Majesco gets Goosebumps

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Sep 22, 2008 4:02 pm PT

Cooking Mama publisher to distribute Scholastic Interactive titles including those based on R.L. Stine's teen terror tales and I SPY book series.

Scholastic Media book series like the Goosebumps horror novels and I SPY picture puzzles can go a long way toward providing children with an appealing entrance into the world of reading. Today, Majesco Entertainment announced a distribution deal with Scholastic games, so children will soon have a book-free way to enjoy those delights.

Upcoming titles covered by the agreement include Goosebumps HorrorLand for the Wii, PlayStation 2, and Nintendo DS, as well as Ultimate I SPY for the Wii. Both of those games will be published by Scholastic's new gaming label, Elastic. Majesco will also handle distribution for a pair of Scholastic's previously released DS games, I SPY Fun House and Animal Genius.

The move fits in with Majesco's current focus, which is casual and mass-market games like its successful Cooking Mama series. The publisher used to work on higher profile titles for the core gaming audience like Psychonauts, BloodRayne, and Advent Rising but retreated from that strategy several years ago.

37 Comments

  • ElectrolightSH

    Posted Sep 24, 2008 9:22 pm PT

    These games would have been cool 15 years ago. Goosebumps is a long and forgotten series, so why are they now making games based on the books?

  • skullboy950

    Posted Sep 24, 2008 4:27 pm PT

    Meh, this won't be helping Nintendo.

  • LordAndrew

    Posted Sep 23, 2008 6:24 pm PT

    Books are for suckers.

    But seriously, when was the last time Goosebumps was relevant?

  • 6thDjinn

    Posted Sep 23, 2008 10:52 am PT

    keep books books. its hard enough trying to get people to read. and does anyone remember the animorph game from the ps1. it was terrible.

  • necronaux

    Posted Sep 23, 2008 9:56 am PT

    Book-free sounds troubling. If these are games, used as a marketing tool, to introduce 'kids' into the Stine's world, it could discourage reading. So, will they be games? Or will they be (readable) e-books? If the latter: Will they have their own titles, or will they re-release existing titles? Will they be comparable lengths or shortened versions? What will each cost? Will there be a DS Wi-Fi download versions (pay one fee and get x-number of books)? There definetly isn't much usefull info here.

  • Hvac0120

    Posted Sep 23, 2008 9:46 am PT

    I think the DS is a great platform for releasing digital books. Like those ones where you choose which way the story will go at certain points in the story. There are 100+ million DS owners out there. Several of those are children. Putting out interactive books would be a good marketing strategy and would provide a fun and unique experience.

    I'm not sure if this is what they are doing here. It seems more like they are doing games based on the novels. I want to actually see original novels.

    Either way, this could lead to some good stuff.

  • Nurematsu

    Posted Sep 23, 2008 7:59 am PT

    @funsohng: That's why a zoom feature would be handy

  • cousinit796

    Posted Sep 23, 2008 7:55 am PT

    isnt there a new series of books coming out tho, i read on the net that a series of books is coming out, about 5 for 6 all at horrorland, the games on horrorland and when the books come out those who have kids and use to read the books may buy them for their kids, so there not stuck in the 1990s at all

  • sieg6529

    Posted Sep 23, 2008 7:37 am PT

    Wow, most teenagers probably don't even know anything about Goosebumps, or much of anything from the pre-Pokemon era.

  • FidelSarcastro

    Posted Sep 23, 2008 5:48 am PT

    Well I am sure the games are gonna be great for all the last gen'ers and all the DS players. Though I am surprised between making games for such "great" franchises like Cooking Mamma and Nancy Drew they have enough time for a Wii title. Even though they are still far away from making a 360 or PS3 title of any importance.

  • PandaBear86

    Posted Sep 23, 2008 5:24 am PT

    Goosebumps is way cool. So many memories from school

  • Dawg9000

    Posted Sep 23, 2008 4:17 am PT

    90's anyone? Why don't we make ANOTHER Carmen Sandiego game and aim it at kids. They'll know what it is.

  • guns_4_tots

    Posted Sep 23, 2008 3:22 am PT

    what are you doing majesco?

  • dimsey

    Posted Sep 22, 2008 11:45 pm PT

    Might give the Goosebumps game a look for nostalgias sake. Maybe, Probably not. But cool. Used to love Goosebumps.

  • eddievh_5150

    Posted Sep 22, 2008 11:06 pm PT

    I remember when the illustrator for Goosebumps game to my school like 10 years ago and we got free autographed advance copies of the newest book...something to do with eggs haha.

  • raven28256

    Posted Sep 22, 2008 10:58 pm PT

    Breaking news! Majesco is stuck in the 1990s!

    Seriously guys...way to stay relevant with current trends in children's entertainment...This might have been a good idea about twelve years ago...Now it is just pointless and irrelevant because most kids today don't even know what Goosebumps is. Meanwhile, the people who read these books as children have since moved on to more mature novels and games. Really, who is the target audience? Current children who don't know what the series is because it mostly died out a decade ago, or people who used to read them and currently don't have much interest anymore? Either way, this is going to be a big waste of time and money...

  • Vividnightmare

    Posted Sep 22, 2008 10:15 pm PT

    Go back and make more Psychonauts and restart Advent Rising you morons, stop making suck titles and get to IT!

  • padouke

    Posted Sep 22, 2008 9:41 pm PT

    wow, i wonder if theyre going to has that dank mask that attaches itself to peoples heads

  • Adam_the_Nerd

    Posted Sep 22, 2008 9:07 pm PT

    You're kidding me. I thought those books died a long time ago. BUT STILL REMINICSING FTW

  • raghraghragh

    Posted Sep 22, 2008 8:39 pm PT

    This is epic win.

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