Majesco
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F-24: Stealth Fighter details emerge through the clouds
The details for Majesco's upcoming F-24: Stealth Fighter have finally been revealed. The game is to take place in the Middle East, where you, as a F-24 pilot for the US Forces must eliminate enemy forces and secure diplomacy in the area. The game is to feature 20 different missions with unique objectives and multiple targets, along with touch-screen controls. Also, the game is to feature 4 player wireless multiplayer, with no confirmation for Wi-Fi Connect compatibility announced. Any flight fans out there plan on hopping in the cockpit of this one?
Majesco bursts onto Wii with Bust-a-Move Bash!
If ever there was an appropriate time to usher in another Bust-a-Move sequel, it's now -- or rather, early next year.Killer app this is not, but Majesco's Bust-A-Move Bash! should be perfectly suited for Wii's motion-controlled simplicity. Toss in an 8-player every Bub n' Bob for itself mode -- we assume this means online compatibility -- and Blast has got the fixin's for a worthwhile diversion. Fingers crossed for a budget price.
Deal of the Day: Bust-A-Move Deluxe $10 at Circuit City
I've had a soft spot for the Bust-A-Move series ever since I fell in love with it on the Sega Saturn, so it really made my day when I saw that Circuit City is selling Bust-A-Move Deluxe for only $10.The deal is good in-store or at Circuitcity.com, however, it's currently showing out of stock on the website.Deluxe has a 73 percent Gamerankings score and includes new characters, a new Ghost mode and has more than 1,000 puzzles. I haven't had a chance to play it, but with this amazing deal, it's just too good to pass up.[Via Cheapassgamer - Registration required]
Psychonauts and Valve make steamy, Steam-y love
Last night, reading about RoboBlitz coming to Steam, we knew we weren't alone in wondering where our promised Psychonauts was. The BAFTA award winning (congrats, guys!) critics darling may not have been the belle of the retail ball, but she was always beautiful to us ... and now, Steam subscribers everywhere can take her out dancing for the digitally distributed price of $19.99 starting tonight!If you're hearing the sweet, sweet sound of romance in the air, you may wanna turn down the Barry White and listen up, cause Psychonauts developer Tim Schafer has something he wants to say you ... and only you ... in his low, deep, gravelly baritone:"So for the press release. uh. man, it's tough because every single 'steam' related play on words has already been done," said Schafer. "Double Fine and Valve: With a love this hot, you know there's gotta be STEAM! How about that?"Ooooh! We like that, and we know you do as well, dear reader. Just when you thought we'd already beaten that equine to death, sawed its head off, and tucked it gently into Doug Lombardi's comfy bed, here comes the ever dependable Schafer, pitching in with one. final. sawing. thrust! Phew!That's hawt. The comic Psychonauts art director Scott Campbell made commemorating the tryst is even hawter.
Majesco plays it COOL with Wii support
Amidst their not-as-dismal-as-last-year's Q3 earnings report, Edison, NJ-based Majesco announced their intentions to support Nintendo's Wii console, which they consider in line with their revamped strategy to give up the glitz and glamor of AAA titles in favor of budget software publishing. Following last year's Q3 loss of $37.5mln, this Q3's net loss of $724,000 barely registers on the meter. So the question Majesco has to answer is, if people won't buy Advent Rising or Psychonauts, what will they buy? How about Bust-a-Move Revolution, an update of the popular bubble popping series coming to the Wii early 2007. They've been buying it for years, what's to stop them for doing so again (now with more bubbles!)How's their revised strategy working out thus far? In his analysis of Majesco's earnings report, Wedbush Morgan Securities' Michael Pachter writes, "Although the results posted the last three quarters show significant progress, Majesco still is short of cash and may face an uphill battle in its return to profitability. We believe that there is potential for further improvement in revenues, and should the company be able to maintain its current cost structure, we believe it is possible that it will return to profitability sometime next year." Just so long as they don't release any more JAWS Unleashed games. We don't care if it did experience stronger than expected sales.The Majesco affair: Majesco on ropes, investor threatens hostile takeover Majesco sells off The Darkness and Ghost Rider licenses Majesco cancels Taxi Driver and Demonik; moves to only sell budget and handheld games in the future More on Majesco's fall from grace Majesco may not go belly up after all!
Deal of the day: Infected for $10 at Circuit City
Call me what you will, but I'm a huge Majesco freak. The company released some amazing games on the Xbox, namely Advent Rising and Phantom Dust. Well, the company has recently fallen on hard times and has shifted focus to publishing value and handheld software.And now you can get one of Majesco's first PSP games, Infected, for only $10 at Circuit City. The game has scored a 75 at Metacritic, which ain't too shabby.Hurry up because this game will most likely sell out quick!(Via Cheapassgamer - Registration required)
Nanostray gets the sequel treatment
Nanostray, a title that received mixed reviews, is seeing a sequel release. Announcing development has already started on the title, Shin'en Multimedia let the cat out of the bag on some of the features in the upcoming game. Nanostray 2 is to feature touch-screen controls this time around, as well as "Wi-Fi functions over the internet." We're assuming it'll support Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection service, however this is not exactly said in the article. Score!The official site for the game can be found here, however it lacks any kind of content at the moment. This is to be corrected in the next few weeks as further information on the title surfaces.
Sadness details that are not exclusive in any way
IGN's banner headline: "We bring you exclusive new details on the psychological-horror title." We're appreciative and all, but now we're just gonna take those exclusive details and steal them. You should certainly check out the original article if you're interested in hearing a bit of sample music from the game.NIBRIS has, thankfully, acquired a publisher for their work. Rumored to be either Atlus or Majesco, this mystery group is quite unwillingly to allow the Sadness team to unveil any in-game screenshots. You'll remember that the game is in all black and white...a gutsy stylistic choice. We like it. Now, NIBRIS is confirming that the game will have no HUD (heads-up display) to mar the cinematic quality of the game. This worked quite well for the PS2 masterpiece Shadow of the Colossus, and we applaud the decision.Also of note is that NIBRIS is essentially oursourcing the graphics engine and programming to well-known companies: Frontline Studios for the code, and Digital Amigos for the engine. These are experienced sources, and so hopefully some veteran shine will come through on what is otherwise a very "indie" game.The team seems very committed to bringing a truly frightening and intuitive experience. Novelists and psychologists have been consulted for the game script, and the designers promise us the ability to interact with the environment in ways only made possible with the Wii controller. There is a downside, however...we're going to have to wait. Sadness isn't touching our consoles until Q4 2007...at the earliest.
DDR Disney Mix, no console required
Looking to get down with The Mouse without visiting the Magic Kingdom? Konami, Buena Vista Games, and Majesco will be partnering to produce a Plug 'N' Play version of Dance Dance Revolution Disney Mix. The game plugs directly into TVs and includes a custom Disney dance pad. DDR Disney was originally released for the PlayStation back in 2001 to average reviews, but console-free technologies have been giving older games second lives. How many Plug 'N' Play titles do you own?
Nacho Libre coming to the DS
Truly, on this day we are blessed. Jack Black's cook-turned-wrestler Nacho Libre will be coming to the Nintendo DS, courtesy of Majesco Entertainment. Now, yes, we all know the general quality of movie-to-game adaptations. But look at that man in the picture. Look at him. Is this game not a gift? According to the press release, the title will play as a fairly standard wrestling game, with a few touch screen bonuses thrown in for good measure. But it has Nacho. Surely, it shall be wonderful.The movie itself opens on June 16th, and will surely leave you with a wanton desire to perform a full nelson while wearing spandex and a cape. If you don't own a cape, however, you can always grab your DS.
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Cooking Mama joins Majesco's E3 roster
Do cooking games have any place in the North American market? Majesco seems to think so. The publisher is taking a gamble on Office Create's Cooking Mama, a mini-game-based niche title, previously available in Japan only - yes, we suppose some Japanophiles did go the import route. But will gaijin dig a perfectly batter-dipped and deep fried tray of shrimp tempura? They best swap in some of Colonel Sanders' finest birds to move units on these shores. Read GameBrink's import review.
Dinosaurs battle it out on the DS
Majesco's Dino Master charges players with playing God, much like the way John Hammond did when creating his Jurassic Park. Upon digging for, and finding, dinosaur fossils, the player will use them to clone a certifiable cornucopia of carnivorous and omnivorous beasts and, like any other person who would manage to accomplish a feat often dreamed of in Sci-Fi films, pit them in combat to the death. The game will feature over 100 real species of dinosaur, multiplayer for up to 2 players via wireless link-up, and over 35 fighting techniques to discover.[Thanks Sense!]
Majesco may not go belly up after all!
There's still a chance Majesco might run out of money in the near future, but the New Jersey-based company's latest financial results are providing investors with some hope that a turnaround might be in the works, according to a research report by Wedbush Morgan Securities analysts Michael Pachter and Edward Woo. The company made more money than anybody expected in the latest quarter. They also managed to keep their costs low and have decided to focus on lower-budget console and handheld titles. How does a game developer on the rocks keep costs low? By firing the QA staff, of course! The company notes in its latest financial statement that lower R&D costs are "principally attributable to lower quality assurance employee costs as a result of the fewer number of premium game projects currently in the development cycle." Pachter and Woo (who maintain a "sell" rating on the company's stock) write, "Although we are still unable to paint a rosy picture about Majesco’s prospects, we think that the shift in strategy is the right decision, and note that the company has begun to show signs of improvement." [Post screenshot comes from recent Majesco title Aeon Flux for the Xbox and PS2]
More on Majesco's fall from grace
CNN are featuring a look at publisher Majesco's problems, after the company's decision last week to withdraw from the premium console market. It's a sad tale of ambition backfiring and promising titles failing to live up to expectations, with a very real impact on the company's revenue and stock.The CNN article points out that Midway, Atari and Acclaim have all been to the brink of bankruptcy and back, Majesco may still make it through. The company's move towards budget and handheld titles, as well as emerging markets such as casual and downloadable games, seems a wise one--we may even see another Psychonauts in amongst the budget bin.[Thanks, Ashcrotch]
Interested in some Phantom Dust skills?
All you'll need is some cold hard cash. That's right, DBLDN has decided to hang it up, and is offering to sell his sweet labor. I'm no expert, but 41 Rare Skills sounds special and 1,200 wins is just plain silly. You've got just under a week to bid, or you could buy the package outright for $45.00-that's more than twice the cost of the game, by the way. In DBLDN's own words: "Thanks for reading and good luck bidding!" [Aside: We could be seeing a lot more of this kind of thing in the upcoming Xbox Live marketplace-under the guidance of Microsoft, of course.... Think they'll care about this little transaction?]
Is Phantom Dust the Xbox import to own?
It's no secret that the Xbox has been a commercial failure in Japan; in fact, in some circles it's a running joke. So when Microsoft announced it was developing a first-party title exclusive to Japan, a lot of people scratched their heads. Why? There hasn't been a lot of incentive to get into the Xbox import business, and chances are most of you haven't pursued Japanese compatibility. So while Phantom Dust is probably worth importing, it's probably not worth prepping your Xbox for. Maybe if we fuss and wine enough Microsoft will send it stateside (and to Europe) before the launch of the next-gen Xbox-the game's already in English, you know. Then again, who really believes that will happen? Phantom Dust will ultimately become the best Xbox game you'll never play. Oh well... UPDATE: Everyone makes mistakes. And apparently, some of us pay for them. Phantom Dust is available for $19.99 in the US at this very moment. Think you could cut us a little more slack next time, rigmasher? Sheesh!
GameTab warns of an expensive week
GameTab has a thorough list of this week's releases, and it's a doozy. At long last. The last few weeks (since the holidays, really) have been quiet, volume-wise. But for the next seven days we'll be struggling over the following. This is just a taste, too. PC Brothers In Arms: Road to Hill 30 Act of War: Direct Action Project: Snowblind PS2 Musashi Samurai Legend Worms Forts: Under Siege Xbox Phantom Dust Gamecube Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 GBA Rayman: Hoodlums' Revenge DS (three, count em, THREE titles!) Yoshi's Touch & Go Pokemon Dash Retro Atari Classics And ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome the latest device to the weekly grind...the Playstation Portable. PSP Need for Speed Underground Rivals Spider-Man 2 Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Remix Twisted Metal: Head-On Wipeout Pure Dynasty Warriors Darkstalkers Chronicle Again, go to GameTab for the complete list. Nice stuff. Which ones are you getting? I'm certainly getting Yoshi's Touch & Go, Twisted Metal and Spider-Man 2. All handheld titles. What could this mean? [Thanks Reed!]
Phantom Dust gets ready for a Stateside bow
Phantom Dust was meant to be an Xbox Live! staple title. But after a review by Microsoft, the plan changed. The Japanese-developed game ended up on Microsoft's Japan-only product list after the suits decided the game should stay out of America. The result of this decision, of course, sent shockwaves through the developer and made life tough for awhile. While the game is doing okay in Japan, the company would like to see it get a shot at the US. Thanks to Majesco, it looks like they'll get their wish. 1up's piece is an excellent study of the developer, the development process and the game. Good job, guys and gals (minus the automatic clip streaming, which is bad form).
