blu-ray coming out on June 16th:
• Blu-Ray Trailer (1:22, 640x360, 13.4 Mb)
• Refurbishing Ecto-1 (2:01, 640x360, 19.4 Mb)
• Dan Aykroyd Meets the Refurbished Ecto-1 (2:08, 640x360, 20.6 Mb)

Video Game Official Twitter & Facebook Pages
The video game is now on Twitter and Facebook. The Facebook page has some new game pics that I've never seen elsewhere (and a few more that are variations of ones I have seen). Here are the new pics that I think are of interest:
• PC/PS3/X360 - Image #1, Image #2, Image #3, Image #4, Image #5, Image #6, Image #7, Image #8, Image #9.
• PS2/WII - Image #1, Image #2.
• DS - Image #1, Image #2.

With the release of the Wii Slime trailer a few weeks back, Has anyone else noticed that the car is "Ecto-1B" in the PC/PS2/X360 version and "Ecto-1" in the PS2/Wii version? And there's two different style license plates, too! That's just great. So if we take the new game as canon, which name do we use?

What appears below are some comparison shots from the Atari Live trailer (12/3/2008) on the left and the Opening Cinematic (4/24/2009) on the right (The first shot of Ilyssa and the guard on the left is from the 3/20/2009 Alyssa Milano trailer). We can see that many changes were made, just in these mere four and a half months. (As the thumbnails on the left have been cropped, please click on the thumbnails and compare the full-size images to each other.)

The game crew made a lot of great changes, as the new images look WAY better than the old ones. Especially well done is the shockwave cloud in the last image and the lighting on the Statue of Liberty on the left of the shockwave. One thing to note in the last two images (old and new) is the lack of the World Trade Center towers. The game takes place in 1991 so they should be there.

Somewhere out there where magazines are sold is the June 2009 issue of the Official Xbox Magazine (it has three different Aliens vs Predator covers featuring either an Alien, a Predator, or a Marine). I say "somewhere" because damn if I can find it. I checked all of the stores near to where I live that sell magazines - Pathmark supermarket, two CVS stores, a 7/11 convenience store, and a mom & pop convenience store - and none of them had it. Pathmark had OXM's special "Zombies" issue, but not the regular magazine. You know, I just don't understand why OXM doesn't sell individual and back issues on their website.

So, if like me, you can't find this magazine anywhere, you'll be happy to know that someone named Pbroy provided the photos below. They're not high-quality scans (which I'd love to have), but they'll get the job done in lieu of the real thing.