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GameStop lists Cooking Mama 4 for 3DS
According to a new GameStop listing, Mama is going to start making recipes with more depth of flavor. Or at least more illusion of depth. The retailer has listed Cooking Mama 4 for 3DS, with a release date in October. It's perfectly plausible for there to be a new Cooking Mama game coming out in the fall, of course, as that's the cornerstone of Majesco's business. The publisher has recently begun moving toward more 3DS games, with announcements of The Hidden, Face Kart: Photo Finish, and Pet Zombies in 3D. Meanwhile, if you want Cooking Mama on your 3DS ahead of time, you can scan the Cooking Mama Mii prepared by Majesco.
Majesco tries creepy AR again with 'The Hidden' for 3DS
Now this sounds familiar. Majesco just announced that it's publishing an augmented-reality game for a Nintendo handheld, to be released around Halloween, that allows you to search for ghostly phenomena in your environment using the system's camera. No, it's not the DSi game Ghostwire, whose developer is still seeking a publisher after splitting with Majesco. The new game is The Hidden, created by 1st Playable Productions, and coming this October to 3DS. The Hidden puts the player in the role of a member of the Ghostly Entity Investigation and Strike Team (G.E.I.S.T.), hunting around the real world to find spectral creatures, and then "using a full arsenal of high tech tools and upgradeable weapons, including the Plasmatic Disruptor, Ectoplasm Sensor and Spectral Shield" to defeat them.
BloodRayne: Betrayal this summer on XBLA and PSN, courtesy of WayForward
Everyone's favorite (by default) redheaded, Nazi-fighting half-vampire is rising once again, this time with the help of an unlikely ally. Majesco is bringing back its pre-Cooking Mama, pre-casual property Bloodrayne in BloodRayne: Betrayal. The new game is the work of WayForward Technologies, a developer best known for games like A Boy and His Blob, Contra 4, and Shantae, and not really for grimdark games. It's also the developer's first Xbox 360 and PS3 project, due for XBLA and PSN this summer. Betrayal is a 2D side-scroller with "new characters, gruesome environmental puzzles and a full arsenal of lethal weapons including Rayne's signature arm blades" -- and, of course, a "deadly dose of bloodshed."
Mama Mia! Majesco cooks up $2.1 million fiscal-year loss
Majesco Entertainment ended its last fiscal year (on October 31, 2010) with a $2.1 million loss -- which is better than the $6.6 million it flambéed the previous fiscal year. The financially troubled publisher is pinning its hopes in the new fiscal year (which began Nov. 1) on Crafting Mama, Babysitting Mama and Zumba Fitness, which has already sold a half-million units since its mid-November release. Majesco has also planted one of those money-growing trees: a Facebook game, Friends Cafe. With its focus on mass-market appeal, Majesco could well bake up some profits this fiscal year. We'll keep watch over its shoulder, though, mindful to leave a clear path to the fire extinguisher in case the money continues to burn.
Pet Zombies in 3D is a real game Majesco is releasing for 3DS
Majesco has revealed the identity of its first two potential hits on the 3DS platform -- surprisingly, neither belong to the trusted, lucrative [Gerund] Mama franchise. The first is Renegade Kid's Face Kart: Photo Finish, which lets players create a highly customizable racer or race track using the 3DS's cameras. The game will also use the handheld's gyroscopic capabilities to let players steer by tilting the system left and right. Sounds fairly promising! We enjoy Karts, and, moreso, our own faces. The second game is 1st Playable Productions' Pet Zombies in 3D, which sees players creating and caring for their own shambling, reanimated corpses. Their ghouls will participate in mini-games to earn currency to purchase certain customizations for their undead pets and their environments. We've got our fingers crossed that this title will represent the tipping point of oversaturation for the zombie craze, leading game developers, filmmakers and authors alike to realize that this, this is what their hands have wrought. Do you hear us, Max Brooks? Pet Zombies in 3D is all on you, man.
Cooking Mama franchise stirs up Facebook with 'Friends Cafe'
We've already seen the meteoric rise of a social networking blockbuster in which the player cultivates and harvests rich acres of fresh produce -- it makes sense that we'd also witness the arrival of a social networking game in which that produce is prepared for human consumption. That's a niche which the Cooking Mama franchise will attempt to fill with its new Facebook iteration, Friends Cafe. The Majesco-published game features the same food preparation gameplay the series is known for, as well as unlockable (or purchasable!) upgrades for your own personal kitchen or restaurant. Of course, such entrepreneurship requires persistence, as players who neglect their cafes will see them shut down. You can learn more about this heartbreaking process in Majesco's next Facebook-enabled title, Bank Foreclosing Mama.
Monster Tale brings Chomp home in March
Monster Tale, the pet-game-slash-platformer from Henry Hatsworth dev DreamRift, has been pretty much under the radar since E3 -- not that it wasn't quiet before then. Today, however, publisher Majesco sent out a new trailer for the interesting DS adventure, which reveals a March release date. That release timing suggests that this game is destined to remain under the radar, since March is also home to Okamiden and, more importantly, the 3DS. Majesco would do well to keep releasing these trailers, and keep the game fresh in our minds.
Lorne Lanning laments 'The Brutal Ballad of Fangus Klot' that never was
Game Informer has posted its recent print interview with Oddworld Inhabitants founder Lorne Lanning, a (five-years-later) followup to the magazine's April 2005 announcement of The Brutal Ballad of Fangus Klot, OWI's would-be effort to delve further into the "more hardcore" elements of the Oddworld ... world. After finding the situation with EA (which published OWI's Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath on Xbox in 2005) "unworkable," Lanning recounted, OWI turned to Majesco to fund and publish the Fangus project, another Xbox game built on Stranger's core framework. But only a month after the game's announcement, "the shenanigans started" and OWI shut down its development studio. "Sometimes developers get fired by publishers and sometimes developers fire publishers," Lanning said coyly, "and that's probably all I should say about it." Publisher "incompetence" aside, Fangus did sound like an odd pitch: A "close to the Earth" dog-man herdsman turned "pit fighting" slave -- to the Russian-like cat mafia -- who escapes his years-long imprisonment a hardened killer dead set on vengeance and the liberation of his people ("the timeless mythical battle between cats and dogs," in other words). Also, Fangus has terminal rabies and "would control a flock of ravenous sheep-like creatures to take down enemies and solve puzzles," according to GI's description. "We wanted it to be really hardcore," Lanning concluded.
SouthPeak to stop selling 'My Baby' during legal issues
While SouthPeak continues its legal dispute with My Baby developer Nobilis and publisher Majesco over the rights to the franchise and My Baby 3, the publisher will discontinue selling My Baby Girl and My Baby First Steps. SouthPeak Chairman Terry Phillips stated in an investor call today, "We firmly believe we are the rightful holder of the intellectual property to this franchise." He continued that the company is currently in court proceedings to resolve, what he calls, the wrongful termination of its agreements with Nobilis and is seeking damages for the developer soliciting the My Baby 3 rights to Majesco. He concluded that the company plans to "vigorously" defend its position. The My Baby franchise has been a "significant" part of the company's revenue, according to Phillips. So, missing My Baby 3 -- along with the other titles -- from the portfolio isn't helping SouthPeak's already glum financials.
Ghostwire no longer being published by Majesco, fate uncertain
DSi augmented reality game Ghostwire will no longer be published by Majesco. A representative for the publisher informed Joystiq that the game, which was supposed to be out this quarter, was removed from the release schedule over the summer; though apparently, Ghostwire wasn't publicly dropped until recently, as GameFly just sent out notices that the title was "canceled by its publisher." The game's website still notes Majesco as the publisher, and there hasn't been an update to the game's Twitter or Facebook account in quite some time. We're currently following up with developer A Different Game to find out if it's found a new publisher for the title, and if and when Ghostwire is now expected for release. [Thanks, Sam C.]
No Boy and no Blob for 3DS
Did you see A Boy and His Blob on the list of third-party 3DS games announced at E3 and get a little excited? We suggest going back in time to June and telling yourself to chill out, because it's not happening. A rep for WayForward, developer of the Wii version of A Boy and His Blob, told Eurogamer that the original listing was in error. "The Blob announcement at E3 was incorrect... we're not developing Blob for any systems currently." That's a bit of a bitter jellybean to swallow, but at least it means WayForward isn't squandering its resources on porting something that's already out. We're contacting the studio to try to get more information.
Cribs: Babysitting Mama Edition
Majesco has released images of the final doll design and packaging for Babysitting Mama. Cleverly, the box for the minigame collection is shaped like a crib, featuring a phrase we didn't ever think we'd see on a game box: "Wii Game Disc Included (Look Under Baby!)"
Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter shoots up XBLA on Sept. 22
Finally, fans left hanging at the conclusion of Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter can get a bit of closure on September 22, as Majesco has confirmed the launch date for Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter. If there's anything that these games are known for, it's their rich narrative and character development, so to leave us hanging like that is criminal. All jokes aside, we could all probably use a bit more of "shoot everybody and don't die" in our lives. Keeps you feeling young, you know? Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter adds three new weapons -- the Sniper Rifle, Flamethrower and Chainsaw -- and co-op support for up to four players across 12 maps, including team-based and competitive modes. No price has been announced for The Second Encounter, though we suspect pricing will be in line with the first game: 1200 MS Points ($15). %Gallery-100187%
Majesco's CFO gets out of the kitchen
Financially troubled publisher Majesco recently announced the resignation of its chief financial officer, John Gross, who will be replaced by an interim executive when he leaves August 20. For what are likely his final official remarks at Majesco, Gross leaves with these words: "We have worked as a management team to put an operating plan in place to continue to improve the performance of the company and grow profitability. I wish the company and the management team all the best in the future." IndustryGamers notes the company lost another $1.6 million in its second fiscal quarter. Also, with a little under a month to go, the company is coming dangerously close to hitting its Nasdaq stock exchange delisting deadline. Come on, Majesco, have Cooking Mama bake up some compliance again.
Nobilis fires back at SouthPeak over My Baby IP, blames lack of payment for Majesco move
Responding to recent legal action between former My Baby franchise publisher SouthPeak Games and new publisher Majesco Entertainment, My Baby developer (and IP owner) Nobilis has placed blame for the move on "uncured breaches from SouthPeak, notably for non-payment." In so many words, it appears that Nobilis -- like other SouthPeak debtors -- is still waiting on unpaid bills from the publisher. Nobilis managing director Arnaud Blacher spoke with IndustryGamers regarding the lawsuit, saying that his company will also pursue litigation with SouthPeak over the issue. Furthermore, he confirmed that "all the contracts signed with SouthPeak in the US or in the UK have been terminated." As with most things legal, this situation is sure to get a lot more complicated long before we hear any sort of resolution. SouthPeak had yet to respond to a request for comment as of publishing.
SouthPeak suing Majesco over My Baby 3
Joystiq has confirmed with SouthPeak Games that the company has taken legal action against Mama game publisher Majesco Entertainment, specifically regarding the right to publish My Baby titles in the United States. The litigation was spurred by an announcement last month that Majesco would be publishing the Nobilis-developed My Baby 3 & Friends, an action SouthPeak claims Majesco wasn't legally allowed to take. For its part, SouthPeak issued this statement on the impending litigation: "We are exceptionally proud of our success in making the My Baby franchise a leader in the North American market; our innovative sales, marketing and PR strategies brought My Baby to a huge audience and built a loyal fan base for future products. SouthPeak continues to hold the rights to subsequent My Baby games and we intend to vigorously protect those rights." Additionally, we've confirmed that, while SouthPeak claims a contractual right to publish "subsequent My Baby games" in the US, Nobilis owns the My Baby IP. So, whose baby is it? That remains to be contested (Majesco and Nobilis reps hadn't responded as of publishing). And while SouthPeak recently acquired a $10 million loan, as well as another $5.5 million injection announced just this week, the company's still running into financial and legal issues left and right. "It's no secret that CDV is currently in dispute with SouthPeak Games along with many other companies, whilst CDV is itself in administration," SouthPeak exec Jonathan Hales told IndustryGamers recently, responding to the seizing of 40,000 units of SouthPeak stock by bailiffs on behalf of CDV. "We have sent High Court Enforcement Officers in last Friday and they took 40,00 units -- two trucks worth of stock -- out of the warehouse that SouthPeak uses. They had until yesterday to apply to court to stop that being sold at auction and as far as I'm aware they didn't make an application. We've also frozen the money from their distributor Centresoft," reps from CDV said. It looks like the custodianship of My Baby is just one of many legal battles SouthPeak may be facing in the coming months.
SouthPeak gets $10 million loan while losing biggest moneymaker
Outside of looming legal battles and down year-over-year revenues, SouthPeak recently received a $10 million "asset-based line of credit" that extends until February 28, 2012, reports IndustryGamers, effectively replacing an $8 million line of credit previously secured. We're not quite sure what debtors will have to take from SouthPeak should the publisher not be able to repay the $10 million, though, as Majesco Entertainment apparently scooped up SP's biggest franchise in mid June, My Baby. For what it's worth, SouthPeak chairman Terry Phillips said of the credit, "Securing this additional credit provides us with greater financial flexibility and presents a clear message to our investors that we are confident of our business prospects and growth opportunities over the near- and long-term." Here's hoping that Two Worlds 2 and Battle vs. Chess are enough to help the company get its feet back on the ground in the coming year.
Preview: Monster Tale
Developer Dreamrift, a company formed by the creators of Henry Hatsworth and the Puzzling Adventure, has partnered with Majesco for its next game, a DS title called Monster Tale, intended for younger audiences. The core Hatsworth concept of performing one action on one screen to affect the gameplay on the other screen remains, but the hyper-British Empire theme has been swapped out for an exaggerated version of childhood, complete with villainous neighborhood bullies. More importantly, the bottom screen, which hosted a falling-block puzzle game in Hatsworth, is now home to a "virtual pet" called Chomp. At least, that's how Majesco puts it. I think the use of the term "virtual pet" does a disservice to the game. People who are into virtual pet games would likely find the interactions with Chomp too limited and the platformer on the top screen too distracting; and while those who like action-platformers would probably really like the upgrading system Chomp provides, they might never know it due to their instinctual evasion of pet sims. %Gallery-92883%
Here it is: the Babysitting Mama controller
You know you wanted to see the plush baby that Majesco is including with Babysitting Mama -- the one that, when the Wiimote is tucked inside, functions as the interface for the game. We wanted to see it. We were curious. And here it is -- well, here's a pretty close representation of that baby controller. Majesco was sure to tell us that the design of the doll, and the design of the packaging, had yet to be finalized. The baby controller hasn't reached maturity, essentially.
Majesco's Babysitting Mama includes your very own baby
The "WiiWaa" doll introduced us to the concept of cramming a Wiimote into a doll's mouth and using that to interact with a game. Majesco is bringing that same idea to a much more mainstream game: the previously trademarked Babysitting Mama. Using a plush baby into which you have tucked a Wiimote -- and also using the Nunchuk that is somehow hanging out of this plush baby or something -- you play 40 minigames in the usual Cooking Mama style; representing tasks like feeding and changing a baby, or rocking it to sleep. The game will feature six different virtual babies with unique personalities, though you'll be using the same proxy doll to manipulate all the e-babies. Babysitting Mama is due out this holiday. Unfortunately, Majesco has yet to release an image of the doll, so we can't yet gauge how creeped out we're going to be by this game. %Gallery-93595%
