Company:Majesco Entertainment

From HandWiki
Short description: American video game publisher and distributor
Majesco Entertainment Company
FormerlyMajesco Sales Inc. (1986–2005)
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
FoundedJune 16, 1986; 39 years ago (1986-06-16) in Edison, New Jersey, U.S.
Headquarters
Hazlet, New Jersey
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Jesse Sutton (CEO)
Parent
  • Majesco Holdings Inc. (2003–2016)
  • PolarityTE, Inc. (2016–2017)
  • Liquid Media Group (2018–present)
SubsidiariesMidnight City
Websitewww.majescoent.com

Majesco Entertainment Company (formerly Majesco Sales Inc.) is an American video game publisher and distributor based in Hazlet, New Jersey. The company was founded as Majesco Sales in Edison, New Jersey in 1986, and was a privately held company until acquiring operation-less company ConnectivCorp in a reverse merger takeover, becoming its subsidiary and thus a public company on December 5, 2003.[1] ConnectivCorp later changed its name to Majesco Holdings Inc. on April 13, 2004.[2]

On December 1, 2016, Majesco Entertainment was acquired by PolarityTE, Inc., a biotech company, in another reverse merger takeover, because of which it formally ceased all video game operations on December 8, 2016. In mid-2017, chief executive officer Jesse Sutton re-acquired the company through a management buyout and continued operating it privately held. On January 15, 2018, Liquid Media Group announced the acquisition of Majesco.[3]

History

Majesco was first known as a reissuer of old titles that had been abandoned by their original publisher. By cutting the prices and eventually arranging the rights to self-manufacture games for both Nintendo and Sega systems, the company found a sustainable market niche.[citation needed]

Later, Majesco arranged with Sega to manufacture a version of its Genesis (known as Mega Drive outside North America) 16-bit console, which had been superseded by the 32-bit Saturn. It released this in 1998 as the Genesis 3 and followed up with a version of the handheld Game Gear called the Game Gear Core System. In 1998, it inked a deal with Hasbro Interactive to publish their titles for the 8-bit handheld and 16-bit console formats, notably the Game Boy Color.[4]

The company's focus shifted to in-house game development, initially under the brand Pipe-Dream Interactive since few believed they could make the transition successfully. It was originally by two lead producers who were employees of Morning Star Multimedia, Dan Kitchen and Kevin Mitchell.[5] Majesco had a licensing agreement with publisher Red Storm Entertainment to bring Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six to the Sega Dreamcast platform in 1999.[6] Pipe Dream Interactive, a Majesco subsidiary would eventually produce their titles for Hasbro Interactive on the Game Boy Color and the Sega Dreamcast in 2000, most notably Q*Bert.[7][8] In 2000, Majesco had a licensing agreement with Activision to publish ports of their classic titles for various platforms, most notably the PlayStation 2 and the Game Boy Advance.[9][10][11] The following year, Majesco had inked an agreement with THQ to bring its vast catalog for the Game Boy Advance for the European market,[12] and the following year, had an agreement with Codemasters to publish two titles for PlayStation 2.[13]

Majesco focused on developing for console systems, such as GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Xbox, and PlayStation 2. A few of the titles it released, involving popular characters, included a few Bomberman titles for the GameCube and Game Boy Advance. Majesco also published computer games with Terminal Reality as the developer, such as BloodRayne and BloodRayne 2.

In 2003, Majesco was slated to publish Black9, but producers forced the developers, Taldren, Inc., to shut down when the game was about 85% complete.[14] The publisher had reached financial trouble with its larger-budget games, such as Psychonauts, which sold poorly although receiving several awards and critical acclaim, and Advent Rising, which generated intense hype but was ultimately panned by critics for being released prematurely and without adequate bug testing. Its best-selling titles in the last few years have been the series of GBA Videos for the Game Boy Advance. It also published the game Jaws Unleashed.

On January 19, 2006, the company's financial situation worsened to the degree that it had to cancel two games it was going to publish: Demonik, developed by Terminal Reality, and Taxi Driver, a sequel to the 1976 film of the same name. Majesco's president, Jesse Sutton, said that in the future the company would "focus primarily on publishing value and handheld video games."[15] Since that announcement, the company has followed through with publishing successful budget titles in North America like Cooking Mama for the Nintendo DS.

On September 14, 2006, Majesco released Advent Rising and re-released BloodRayne and BloodRayne 2 on Steam. On November 6, 2007, Majesco announced the opening of a new development facility in the Los Angeles area dedicated to the development of casual game products and properties.[16] On December 10, 2007, Majesco announced that they would be publishing a rhythm-based game, Major Minor's Majestic March, exclusively for the Wii developed by NanaOn-Sha. Majesco has announced that it will be launching an internet version of Bananagrams on August 18, 2008, that will be available on Facebook, a social networking website.[17] On November 4, 2009, Majesco released BloodRayne and BloodRayne 2 on GOG.com. On June 6, 2011, Majesco announced that it was acquiring the assets of social game developer Quick Hit and Quick Hit Football to build out its social gaming strategy.[18]

After a disastrous fiscal year of 2013, the company was expected to enjoy a recovering growth in 2014.[19] It a online casino gambling subsidiary GMS Entertainment.[20] However, this proved incorrect, as they continued to lose large amounts of money in 2014, resulting in the closure of Midnight City and the cancellation of the console port of Gone Home.[21]

On August 12, 2015, Majesco announced that they had appointed a new CEO, and that only five employees would remain in the company. The company's focus also shifted to develop mobile and downloadable titles. Two new titles, Glue and a new installment in the A Boy and His Blob franchise, were announced after the reconstruction.[22]

On December 9, 2016, Majesco announced it was ceasing operations in the entertainment industry, and merged with biotech firm PolarityTE. Polarity will obtain Majesco's NASDAQ symbol name, COOL.[23][24] On June 29, 2017, PolarityTE divested itself entirely of and subsequently sold, Majesco Entertainment's assets, which were subsequently taken private, leading to the rebirth of the company as an independent corporation.[25]

On November 9, 2017, Majesco announced that it had re-entered the video game business after having previously been brought back to a privately held company, releasing their Romans from Mars onto Steam.[26] On January 15, 2018, 51 percent of Majesco was bought by Liquid Media Group, and Jesse Sutton became LMG's Gaming Advisor.[3]

On June 15, 2020, Ziggurat Interactive purchased a number of IP formerly owned by Majesco Entertainment, including the rights to BloodRayne, Advent Rising, Flip's Twisted World, and Raze's Hell. On the same day, Ziggurat announced that the PC release of BloodRayne would receive updates to improve compatibility with current-day systems, with updates done by original developer Terminal Reality. They also announced plans to continue the franchise.[27]

Subsidiary

  • Midnight City: On August 29, 2013, Majesco announced the creation of an indie publishing label, Midnight City, in order to bring various indie games to consoles.[28]

Games published

References

  1. ↑ Burnes, Andrew (December 8, 2003). "Majesco Merges With ConnectivCorp". http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/12/08/majesco-merges-with-connectivcorp. 
  2. ↑ "ConnectivCorp Changes Name to Majesco Holdings Inc." (in en). April 13, 2004. Archived from the original on 2017-12-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20171208003657/https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20040413005851/en/ConnectivCorp-Majesco-Holdings. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "LIQUID MEDIA GROUP ACQUIRES PROVEN GAMING PUBLISHER MAJESCO ENTERTAINMENT". January 15, 2018. https://liquidmediagroup.co/news/01.15.2018.pdf. 
  4. ↑ "Majesco Entertainment Company | Encyclopedia.com". https://www.encyclopedia.com/reference/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/majesco-entertainment-company. 
  5. ↑ Staff, IGN (July 28, 1999) (in en), Majesco Launches Pipe Dream - IGN, Updated: 21 Jun 2012 5:23 pm, Posted: 28 Jul 1999 12:00 am, https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/07/28/majesco-launches-pipe-dream, retrieved 2021-11-17 
  6. ↑ Staff, IGN (June 2, 1999) (in en), Rainbow Six Headed to Dreamcast - IGN, Updated: 21 Jun 2012 6:47 pm, Posted: 2 Jun 1999 12:00 am, https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/06/02/rainbow-six-headed-to-dreamcast, retrieved 2021-11-17 
  7. ↑ Harris, Craig (September 29, 2000) (in en), Q*Bert - IGN, Updated: 13 Dec 2018 3:27 am, Posted: 29 Sep 2000 12:00 am, https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/09/29/qbert-2, retrieved 2021-11-17 
  8. ↑ Staff, IGN (December 19, 2000) (in en), Q*bert - IGN, Updated: 13 Dec 2018 3:41 am, Posted: 19 Dec 2000 12:30 am, https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/12/19/qbert, retrieved 2021-11-17 
  9. ↑ Staff, IGN (December 12, 2000) (in en), Majesco Announces First PlayStation 2 Title - IGN, Updated: 18 Jun 2012 12:46 am, Posted: 12 Dec 2000 12:30 am, https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/12/12/majesco-announces-first-playstation-2-title, retrieved 2021-11-17 
  10. ↑ Staff, IGN (March 22, 2001) (in en), Hands-on with Majesco's GBA Line-Up - IGN, Updated: 21 Jun 2012 9:38 am, Posted: 22 Mar 2001 12:30 am, https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/03/22/hands-on-with-majescos-gba-line-up, retrieved 2021-11-17 
  11. ↑ Staff, IGN (December 2000) (in en), New Details on Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force - IGN, Updated: 18 Jun 2012 1:35 am, Posted: 1 Dec 2000 1:00 am, https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/12/01/new-details-on-star-trek-voyager-elite-force, retrieved 2021-11-17 
  12. ↑ "THQ inks publishing deal with Majesco" (in en-US). https://www.gamespot.com/articles/thq-inks-publishing-deal-with-majesco/1100-2795644/. 
  13. ↑ "Codemasters bag Ravens" (in en). Eurogamer.net. 2001-12-18. https://www.eurogamer.net/article-31546. 
  14. ↑ "Cyberpunked: the Fall of Black9". The Escapist Magazine. May 20, 2008. https://v1.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/issues/issue_150/4921-Cyberpunked-the-Fall-of-Black9. 
  15. ↑ "Majesco cans two games, shifts to budget/handheld". Eurogamer. January 19, 2006. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/news190106majesco. 
  16. ↑ "Majesco Announces New Casual Game Studio, Appoints Former Sega Exec In Lead Role". Gamasutra. November 6, 2007. https://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=16130. 
  17. ↑ "Banagrams Bound for Facebook". Playthings. http://www.playthings.com/index.asp?layout=talkbackCommentsFull&talk_back_header_id=6546490&articleid=CA6583274. 
  18. ↑ "Majesco Expands Social Strategy With Quick Hit Acquisitions". Gamasutra. https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/35074/Majesco_Expands_Social_Strategy_With_Quick_Hit_Acquisitions.php. 
  19. ↑ "Majesco Entertainment Co.: Moving Away From Disastrous 2013 Into Potentially Significant Growth In 2014 And Beyond". January 13, 2014. https://seekingalpha.com/article/1941681-majesco-entertainment-co-moving-away-from-disastrous-2013-into-potentially-significant-growth-in-2014-and-beyond. 
  20. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (2013-08-06). "Majesco gambles with online casino gaming investment" (in en-US). https://www.polygon.com/2013/8/6/4596160/majesco-gambles-with-online-casino-gaming-investment. 
  21. ↑ Matulef, Jeffrey (November 17, 2014). "Majesco and Midnight City are in dire straits" (in en-UK). https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-11-17-majesco-and-midnight-city-are-in-dire-straits. 
  22. ↑ Hillier, Brenna (August 12, 2015). "Majesco is going all digital, new A Boy and His Blob inbound". VG247. https://www.vg247.com/2015/08/12/majesco-is-going-all-digital-new-a-boy-and-his-blob-inbound/. 
  23. ↑ Sarkar, Samit (December 9, 2016). "Majesco merges with medical technology company, exits games business". Polygon. https://www.polygon.com/2016/12/9/13900468/majesco-merger-polarity-games-publishing. 
  24. ↑ Sarkar, Samit (December 9, 2016). "Majesco merges with medical technology company, exits games business". https://www.polygon.com/2016/12/9/13900468/majesco-merger-polarity-games-publishing. 
  25. ↑ "PolarityTe divests Majesco's game business for $0.1M". June 29, 2017. https://seekingalpha.com/news/3276239-polarityte-divests-majescos-game-business-0_1m. 
  26. ↑ "Majesco's marauding Martian hit 'Romans from Mars' comes to Steam". November 9, 2017. https://www.majescoent.com/majescos-marauding-martian-hit-romans-from-mars-comes-to-steam/. 
  27. ↑ "Ziggurat Interactive purchases the rights to Bloodrayne, Flip's Twisted World, and more Majesco IP". GoNintendo. June 15, 2020. https://gonintendo.com/stories/363107-ziggurat-interactive-purchases-the-rights-to-bloodrayne-flip-s-t. 
  28. ↑ Sarkar, Samit (August 29, 2013), Majesco launching indie publishing label Midnight City with 10 games, https://www.polygon.com/2013/8/29/4671534/majesco-midnight-city-indie-publishing-label-10-games, retrieved June 29, 2017 
Cooking Mama
Nintendo DS cover art of Cooking Mama
Developer(s)Office Create
Publisher(s)
SeriesCooking Mama
Platform(s)Nintendo DS
iOS
ReleaseNintendo DS
  • JP: March 23, 2006
  • NA: September 12, 2006
  • AU: December 7, 2006
  • EU: December 8, 2006
iOS
  • WW: February 26, 2009
Genre(s)Simulation, minigame
Mode(s)Single-player

Cooking Mama (クッキング ママ, Kukkingu Mama) is a cookery simulation-styled minigame compilation video game for the Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, and iOS platforms, developed by Office Create and published by Taito, Majesco Entertainment, and 505 Games. It was awarded IGN's "Best Of E3" award for 2006. It was followed by a sequel for the DS, Cooking Mama 2. Two games have been made for the Wii: Cooking Mama and Cooking Mama.

Gameplay

In Cooking Mama, the player is tasked with cooking various meals using the device's touch screen. Following the instructions of the titular "Mama", the player uses the stylus or their finger to perform different kitchen tasks, including chopping vegetables, slicing meat, flipping food in pans, and arranging the final items on the plate. The version of the game for iOS also takes advantage of the accelerometer in its devices with some similar gameplay to Cooking Mama. Each of these tasks is performed by completing a mini-game which usually lasts less than 10 seconds. The gameplay structure consists of the player progressing through a series of short minigames. The game features a total of 96 different dishes.

Each minigame represents a different activity in the meal preparation, such as mixing, frying, or chopping the provided ingredients. The minigame mechanics themselves range from quickly drawing parallel lines in order to chop items, to a rhythm game where ingredients are added to a skillet or the heat is adjusted at precisely the right time. In many cases, players must look at the top screen of the DS for guidance on what to do next and then perform the task on the bottom screen. If the player makes a serious blunder or time expires without sufficient progress being made, that step in the cooking process is considered a failure. When this happens, a graphic of an angry "Mama" with flames erupting from her eyes is displayed, along with the caption "Don't worry, Mama will fix it!".

Completing a dish can require playing one minigame, or as many as a dozen. The player's performance is rated when each dish is finished, based on the average result of each minigame. Depending on the final score, the game may award the player a bronze, silver or gold medal. The highest medal earned for each dish is recorded and displayed next to each item on the selection screen.

A screenshot of the "Let's Cook" mode, where a player is cutting a tomato for a dish

Game modes

Let's Cook

The main game mode where players cook dishes. Players initially start with just a few simple recipes to choose from, with additional recipes unlocked as the earlier ones are mastered. Each recipe requires players to play through a short, timed minigame for each ingredient or group of ingredients. For example, to make a sandwich, the player would first be required to chop a cucumber into slices before the time limit elapses.

When cooking a recipe which has previously been mastered, the player sometimes has the option to change the dish being made "on the fly" between two minigames. If completed, this new recipe is then unlocked for future play.

A player also has a choice to practice a recipe.

Let's Combine

In this mode, players can take the recipes which have been unlocked and combine them to make something new. For example, the "Fried Eggs" recipe can be combined with the "Rice" recipe to make an entree.

Use Skill

In this mode, players put their minigaming ingredients, peeling, stewing, tearing, and more. The player is ranked at the end of each task.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
DSiOS
Eurogamer6 of 10[1]N/A
Famitsu28 of 40[2]N/A
Game Informer6.5 of 10[3]N/A
GameProStarStarStarStar[4]N/A
GameSpot6.9 of 10[5]N/A
GameSpyStarStarStar[6]N/A
IGN7 of 10[7]7.3 of 10[8]
Nintendo Power7 of 10[9]N/A
Nintendo World Report6.5 of 10[10]N/A
Detroit Free PressStarStarStar[12]N/A
The Sydney Morning HeraldStarStarStar[13]N/A
Aggregate scores
GameRankings68%[14]67%[15]
Metacritic67 of 100[16]N/A

The DS version received "average" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.[16] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of all four sevens, for a total of 28 out of 40.[2]

411Mania gave it a score of 7.5 out of 10, saying that "At $19.99 this makes yet another quality and affordable title for the Nintendo DS library."[17] Detroit Free Press also gave it a score of three stars out of four, calling it "a game best played in small bursts. It's perfect for waiting in line or during road trips."[12] However, The Sydney Morning Herald gave it a score of three stars out of five and said it was "A lot of fun but unlikely to satisfy your gaming appetite."[13]

The original Cooking Mama sold more than 500,000 copies in the United States as of August 15, 2007,[18] and sold more than 1 million copies in PAL regions.[19] It received a "Double Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[20] indicating sales of at least 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[21]

As of January 30, 2008, the Cooking Mama series sold more than 2.6 million copies worldwide.[22] Majesco also credited it, among other games, for an increase in revenue in early 2007.[23] By May 2009, over four million copies of the series were sold in North America. Miley Cyrus was found to be a huge fan of the game, and even gained a large number of fans due to how much she enjoys it.[24]

Criticism

The animal welfare group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) created a Flash game titled Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals[25] intended to both criticize the video game's use of meat-based recipes and to encourage veganism.[26] The creators of Cooking Mama responded to the PETA in a press release stating that "I would never put rat in my ratatouille", and indicated that not all of Mama's recipes are meat-based.[27] PETA stated that they were happy with the release of Gardening Mama, a spin-off of the series.[28]

Sequels

A pseudo-sequel, Cooking Mama, was released for the Wii in Japan on February 8, 2007. Replacing touchscreen control with use of the Wii Remote to guide the cooking activities, it was later released in North America on March 20, 2007 and on May 11, 2007 in Europe.

The second Nintendo DS game in the series Cooking Mama 2, was released in November 2007. Along with new recipes, this title expands the total number of different minigames and adds several new gameplay modes.

Cooking Mama for Wii, was released on November 18, 2008.

A sequel for the Nintendo DS, Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop had a hands-on demo available at E3 2009, and was released in North America on October 20, 2009.

Mama from Cooking Mama is the main character in the games Babysitting Mama, Crafting Mama, Gardening Mama, Camping Mama, and Gardening Mama 2.[29]

A sequel entitled Cooking Mama 4 was released for the Nintendo 3DS on November 16, 2011 in North America.

A sequel entitled Cooking Mama 5 was released for the Nintendo 3DS on September 16, 2014 in North America.

A third pseudo-sequel entitled Cooking Mama: Sweet Shop was released for the Nintendo 3DS in November 2014 in Japan, and in April 2017 worldwide.

See also

References

  1. ↑ MacDonald, Keza (October 10, 2006). "Cooking Mama (DS)". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_cookingmama_ds. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Freund, Josh (March 15, 2006). "News - Latest Famitsu reviews - Yggdra Union, Ace Combat Zero, more". GamesAreFun. Archived from the original on March 20, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20060320020312/http://www.gamesarefun.com/news.php?newsid=6123. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  3. ↑ Mason, Lisa (October 2006). "Cooking Mama (DS)". Game Informer (162): 114. Archived from the original on January 19, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080119124918/http://gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/4A3B69CB-3AE2-49E1-A4B2-32BF807A8392.htm. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  4. ↑ Ahoy And Avast (September 12, 2006). "Review: Cooking Mama". GamePro. Archived from the original on October 18, 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20061018144456/http://www.gamepro.com/nintendo/ds/games/reviews/80511.shtml. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  5. ↑ Navarro, Alex (September 18, 2006). "Cooking Mama Review (DS)". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/cooking-mama-review/1900-6157831/. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  6. ↑ Villoria, Gerald (September 20, 2006). "GameSpy: Cooking Mama". GameSpy. http://ds.gamespy.com/nintendo-ds/cooking-mama/733725p1.html. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  7. ↑ Harris, Craig (September 19, 2006). "Cooking Mama Review (NDS)". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/09/19/cooking-mama-review. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  8. ↑ Buchanan, Levi (February 27, 2009). "Cooking Mama iPhone Review". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/02/27/cooking-mama-iphone-review. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  9. ↑ "Cooking Mama". Nintendo Power 209: 90. November 2006. 
  10. ↑ Castaneda, Karl (August 10, 2006). "Cooking Mama". Nintendo World Report. http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/11902/cooking-mama-nintendo-ds. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  11. ↑ Mastrapa, Gus (November 6, 2006). "Cooking Mama". X-Play. Archived from the original on May 15, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20070515000031/http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/reviews/1303/Cooking_Mama.html. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Gudmundsen, Jinny (February 25, 2007). "'COOKING MAMA'". Detroit Free Press. https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/freep/doc/436779513.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Feb+25%2C+2007&author=Gudmundsen%2C+Jinny&pub=Detroit+Free+Press&edition=&startpage=&desc=%27COOKING+MAMA%27. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Hill, Jason (March 26, 2007). "Cooking Mama". The Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/news/game-reviews/cooking-mama/2007/03/24/1174597945798.html. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  14. ↑ "Cooking Mama for DS". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/ds/931435-cooking-mama/index.html. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  15. ↑ "Cooking Mama for iOS (iPhone/iPad)". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/iphone/958559-cooking-mama/index.html. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Cooking Mama for DS Reviews". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/game/ds/cooking-mama. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  17. ↑ Aranda, Ramon (September 20, 2006). "Cooking Mama (DS) Review". 411Mania. http://411mania.com/games/cooking-mama-ds-review/. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  18. ↑ "Cooking Mama Surpasses 500,000". IGN. August 15, 2007. Archived from the original on March 10, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090310001702/http://games.ign.com/articles/816/816299p1.html. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  19. ↑ Boyes, Emma (December 6, 2007). "Cooking Mama serves up 1 million". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cooking-mama-serves-up-1-million/1100-6183713/. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  20. ↑ "ELSPA Sales Awards: Double Platinum". Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. Archived from the original on May 20, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090520070249/http://www.elspa.com:80/?i=3945. 
  21. ↑ Caoili, Eric (November 26, 2008). "ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on September 18, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170918063107/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/112220/ELSPA_Wii_Fit_Mario_Kart_Reach_Diamond_Status_In_UK.php. 
  22. ↑ "Majesco Entertainment Announces Cooking Mama Franchise Sales Reach 1.6 Million Units Domestically". Majesco Entertainment. January 30, 2008. Archived from the original on April 8, 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080408021851/http://www.majescoentertainment.com/news/display_news.php?id=289. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  23. ↑ Seff, Micah (January 29, 2007). "Majesco Reports Increased Revenue". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/01/30/majesco-reports-increased-revenue. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  24. ↑ Fahey, Mike (May 11, 2009). "Cooking Mama Sells Four Million...Domestically". Kotaku. http://kotaku.com/5249025/cooking-mama-sells-four-milliondomestically. Retrieved May 11, 2009. 
  25. ↑ "Cooking Mama, The Unauthorized PETA Edition: Mama Kills Animals". People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. http://features.peta.org/CookingMama/. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  26. ↑ Inside Jersey staff (November 18, 2008). "PETA Burns Cooking Mama". NJ.com. http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2008/11/peta_burns_cooking_mama.html. 
  27. ↑ Fahey, Rob (November 19, 2008). "Cooking Mama Responds To PETA". Kotaku. http://kotaku.com/5093315/cooking-mama-responds-to-peta. 
  28. ↑ Laughlin, Andrew (November 19, 2008). "PETA criticises 'Cooking Mama' games". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/news/a135990/peta-criticises-cooking-mama-games/. Retrieved February 4, 2016. 
  29. ↑ "Babysitting Mama". Majesco Entertainment. http://www.babysittingmama.com/. Retrieved October 25, 2010. 

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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