Last night we broke a story that has since become the talk of the town: Ghostbusters has become a timed PlayStation exclusive in PAL territories, with the other versions listed as Spring 09 (a date no doubt pending on when the delayed PSP version gets released). I was standing right beside the local Sony representative when the call arrived from her US office with the news, which was then relayed to the assembled journalists – who had gathered in Sydney, originally, to be told this information – and I got to admit to a healthy dose of shock. At the time I just got the information out to our resident news guru Mr. Lawrence who went on to tell the planet. As more information has developed over the last 12 hours that shock has turned to rage then subdued into quiet resentment.

To put it as eloquently as my current levels of frustration will allow, this is fucked! I know the Sony fanboys will want me to dance the jig and glorify this ‘fantastic news’, but I am writing here as what I am: a gamer. So let me explain the roots of my frustration.

Who benefits from this move? It would appear that Sony – whether it is through old mate Phil Harrison, or simply some upfront coin – has stepped in and, just over a month out from the release of a Ghostbusters game three years in the coming, has told the PAL audiences of four formats to wait until some undefined time in the future to play. We’ve done some quick maths and, not including the potentially limitless PC market, that is approximately 64 million gamers who’ve just been slimed.

Read the rest at http://gameplayer.com.au/gp_documents/SonyMiddleFinger.aspx