All of the international non-PlayStation-owning Ghostbusters fans have my sympathies as we continue to watch Atari collapse outside of North America.  Kotaku sums up a MCVUK article in which plans to pick the meat from the company's bones are outlined.  If you're angling to play Ghostbusters: The Video Game on a Microsoft Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii / DS in Europe, you'll have to get your fix from a new outfit called Distribution Partners which, frankly, sounds like a company name just a few steps removed from Universal Worldwide International Consolidated Regional Industries Limited, Inc.

Hoping to beefed up its business resume, Distribution Partners is handling all Namco Bandai releases in Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Last March, Namco Bandai picked up a 34 percent stake in Atari Europe and is expected to acquire the remaining 66 percent from Atari parent Infogrames. Atari in America is still alive and plans to become an online-centric content producer. Even though Atari Europe is no more, Atari will have a UK branch in a London studio opened last September and headed up by former SingStar director Paulina Bozek. Distribution Partners will be handling Atari title Ghostbusters on non-PS3 formats in regions outside the US.

So now Atari's American branch is transitioning into a online-only provider?  The Atari brand just continues to devolve.  It started as a console producer, then went to producing just software on cartridges & discs, and now it's moving to only publishing digital content.  What's the next step down from there?  Freebie web browser games?  E-mail chain letters that promise happiness if you forward them to ten friends before midnight?