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Permanent bite taken out of Bloodrayne: Betrayal's price
Bloodrayne: Betrayal, a game we liked quite a bit, has received a permanent price drop on both Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. The price has been lowered from $15 to a more palatable $10, allowing players to see more red for less green. Get it? Because, you know, vampires.
Zumba Fitness Rush sweats Kinect Feb. 13
The hit Zumba Fitness franchise is working out another installment next month with Zumba Fitness Rush. The game is exclusively for Xbox 360's Kinect and features "the most content of any Zumba Fitness game to date." "This high-quality experience built for Kinect for Xbox 360 offers a wealth of exclusive content to fans, and then delivers even more post launch with multiple game add-on packs," Majesco CEO Jesse Sutton said. "The February 13 launch of Rush is the company's largest integrated marketing program to date, and we are thrilled to have Microsoft's support around the world to bring this exceptional product to market." Rush already has two DLC packs slated, with a three-song Bollywood pack for May and another triple-pack of hip-hop songs for September. The packs will be 400 MSP ($5) apiece. The Zumba Fitness franchise has surpassed 6 million units to date and is currently the backbone of Majesco's financial scoliosis.
Zumba Fitness franchise sells 6M units, Majesco profits
Majesco continues to stave off oblivion, getting lucky with Cooking Mama a couple years back and now living off the sweat equity of Zumba Fitness. The company announced the Zumba Fitness franchise has sold more than 6 million units worldwide, with Zumba Fitness 2 surpassing 1 million sales. "In 2011, we experienced the successful launch of a brand new franchise for Majesco; Zumba Fitness has quickly become the fastest selling title in the company's history and the world's number one fitness title of 2011," Majesco CEO Jesse Sutton said. "We grew revenues over 65 percent in 2011 ... Zumba Fitness has taken the fitness category by storm, selling over four million units worldwide in its first 12 months, and topping the charts as the number one fitness title of the year in the US and UK." For the fourth quarter, ending October 31, 2011, Majesco experienced a net loss of $3.9 million, versus a loss of $1.5 million in 2010. For the year, however, Majesco's revenue increased 66 percent to $125.3 million, ending with an operating income of $11.4 million, compared to the $2.1 million loss the prior year. Majesco could always combine its top franchises for mega profits: Cooking Mama's Zumba Fitness: Work Out & Eat Well.
Nano Assault trailer is not for the germaphobic
Next month's 3DS shooter, Nano Assault, doesn't need Clorox disinfectant wipes to kill germs. It's far more efficient to get miniaturized for innerspace incursion and blast every cell that dares glance crazy-eyes in the joint.
The Hidden media reminds us that we're not alone
You must be so content in your quiet, oblivious state of ignorant obliviousness. You probably think that you're all alone right now, don't you? You've carved out a tiny bit of solitude from the hurried, bustling activity of the modern world, just long enough to read a website about video-games, when little do you realize that you're sitting on a ghost right this very second. See, human beings are constantly surrounded by the tormented souls of our loved ones, as these new screens and trailer for The Hidden are so quick to remind us. Now, it's possible that these are actually squishy cartoon ghosts, rather than the eternally damned apparitions of our tortured ancestors, but we can never really be sure.%Gallery-137137%
Majesco earns slight profit in quarter thanks to Zumba Fitness
Majesco sweated its way to a profit of $1.9 million for the third quarter ending July 31, 2011, with company execs thanking their lucky stars for the Zumba Fitness phenomenon. The company had revenues of $19.5 million, up 61% from the same time last year. The real sign of Zumba Fitness' magic is that for the nine months ended July 31, Majesco had revenues of $100.2 million, up 92 percent (nearly double), from the same period the prior year. "Despite what is normally a seasonally weak time for our business, Majesco experienced another strong quarter. Driven by strength in Europe this past quarter, Zumba Fitness has now sold over 3 million units worldwide," CEO Jesse Sutton said. "The growth of the Zumba phenomenon overall has us very excited about Zumba Fitness 2." Yeah, we bet it does.
BloodRayne Betrayal review: Re-animated
WayForward's BloodRayne: Betrayal doesn't just succeed as a game despite the baggage of the moribund BloodRayne license. WayForward took the franchise fully into "campy" mode, turning the characters and settings into something you're clearly not supposed to take seriously, presented in an incredibly sharp hand-drawn cartoon style. Rayne herself is even kind of uncharacteristically cute. That presentation is married to a combo-heavy brawler that you must take seriously at all times, at the risk of oft-repeated death. Just surviving the game requires near mastery of Rayne's repertoire; to actually earn a grade higher than "F" in the game's score-based rating system requires ... well, I still have to figure that out.
Majesco gets Twister license, Kinect-enabled version coming in November
Even though there's already a Twister game included in Family Game Night 3 -- and even though the only equipment you need for Twister is, essentially, a table cloth -- Majesco has announced plans to release its own take on the classic game of humiliating entanglements this November. The, yes, twist here is that unlike the previous version (which reimagined Twister as a rhythm game), this Twister game uses the Kinect sensor to allow you to gesticulate and pretzel yourself up for real. It'll include 16 different modes, including one that has players dodging shapes for some reason.
BloodRayne Betrayal bumped up to September 7 on XBLA
A few weeks ago, Majesco told us that the XBLA release of BloodRayne: Betrayal had been pushed back to October 6. However, we've heard a new date from someone who ought to know: Rayne herself. The heroic dhampir (or perhaps a PR person under her name) tweeted that the game will be out on XBLA September 7, just one day after the PSN release. That's great news for XBLA users looking to blow up some fancy vampires with poisonous bites. It's slightly less great news for the PSN Play promotion, which loses the closest thing it had to a timed exclusive. You still get extra "gifts" with the PSN Play pre-order, though. [Thanks, sacra.]
New Bloodrayne: Betrayal screens feature improbable weapons
We've seen quite a few lovingly illustrated environments in screens and trailers for Bloodrayne: Betrayal, which means we can assume the titular protagonist does a bit of traveling. Tell us, how does she get around while toting a laser cannon that is bigger than she is? Answer that, science.
Cooking Mama 4's plush pre-order bonus
How can one learn to cook properly without Mama watching, judging your every move? Pre-order Cooking Mama 4: Kitchen Magic for 3DS from GameStop and you can take a Mama doll home with you. Just place her atop the refrigerator and feel her disappointment magically turn you into a better cook. It's the ultimate tool in negative reinforcement. Don't let the soft demeanor fool you, there is darkness in Mama that dwarfs that of domestic diva Martha Stewart. One doesn't reach 12 million global sales without being a "Business Mama" as well. Cooking Mama 4: Kitchen Magic will pull a dinner out of its hat this October.
BloodRayne: Betrayal launching in the last week of August
Time is fluid, as we're reminded again by the announcement of Bloodrayne: Betrayal's late August launch. Originally expected for "early August," the game now has August 30 and 31 launch dates for PSN and XBLA, respectively. Developer WayForward has reimagined BloodRayne for the better, as we and the company recently detailed on The Joystiq Show. From what we've seen so far, this is a BloodRayne that doesn't suck.%Gallery-125881%
'Mama' franchise reaches 12 million sales worldwide, 8.5 million in NA
Majesco had a timeline at its E3 booth showing all of Mama's jobs over the past five years. The poster stated that the franchise had reached 12 million sales globally, with a rep telling us that the sales in North America represented 8.5 million of the total. Mama is currently planning a return to the kitchen and the series that gave the gal her big break, after she does a little camping in September, in Cooking Mama 4: Kitchen Magic this October.
BloodRayne: Betrayal cuts up PSN, XBLA in early August
BloodRayne: Betrayal will eviscerate PSN and XBLA during the first weeks of August, representatives for Majesco told us at E3. We had specific dates for both consoles, but neither fit the standard release day schedule for a digitally distributed title and reps changed the date to "early August." It will cost $15 (1200 MSP). Developer WayForward has completely reinvented the concept of BloodRayne for the better, saying that Majesco pretty much gave them carte blanche to make the license their own. If you've never heard of BloodRayne, this is a great arcade slasher introduction. If you've heard of BloodRayne, forget what you know. If you enjoyed BloodRayne before, sorry. %Gallery-125881%
Majesco reveals Take Shape and Mind 'n Motion for Kinect
Majesco has announced two more Kinect games making their E3 debuts, and neither one involves Hulk Hogan. Take Shape is a sort of Hole in the Wall game (Hole in the Wall has also been rated!) in which players contort their body to match on-screen silhouettes. It includes both a single-player mode and multiplayer "to unite your on-screen silhouettes in fun new ways." Mind 'n Motion "puts your motor skills to the test" with sets of activities -- "from juggling to dodging shapes to jumping hopscotch" chained together rapidly. It sounds kind of like a Kinect WarioWare thing. Both games will be on display at E3, which is terrible news for all the journalists who once had hope of looking cool during E3.
Have fun with your family and friends in 'Hulk Hogan's Main Event' for Kinect
Hulk Hogan, the wrestling legend, Mr. Nanny star, and guy who nearly showed us his sack in a Def Jam Rapstar trailer, has his very own Kinect game coming this fall, in which he'll teach you how to be a professional wrestler. Hulk Hogan's Main Event, developed by Panic Button LLC and published by Majesco, allows players to "learn the ropes from the man himself," develop a wrestling persona and learn how to put on a show by "emulating famous Hulk poses and performing more than 30 punishing combos." Players will create their own wrestler, including options for tattoos, clothing, body type, and entrance music, and will get to use that wrestler in both single-player mode and tag-team (in which two players take turns in front of the camera). In the absence of an actual trailer, find "I Want to Be a Hulkamaniac" by Hulk Hogan and the Wrestling Boot Band after the break. You're welcome!
BloodRayne: Betrayal gameplay trailer turns us into loyal subjects
There's a lot to love about this Bloodrayne: Betrayal gameplay trailer, including blaring metal music, vampire chicks hanging around blood fountains and zombies getting curb-stomped. Plus, it looks absolutely killer.
Cooking Mama 4 goes to 3DS, Camping Mama goes to DS this fall
Mama has a very busy couple of months ahead of her. Majesco's patron matron has 60 more recipes to make with your help in Cooking Mama 4: Kitchen Magic! For the first time, her culinary creations will be three-dimensional, because Cooking Mama 4 is headed to 3DS. The minigames in this new version will use both the touchscreen and the 3DS's gyroscopic tilt controls. Also this fall, Mama will return to her roots on the regular DS to take a hard-earned vacation in Camping Mama: Outdoor Adventures, where she'll get a break from all those cooking minigames with ... 100 new outdoor minigames, set in "38 different levels that span forests, mountains and seas."
Bloodrayne: Betrayal screen shows blood rain, but not Bloodrayne
The first screenshot of WayForward's XBLA/PSN action game, Bloodrayne: Betrayal, is pretty confusing. Based only on the screenshot, it would appear that an explosion of human blood is okay to show, but Bloodrayne herself has been censored, suggesting that her appearance is even more offensive than that of a guy who has been cut in half. However, the Facebook page at which this screen was posted offers much-needed context -- Rayne's character design is planned as a separate reveal. We'd keep an air sickness bag next to our computers anyway, just in case it turns out to be worse than a bloodsplosion.
BloodRayne: The Shroud for 3DS 'on hold'
On the official Facebook page for BloodRayne: Betrayal, the upcoming downloadable spinoff of Majesco's dormant last-gen action series, a commenter asked about BloodRayne: The Shroud for 3DS. The mysterious title made its first and only appearance on a list of in-development 3DS games, which was released by Nintendo during E3 last year. Nonetheless, The Shroud's brief unveiling had made enough of a lasting impression on one fan to warrant a question about the game's status some ten months later. "The 3DS title is currently on hold," responded the administrator of the BloodRayne Facebook page. "We'll be sure to share any news when it's available." A representative for Majesco confirmed with Joystiq that "BloodRayne 3DS is currently on hold for now," but did not provide further information about the game. Following a pair of BloodRayne titles from developer Terminal Reality for last-gen consoles and a Playboy cover spread, the franchise has stumbled along in a trilogy of Uwe Boll films. A PSP sequel was announced in 2005, but eventually abandoned by Majesco. Betrayal, scheduled to launch on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade this summer, would be the first BloodRayne game released since the 2005 PC port of BloodRayne 2. [Image source: BloodRayneBetrayal.com]
