# Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered

> ResidualPlay case file: an overlooked Steam game still earning residual revenue. Estimates carry a ±30-50% error range per title.

- Steam appid: 1449280
- Developer: Saber Interactive
- Publisher: Mad Dog Games, LLC
- Released: 2020 · Genre: Action · List price: $24.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $3.2k to $4.8k per month (mid $4.0k)
- Opportunity score: $8.4k/month at x2.10 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 60.8k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $326.8k
- Review sentiment: 91% positive across 2558 reviews (2028 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 29.7 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- No developer announcement on record, ever
- Studio active elsewhere (11 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 5.9 years ago

## Where a gross dollar goes (monthly, at current velocity)

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $7.2k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $6.3k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $5.7k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $4.0k |

## Monthly review counts, oldest to newest (24 months)

19, 19, 39, 24, 24, 19, 21, 26, 45, 19, 33, 22, 25, 30, 27, 27, 26, 26, 21, 43, 29, 27, 34, 24

## Estimated acquisition range

$95.6k to $191.2k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $47.8k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A 2020 remaster of Saber Interactive's beloved 2009 Ghostbusters third-person action game, featuring the original film cast and comedic ghost-busting mechanics.

The remaster sits in a rare sweet spot: 90.5% positive reviews, $3,983.87/mo residual revenue on a $24.99 asking price (currently 80% discounted), and 60,840 lifetime copies at $326k net lifetime. The licensed IP carries publisher risk, but the game's cult status among franchise fans and strong community retention (29.7 reviews/mo average) suggest sustainable evergreen appeal if pricing and promotional strategy align with its perceived value. Most viable as a publishing partnership to optimize pricing and seasonal campaigns rather than outright acquisition.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Licensed IP: the game is built on third-party intellectual property
- Risk (licensed_ip): IP rights held by Sony Pictures Entertainment (Ghostbusters film franchise); any long-term publishing or monetization strategy requires rightholder consent and likely revenue share.
- Risk (market): 80% current discount suggests price elasticity pressure (-1 coefficient); players expect sub-$10 entry despite $24.99 MSRP, risking margin compression.
- Risk (tech): Player reports of ghost-spawn bugs and checkpoint resets indicate ongoing technical debt; 70-month build age may compound compatibility risk across OS updates.

What players are asking for:
- Bug fixes for ghost-spawn failures and checkpoint crashes
- Clearer tuning of ghost-catching and revive mechanics to reduce mid-game friction
- Seasonal cosmetics or new ghost variety packs to sustain engagement beyond first playthrough

Suggested first moves:
1. Negotiate publisher amendment with Sony to test seasonal pricing tiers ($7.99 off-season, $12.99 at Q4 franchise events) and measure elasticity; current 80% discount floor suggests $9.99-$14.99 is the acceptance band.
2. Commission Saber for a 4-6 week patch cycle targeting top three bugs (ghost-spawn, checkpoint reliability, revive UX) and release as a free update with press mention; retention and review velocity often spike post-patch.
3. Develop a lightweight cosmetic roadmap (alternate Ghostbuster skins, trap/pack variants) to justify seasonal re-engagement campaigns without major IP expansion; test viability before committing to DLC infrastructure.

Generated 2026-08-20 from public signals and player reviews. Directional, not diligence.

## Methodology

Units are estimated from Steam-purchase reviews times a release-cohort multiplier (Boxleiter method, 20-75x by year). Revenue uses an effective price (lifetime discounts and regional pricing) and nets out VAT (~13%), refunds (~9.5%) and Steam's 30% cut: roughly 55% of gross reaches the developer.

Source: https://residualplay.com/game/1449280
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.