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PopCap loses another $2.7m to MumboJumbo
[Image credit: bloomsberries] Despite PopCap's claim to appeal the original ruling of the lawsuit between it and MumboJumbo, a judge has awarded another $2.7 million to MumboJumbo citing "legal fees," according to Develop. 193rd Civil District Court Judge Carl Ginsberg ruled earlier this week that PopCap would be burdened with the amount (which includes $525,000 in "post-verdict appeals"), making the total sum that MumboJumbo receives $7.3 million. The case originally derived from an alleged breach of contract on PopCap's part regarding the right to sell its own games in North America -- in so many words, the lawsuit found that PopCap had illegally broken an agreement with MumboJumbo and sold/marketed said games in NA (those monsters!). That said, the agreement was for MumboJumbo to handle that sales/marketing, thus making PopCap in breach of contract in doing so. Sound confusing? It's business, folks. We're right there with you.
MumboJumbo wins $4.6 million in lawsuit against PopCap, PopCap appealing verdict
[Image credit: bloomsberries] In a recent legal battle fought in the Dallas courts, casual game publisher MumboJumbo was awarded $4.6 million in "damages" from ... casual game publisher PopCap Games? Really! According to a press release announcing MumboJumbo's win, the two companies entered into a publishing agreement in 2006 "whereby MumboJumbo would produce, distribute and sell certain PopCap games in North America." Following the trial, a Dallas jury "agreed that PopCap breached the contract when it went behind MumboJumbo's back and decided to market and sell its games on its own." When we contacted PopCap for comment, a representative told us: "PopCap continues to believe that it did nothing wrong in this case, and will vigorously pursue its claims and defend itself through the appeals process." That said, given the basis of the jury's verdict (again, according the MumboJumbo's press release) is allegedly based on "PopCap's own internal e-mail messages, which showed the company employed a calculated use of false and misleading statements," we're not exactly sure how well the appeals process will go.
Braid PC getting boxed retail release through MumboJumbo
Casual PC game retailer MumboJumbo games recently announced a partnership with Number None to distribute puzzle-platformer Braid to retailers. No specific date has been given for the game's arrival at retail, but we do know it'll have a $19.99 MSRP and will be available at "Walmart, Target, Best Buy, GameStop, Amazon.com, Fry's, and a number of regional retailers as well." A representative from MumboJumbo also told us that the game has shipped and should be on retailer shelves "by February 1." We're not exactly sure how a $20 release of Braid with a cardboard box is going to compete with the (at very least) less tactile and often cheaper digital equivalent, but we suppose it can't help to get the game into more markets. Now Target and Walmart game shoppers can be just as confused by its story! Oh we're just joshin' -- we kid because we love, ya know. %Gallery-5074% [Via CasualGaming.biz]
StoneLoops! pulled from App Store
StoneLoops! of Jurassica is one of those iPhone gems that everyone needed to try. It was a beautiful port of an existing desktop game and one of the cases where the iPhone version blew its desktop sibling out of the water regarding graphics and playability. That's why, with a genuine cry of dismay, I read the very sad news from Maciej Biedrzycki, co-founder of Codeminion Development Studios, that StoneLoops! was pulled from the App Store today thanks to complaints from MumboJumbo, creators of rival game Luxor. Charges levied against Codeminion include copyright infringement, "confusing customers," stealing the look and feel of Luxor and their source code. One of the most ironic facts? Codeminion offered StoneLoops! to MumboJumbo initially. The company declined to pick up the game and did not cite any sort of copyright infringement then. In addition, the original StoneLoops! desktop game was released three years after the first Luxor game to little fanfare. However, when it came to the iPhone port, StoneLoops! was several months ahead of Luxor. It was enjoying immense popularity when Luxor finally debuted in the App Store in late August. It was only then that MumboJumbo launched its complaint against Codeminion. Yes, both StoneLoops! and Luxor have similar formats, bonuses and goals, but so does Zuma from PopCap Games. One imagines what would happen to time-management games if PlayFirst decided to go after every Diner Dash clone, for example. There is room for both games on the App Store, and I hope Apple reconsiders its decision. If not, PopCap better gear up for a battle against MumboJumbo should it decide to port Zuma to the iPhone. Thanks for the tip, dubbs! [Via AppAdvice]
Gaming to Go: Super Collapse! 3
With so many titles currently available for Nintendo's popular portable, a number of gems are all but guaranteed to be overlooked by the millions of players struggling through the DS's large library of games. Sometimes those unknown titles are examples of portable gaming at its finest, utilizing the stylus and touchscreen in ways both clever and fun. Sometimes they're not. Super Collapse! 3 toes the thick line between those two extremities, representing a puzzle game that's neither amazing or awful. It's simply good, through and through, a title largely unknown that can still be plenty of fun if you're willing to give it a go. The Collapse! series of puzzle games has been around since 1999, though Super Collapse! 3 is the first title in the lineup to make the jump to the DS. Reviews generally suggest this incarnation does little to improve or mix up the basic gameplay of the series, though that's perfectly fine if you've never given the games a spin. I hadn't even heard of Collapse! until about a week ago, but what I've played since has been a pretty solid amount of fun, so why not come along with this week's edition of Gaming to Go and see if you might enjoy it too? #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } NEXT >> %Gallery-33720%
Coming to Xbox Live Arcade: The Office?
You might have read over at Joystiq that MumboJumbo is working on a video game based on NBC's The Office. The game is set to feature the characters from the show depicted as bobblehead dolls. Players will be challenged to complete jobs and pull pranks around the office. Currently, the game is slated to appear on the DS, PSP, and PC. According to Variety, the game won't be developed for new-gen consoles because of its relative simplicity. XBLArcade begs to differ, noting that MumboJumbo's deal includes the option to create the title for Xbox Live Arcade.MumboJumbo recently released Luxor 2 on XBLA, so they definitely have experience with the platform. Whether or not The Office will actually make an appearance on Live Arcade remains only a rumor at this point.Now, if we could just get The Office to make an appearance on Video Marketplace, we'd really be getting somewhere.
The Office video game sounds easy: "That's what she said."
MumboJumbo, maker of "premium casual games" will soon be adding Michael Scott and his underlings to their roster as they develop a video game based on the NBC hit comedy The Office. According to the story in Variety, the player will have to "handle jobs and pull pranks" at Dunder-Mifflin, featuring the cast as bobblehead dolls. According to MumboJumbo VP Mike Suarez, "Because of its simplicity and low cost, "The Office" videogame won't be available for high-powered consoles like the Wii, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360." High-powered like the Wii, hee hee!The game will be on the Nintendo DS, Sony's PSP, and downloadable on PCs via the net sometime this Fall.
Mumbo Jumbo covertly releases new casual game
Have you heard of 7 Wonders? No? Neither did we. Mumbo Jumbo, publisher of fine games such as Platypus, is secretly releasing the game this week. Strange, considering we haven't seen or heard a single tidbit about it. Should we worry? Probably. There's something fishy when a game gets as little attention as this one.There is a playable demo for PC users to get a taste of this Bejeweled clone. However, with most everyone bonkers over Puzzle Quest, will 7 Wonders stand out? Most likely not.[Via IGN]
Luxor 2 gives XBLA more balls
Luxor 2 is now available for Xbox Live Arcade. Essentially, the game rests somewhere between Zuma and Breakout. You control a horizontally moving paddle that shoots multicolored balls towards the other multicolored balls. Match up three of the same color and guess what happens. That's right, they disappear. It's your job to destroy all of them before these malicious balls have their way with your pyramid. The trial version gives players a healthy chunk of Luxor 2's gameplay and should give prospective buyers a good idea of the game's appeal. For puzzler fans out there, it's pretty much a no-brainer. It plays well, has interesting power-ups, and poses a decent challenge -- a challenge that we imagine gets much harder in later levels.If you've made it your life's work to destroy scores of evil balls (and who hasn't?), Luxor 2 can be yours for the price of 800 MS Points.
Luxor 2 brings Egyptian marbles to XBLA
Xbox Live Arcade's unprecedented string of releases continues this week with the arrival of Luxor 2 from MumboJumbo. Xbox Live Arcade isn't short on puzzle games involving marbles. We've already got Marble Blast Ultra and Zuma. Luxor 2 opts for the traditional color matching of Zuma with an Egyptian twist. In addition to the scenery change, Luxor 2 features a horizontally scrolling cannon of sorts (akin to Astro Pop), rather than the 360 degree cannon found in Zuma. Rather than explain the object ourselves, we'll just give you the delightfully absurd description in the official press release: players advance by "shooting and destroying the magical balls that threaten the pyramids at the end of their paths." Enough said, right? The game will be available this Wednesday for the sum of 800 MS Points. You can grab a PC demo of Luxor 2 here.Full press release after the break.
Ritual not done with SIN just yet
When developer Ritual was acquired by casual games producer MumboJumbo, we figured that SIN Episodes had gone the way of the Mexican landfill. It turns out that it may just be taking a seat next to Duke Nukem on the bench of the infinitely postponed. Fielding questions from fansite Ritualistic, Ritual co-founder Richard "Levelord" Gray reveals that while the initial episode performed decently at retail (150,000 units in sales), it wasn't enough to fully fund a second. Development on the follow-up episode was already underway but came to a halt as the well ran dry.Gray goes on to say that Ritual is still interested in returning to SIN at some point in time and that perhaps MumboJumbo's casual outlook will play a part in it.
Ritual acquired by MumboJumbo, absolved from SiN
It was announced today that Ritual Entertainment has been acquired by purveyor of casual games, MumboJumbo. The latter company describes the move as "consistent with our strategy to bring high-quality casual game content to the major platforms," citing Ritual's multi-platform development experience as a key advantage in creating a "major industry powerhouse." Interestingly, Ron Dimant started up MumboJumbo only after departing his CEO position at Ritual Entertainment in 2001.GameDaily BIZ delves into some of the repercussions of the purchase, the most obvious of which is Ritual's shift to creating casual and seemingly SiN-free titles. "If there's an opportunity to have them do something on the SiN episodes, we would look at that, but that will not be the focus of the company," explains Mark Cottam, CEO of MumboJumbo. "The combined companies will focus exclusively on casual, unless opportunities present themselves that we think are strategic from a business standpoint." Considering the muted reaction generated by the first (and apparently final) installment of SiN Episodes, continuing the franchise would likely not be considered "strategic" in the slightest. [Thanks Serban.]
Rumor: XBLA to get Eets and Luxor 2 [update 1]
XBLArcade brings us two juicy rumors today. The first is that Klei's Eets is headed to Xbox Live Arcade. According to an entry from the USK (essentially the German version of the ESRB), a 360 game called EETs Chowdown (in the "Arcade" genre) has been rated appropriate for all ages. Naturally, the speculation here is that Eets must exist in order to be rated. Not ironclad proof that the game is headed for the Arcade, but it's a significant marker to be sure. You can check out an Eets demo here.The second rumor is that MumboJumbo's Luxor 2 is also headed to the arcade. Luxor 2 (play the demo here) is something like a combination between Breakout and Zuma, in which players match different colored balls as they come tumbling toward the bottom of the screen. The rumor stems from a rating found on the ESRB website. To see it yourself, search for Luxor 2 and restrict the platforms to the Xbox 360. Granted, we have no confirmation on either of these titles, but with review code out there somewhere, signs definitely point to yes. Good news, especially for those of us crying for some non-action Arcade titles.Update: Klei is responsible for Eets. NinjaBee is only a distributor.
PSP Fanboy review: Platypus
The shooter genre is easily one of my favorites: classics like Ikaruga and Gunstar Heroes, demonstrate how much fun it is to blow up lots of stuff with rapid-fire lasers. The aforementioned games have brilliant simple controls, utilizing just two buttons, but they feature great gameplay mechanics that challenge the gamer considerably. Platypus, however, features none of these attributes.You know you have to be a little suspicious when the promotional quotes on the packaging don't actually praise the game. Unlike Ikaruga's notorious "frothing" quote, Platypus' box notes that its "graphics are made entirely of clay." Huh? Yes, that's true. But does that say it's good? (No, it doesn't!)
Platypus game creator exploited, ignored
The popular mass-market game Platypus apparently has a long history of scandal. The original was created by the work of indie game developer Anthony Flack. Licensing company Idigicon seemingly exploited Flack's inexperience in the world of game publishing, and purchased all the rights to the game for chump change.Now, publisher MumboJumbo returns with a remake/sequel of sorts for the PSP, and it appears that Anthony Flack has been completely ignored, even in the credits, although the game reuses many of the same gameplay mechanics and assets of the original PC game. He stated in the Indiegamer forum, "I thought I was through with this game making me feel bad, but to see a whole bunch of people listed in the credits but not me, the actual creator, just feels like a deliberate attempt to hurt me. And it does. Why would they do that? It's not like listing my name in the credits would have cost anybody anything."[Via GameSetWatch]
