Atari sliming Ghostbusters?

What we heard: Though the original Ghostbusters was a lighthearted comedy, the story behind its latest game adaptation has the makings of an epic saga. Videos leaked in early 2007 revealed that Slovenian studio Zootfly was developing a slick-looking Xbox 360 adaptation of the game, despite not having yet obtained the license. The following month, Canadian-born comedian Dan Akroyd told the Edmonton Sun he would reprise his role from the film in a Universal Pictures-backed project.

After nine months of silence, Vivendi Games label Sierra Entertainment officially announced that a Ghostbusters game was indeed in the works, although by an entirely different studio. BloodRayne-spiller Terminal Reality would develop the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC editions of the game, and Mushroom Men-grower Red Fly Studios would craft the PlayStation 2, Wii, and DS iterations.

Besides Akroyd, film cast members Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Brian Doyle Murray, William Atherton, and Bill Murray would all reprise their roles from the 1984 film. Also returning would be Ghostbusters star and coscreenwriter Harold Ramis, who would write the story for the new game-- billed as the "third movie" in the series.

For the better part of a year, the hype for Ghostbusters: The Game steadily built, with a series of previews and high-profile media coverage. Then, two weeks after an appearance in playable form at E3 2008 in July, the game got into a situation stickier than the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. Activision, which subsumed Sierra after Activision Blizzard, dropped the project from its publishing lineup, along with Brutal Legend and 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand.

Now, shortly following reports of Blood on the Sand's being adopted by THQ, reports have surfaced that Ghostbusters may have also found a home. According to a tip sent into gaming blog Kotaku, Akroyd appeared on Dallas radio station 105.3 KLLI Tuesday morning and dropped some details about Ghostbusters: The Game: The Status Of. According to the tipster, the Saturday Night Live alumnus and former Doctor Detroit confirmed rumors that Atari had picked up the game, which was "more than a year away."

The official story: Representatives for the recently Infogrames-assimilated publisher declined to comment.

Bogus or not bogus?: Likely not bogus. The evidence chain is thin since the interview is not archived on the station's site. However, since Akroyd revealed the official Ghostbusters game in the first place, his record for jumping the PR gun has been established. Besides, why would Atari pass up such a golden opportunity?