- Majesco Entertainment
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Majesco Entertainment Industry Video games Founded 1986 Headquarters Edison, New Jersey, USA Revenue $75 million Operating income $2 million Net income $490 thousands Website http://www.majescoentertainment.com/ Majesco Entertainment (NASDAQ: COOL) is a video game publisher founded in 1986.
Contents
History
Majesco first made a name as a reissuer of old titles that had been abandoned by their original publisher. By cutting the prices dramatically and, eventually, arranging the rights to self-manufacture games for both Nintendo and Sega systems, the company found a sustainable market niche.[citation needed] It has its headquarters in Edison, New Jersey, United States.[1][2]
Later, Majesco arranged with Sega to manufacture a version of its Mega Drive (known as Genesis in North America) 16-bit console, which had been superseded by the 32-bit Saturn.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.
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. Majesco focused on developing for then-current generation systems, such as Nintendo's GameCube and Game Boy Advance, Microsoft's Xbox, and Sony's 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 PC games with Terminal Reality as the developer, such as BloodRayne and BloodRayne 2.
In 2003, Majesco was slated to publish Black9, but forced the producers, Taldren, Inc., to shut down when the game was about 85% complete.[3] The publisher had reached financial trouble with its larger-budget games, such as Psychonauts, which sold poorly despite 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.
In 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 movie. Majesco's president, Jesse Sutton, said that in the future the company would "focus primarily on publishing value and handheld video games."[4] Since that announcement, the company has followed through with publishing successful budget titles in North America like Cooking Mama for the 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.[5]
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.[6]
On November 4, 2009, Majesco released BloodRayne and BloodRayne 2 on Good Old Games.
On June 6, 2011, Majesco announced that was acquiring the assets of social game developer Quick Hit and Quick Hit Football to build out its social gaming strategy.[7]
List of published and/or developed video games
- Advent Rising (Xbox, PC)
- Aeon Flux (PlayStation 2, Xbox)
- Age of Empires: The Age of Kings (Nintendo DS)
- Air Traffic Chaos (Nintendo DS)
- Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (Nintendo DS, Wii)
- Attack of the Movies 3D (Wii, Xbox 360)
- ATV: Quad Frenzy (Nintendo DS)
- Away: Shuffle Dungeon (Nintendo DS), North America
- Babysitting Mama (Wii)
- Babysitting Mania (Nintendo DS)
- BattleBots: Beyond the BattleBox (Game Boy Advance)
- BattleBots: Design & Destroy (Game Boy Advance)
- Black and Bruised (Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2)
- Blast Works: Build, Trade, Destroy (Wii)
- Blokus Portable: Steambot Championship (PSP)
- BloodRayne (PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox, PC)
- BloodRayne 2 (PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC)
- BloodRayne: Betrayal (PSN, Xbox 360)
- BloodRayne: The Shroud (Nintendo 3DS)
- BlowOut (PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox and Xbox Originals on Xbox 360, PC)
- Bomberman Generation (Nintendo GameCube)
- Bomberman Max 2: Blue Advance (Game Boy Advance)
- Bomberman Max 2: Red Advance (Game Boy Advance)
- Boxing Fever (Game Boy Advance)
- A Boy and His Blob (Nintendo 3DS, Wii)
- Brain Boost: Beta Wave (Nintendo DS), North America
- Brain Boost: Gamma Wave (Nintendo DS), North America
- Bust-a-Move Bash! (Wii)
- Bust-a-Move Deluxe (Nintendo DS)
- Bust-a-Move DS (Nintendo DS), North America
- Cooking Mama (Nintendo DS), North America
- Cooking Mama: Cook Off (Wii), North America
- Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends (Nintendo DS), North America
- Cooking Mama: World Kitchen (Wii), North America
- Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop (Nintendo DS), North America
- Crafting Mama (Nintendo DS)
- Dance Sensation! (Wii)
- The Daring Game for Girls (Nintendo DS, Wii)
- Dark Arena (Game Boy Advance)
- Data East Arcade Classics (Wii)
- Dawn of Heroes (Nintendo DS)
- Dino Master: Dig, Discover, Duel (Nintendo DS)
- Drake of the 99 Dragons (Xbox, PC)
- Drama Queens (Nintendo DS)
- Eco-Creatures: Save the Forest (Nintendo DS), North America
- Escape the Museum (Wii)
- F24 Stealth Fighter (Nintendo DS)
- Face Racers: Photo Finish (Nintendo 3DS)
- Fish Tycoon (Nintendo DS)
- Flip's Twisted World developed by Frozen North Productions (Wii)
- Fortress (Game Boy Advance)
- Furu Furu Park (Wii), North America
- FusionFall (PC)
- Gardening Mama (Nintendo DS), North America
- Go Play: Circus Star (Wii)
- Go Play: City Sports (Wii)
- Go Play: Lumberjacks (Wii)
- Golden Nugget Casino DS (Nintendo DS)
- Greg Hastings' Paintball 2 (PSN, Wii, Xbox 360)
- Guilty Gear: Dust Strikers (Nintendo DS)
- Guilty Gear: Judgment (PSP)
- Gun Metal (Xbox, PC)
- Hello Kitty Party (Nintendo DS)
- The Hidden (Nintendo 3DS)
- Hot 'n' Cold (Nintendo DSiWare)
- HSX: Hypersonic Xtreme (PlayStation 2)
- Infected (PSP)
- Jaws Unleashed (PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC)
- Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 (Wii)
- Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2010 (Nintendo DS, Wii)
- Jillian Michaels' Pocket Trainer (Nintendo DS)
- Kengo: Legend of the 9 (Xbox 360)
- Left Brain, Right Brain (Nintendo DS)
- Left Brain, Right Brain 2 (Nintendo DS)
- Let's Draw (Nintendo DS)
- Lion's Pride: Adventures in the Serengeti (Nintendo 3DS)
- Mad Dog McCree: Gunslinger Pack (Wii)
- Major Minor's Majestic March (Wii)
- Marker Man Adventures (Nintendo DS)
- MechAssault: Phantom War (Nintendo DS)
- Mega Brain Boost (Nintendo DS)
- Monster Bomber (Nintendo DS)
- Monster Tale (Nintendo DS)
- Monster Trucks DS (Nintendo DS)
- My Baby 3 & Friends (Nintendo DS)
- Nacho Libre (Nintendo DS)
- Nancy Drew: The Deadly Secret of Olde World Park (Nintendo DS)
- Nancy Drew: The Mystery of the Clue Bender Society (Nintendo DS)
- Nano Assault (Nintendo 3DS)
- Nanostray (Nintendo DS)
- Nanostray 2 (Nintendo DS)
- The New York Times Crosswords (Nintendo DS)
- Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian - The Video Game (Nintendo DS, Wii, Xbox 360, PC)
- Operation: Vietnam (Nintendo DS)
- Orchard (PC)
- Our House (Nintendo DS)
- Pajama Sam: Don't Fear The Dark (Wii)
- Pet Pals: Animal Doctor (Nintendo DS)
- Pet Zombies in 3D (Nintendo 3DS)
- Phantom Dust (Xbox)
- Pirates Plund-Arrr (Wii)
- Pizza Delivery Boy (Wii)
- Powerbike (Nintendo DS)
- Psychonauts (PlayStation 2, Xbox and Xbox Originals on Xbox 360, PC)
- Puffins: Island Adventure (Nintendo DS)
- Raze's Hell (Xbox and Xbox Originals on Xbox 360)
- Rollin' Rascals (Nintendo DS)
- Nintendo DS)
- Speedy Gonzales: Los Gatos Bandidos (SNES)
- Spy Fox in "Dry Cereal" (Wii)
- Summer Camp Showdown (Wii)
- Super Black Bass Fishing (Nintendo DS)
- Super Speed Machines (Nintendo DS)
- Swords (Wii)
- Teen Titans (Game Boy Advance)
- Teen Titans (PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox), Originally was released by THQ
- Teen Titans 2 (Game Boy Advance)
- Texas Hold 'Em Poker (Nintendo DS)
- Toon-Doku (Nintendo DS)
- Toy Shop (Nintendo DS)
- Turn It Around (Nintendo DS)
- Ultimate Game Room (Nintendo DS)
- Wild Earth: African Safari (Wii)
- Wonder World Amusement Park (Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, Wii)
- Worms 4: Mayhem (Xbox), North America
- Zoo Hospital (Nintendo DS, Wii)
- Zumba Fitness (Kinect, PlayStation Move, Wii)
See also
References
- ^ "Contact Us." Majesco Entertainment. Retrieved on October 20, 2009.
- ^ "Company Profile." Majesco Entertainment. Retrieved on October 20, 2009.
- ^ "Cyberpunked: the Fall of Black9". The Escapist Magazine. May 20, 2008. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_150/4921-Cyberpunked-the-Fall-of-Black9. Retrieved June 4, 2008.
- ^ "Majesco cans two games, shifts to budget/handheld". Eurogamer. January 19, 2006. http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=62534. Retrieved May 10, 2006.
- ^ "Majesco Announces New Casual Game Studio, Appoints Former Sega Exec In Lead Role". Gamasutra. November 6, 2007. http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=16130. Retrieved November 6, 2007.
- ^ "Banagrams Bound for Facebook". Playthings. http://www.playthings.com/index.asp?layout=talkbackCommentsFull&talk_back_header_id=6546490&articleid=CA6583274. Retrieved August 1, 2009.
- ^ "Majesco Expands Social Strategy With Quick Hit Acquisitions". Gamasutra. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/35074/Majesco_Expands_Social_Strategy_With_Quick_Hit_Acquisitions.php. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
External links
Categories:- Companies listed on NASDAQ
- Companies based in New Jersey
- Companies established in 1986
- Video game companies of the United States
- Video game publishers
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