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Digital Chocolate buys Sandlot Games
Mobile game developer Digital Chocolate, one of the biggest developers on the App Store, has acquired Sandlot Games, makers of Cake Mania and a few other popular App Store titles. Sandlot has offices in Seattle and Eastern Europe, and Digital Chocolate says it plans to use the developer to expand operations in both places. Unfortunately, there's no word on how much the deal is worth. Both companies have seen plenty of app downloads, and have big titles on multiple platforms, including Apple's devices and the PC, so this is likely a substantial acquisition for both sides. As Digital Chocolate's Trip Hawkins says, "We expect to be the leading game company in at least 5 of the 7 cities where we now have development studios." That said, I don't think this is the last we'll hear of either company. This space is extremely volatile at the moment, and it's just as likely that we'll see Digital Chocolate pick up more developers as it is that we'll see a larger company buy out the whole company if so inclined. [via Touch Arcade]
Cooking is so fun, cooking is so fun ... yay! Video is ready!
Cake Mania 2 is roasting away in the proverbial oven of development, ready to rock our socks on the DS. The original title was a bit on the non-good side, but hopefully this latest entry can pull something magical out of the baking tray. Funnily enough, the above trailer claims that we will experience "cake-baking nirvana," reaching a higher plane of human existence localized entirely within our kitchens! If a lifetime of happiness isn't enough, CM2 features Endless Baking Mode -- for those who feel the need to get their cake on until the end of time.Ice up that mouse and click through past the break for some extra screenshots. This is simulation with sugar, people.
Majesco sharing a slice of Cake Mania with Wii owners
Sandlot Games' Cake Mania franchise is coming to the Wii for the first time via Majesco, as Cake Mania: In the Mix! The new Wii game combines the time-management-based gameplay of the first Cake Mania with the storyline of the sequel, and adds waggle to the baking and serving action in new minigames.Other new features include an unspecified "Shop Rating" feature that enables unlocks and a phone system that enables even more orders to come in.Majesco expects to release Cake Mania: In the Mix during this holiday season. It will be distributed by Codemasters in Europe for an early 2009 release. We're always interested in seeing how the PC casual games audience crosses over with the Wii casual games audence, and this is a perfect test case.
Majesco is manic for cake
Clearly we're dinosaurs. "Traditional" gamers like us are so out of touch with the tastes of the newly expanded audience that we can't seem to tell the difference between an awesome casual game and an incredibly tedious, ugly timewaster. Case in point: Cake Mania, which apparently sold "over 280,000 units worldwide." Co-publishers Majesco and Sandlot Games and developer Digital Embryo are, of course, preparing a sequel on the DS, featuring new kitchen upgrades, wacky new settings and an "endless baking" mode. There's even a branching storyline with six different endings! All of which are "cake is delicious." A Wii version is also in the works, but no details have been released yet. Expect Cake Mania, but on the Wii. We've embedded the official press release after the break.
Cake Mania looks good enough to eat
Luscious new shots from the flash-to-DS game Cake Mania have surfaced, along with further details on the port. Looks like the game might sell for as low as $19.99 -- and that makes this exciting. Sure, it's available all across the web, but for a bargain price on the DS, you can take it with you. So what's all this Cake Mania about, anyway? In this baking sim, young chef Jill has to -- gasp! -- bake her way to success in order to save the family business. You can even take the baking show on the road in other locations, like Hawaii, or even a casino. Who doesn't enjoy a sugar high while hitting the slots? The port features 80 bakealicious levels -- the full original game, plus the Back to the Bakery expansion.We like this idea of flash games working over to the DS -- especially at twenty bucks a go. Anything you've got a craving for?Screens after the jump from Worth Playing, complete with slight watermarking.
