Majesco Busts a Move on Wii

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Sep 11, 2006 1:56 pm PT

Publisher reports a net loss for third quarter, confirms bubble-popping puzzler and one other game in development for Nintendo's next-gen console.

For third-party publishers, one of the attractive features of Nintendo's upcoming Wii console is the low cost of developing games for the system compared with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. After a foray into AAA game development burned Majesco Entertainment last year, the publisher has decided that the Wii fits its current direction of budget software publishing.

As a result, Majesco today announced in its third-quarter financial earnings report that it will support the Wii, with a pair of games already in development. The company's first game for the system will be Bust-a-Move Revolution, a new version of the popular bubble-popping puzzle game, set for release in "early 2007."

"We remain focused on our strategy to publish value products and lower-cost games for handheld systems and make products with mass market appeal," Majesco interim CEO Jesse Sutton said in a statement. "Looking forward, we believe that Nintendo's new Wii console has excellent potential to capture the mass market gamer while remaining within our more conservative cost structure."

As for its financial results for the three months ended July 31, Majesco posted a modest loss, which stands as a huge improvement over its disastrous third quarter of 2005. The company reported a net loss of $724,000, a significant improvement over the $37.5 million loss it racked up in last year's third quarter. Revenues for the company were also better than last year, as Majesco brought in $12.6 million for the quarter, versus $4.6 million for the same stretch last year.

54 Comments

  • _Sam_

    Posted Sep 14, 2006 3:59 pm PT

    the more wii games the better IMO

  • jakeboudville

    Posted Sep 14, 2006 6:56 am PT

    cool

  • metdevthegamer

    Posted Sep 12, 2006 9:50 pm PT

    Neat.

  • pohlkat

    Posted Sep 12, 2006 2:43 pm PT

    cool stuff i love majesco games

  • t-bag11

    Posted Sep 12, 2006 2:40 am PT

    i might get it the ds version is fun

  • m0zart Site moderator

    Posted Sep 12, 2006 2:28 am PT

    shasam712 wrote:
    M0zart, from what I can gather sinceps1 was talking about the exterior appearence on the consoles, not the graphics power.

    Alright. Point noted. I still disagree.

    Mind you, I love my PS2 -- just as I love all of my systems. I love it for the reason that any gamer would love any system -- for the games it has. There are some rare gems on the PS2, just as there are on just about any of the gaming systems available, it's just that the PS2 has more of them. Putting that issue aside, I don't think the PS2 is necessarily ugly, but it's hardly easy on the eyes. It certainly doesn't look as sleek or modern as either the XBOX or the Gamecube.

    Even with that, I don't believe that the look of the system is ultimately the key to its success. I am not even sure it's in the ballpark.

  • chikahiro94

    Posted Sep 12, 2006 2:27 am PT

    @m0zart
    I think he was referring to the console itself - the Xbox was no looker and the Gamecube looked like it was designed by Fisher-Price. Fortunately, the Wii and 360 look much better than their predecessors. Could be wrong, although I doubt it.More than a few times the XB and GC's games were better looking and even smoother playing than the PS2 counterparts (unless the port was done poorly).

    @sinceps1
    The Wii is marketable to the traditional hardcore and enthusiast 15-25 male group, yes, but Nintendo is primarily going for the same kind of people that are making the DS so successful: people outside that particular demographic. Casual, former, and non-gamers. Older people. Women. Young children. The graphics, quite frankly, are good enough (just like the DS), the price point is attractive, and the games seem less intimidating by design. They'll have their gamer favorites, naturally, but those titles (Mario, Zelda, etc) are also titles with appeal far and beyond the 15-25 year range.

    Part of Nintendo's strategy is to grow the market to previously neglected areas, true, but they're also trying to get back older gamers who quit due to time, the increasing complexity of games, etc. And there are other gamers who want a PS3 or 360, but see the Wii as a great second system because it promises to offer more than "more of the same." Personally? I've left the 15-25 range, and I've got less time to game than I did before in addition to my money being increasingly tied up with bills, car payments, living expenses, etc. So when I say the Wii is aimed at people outside that range, that's because its aimed squarely at people like me.

    I don't think Nintendo cares if they're #1 or not as long as they're happily profitable (they were 3rd place last go round but profitable - more than I can say about Microsoft). And using the DS as an indication, I honestly believe they will meet that goal with relative ease compare to Microsoft and Sony...

  • shasam712

    Posted Sep 12, 2006 2:18 am PT

    M0zart, from what I can gather sinceps1 was talking about the exterior appearence on the consoles, not the graphics power.

  • m0zart Site moderator

    Posted Sep 12, 2006 2:10 am PT

    sinceps1 wrote:
    The game cube and XBOX are the 2 UGLIEST systems arround and the PS2 has ALWAYS looked alot better than them...

    That is utter nonsense. PS2 was by far the most under-performing platform in terms of everything from framerates to texturing to anti-aliasing. The PS2 was the least capable platform in terms of sheer graphics, sound, and processing power. The only thing it did better than the Gamecube was in displaying CGI cut-scenes. And it did virtually nothing better than the XBOX.

    In the NES days, the SMS was overall a better looking platform, yet the NES handed the SMS it's "get out of Dodge" pass. In the 16-bit era, SNES ultimately won, but not without a fierce battle with a lesser system known as the Genesis (lesser in every area except processing speed), and even then the SNES only caught up towards the end of that era. The most powerful systems of that time, such as the turbografx-16, were virtually ignored. The generation that comprised the Saturn, PS1, and N64 had the PS1, only the middle-tier in terms of ability, winning that race.

    The PS2 is the perfect example of why the winning system in any console generation doesn't have to be the best looking console in said generation.

  • sinceps1

    Posted Sep 12, 2006 12:41 am PT

    chikahiro94, the Wii wil be marketable to the 18-25 crowd. Speaking from that demographic, I believe you must be thinking of the gamecube while you explain the market to AL13NK1LL3R. And I think he is probably closer to 13 than 15-25... But he is right, there is no reason for nintendo to center their business structure on childrens games as the market grows to mass appeal which is what the Wii essentially tries to do. It really comes down to how much better it looks than the gamecube to me, you can't be the number one system if your console is the ugliest... Just look at this generation of gaming, The game cube and XBOX are the 2 UGLIEST systems arround and the PS2 has ALWAYS looked alot better than them... The PS2 wins by atleast 20 million units if you were to combine its competition....
    This all coming from someone that hates Sony to the core.

  • chikahiro94

    Posted Sep 11, 2006 11:41 pm PT

    @AL13NK1LL3R
    The older you get the more you want those "kid games" because, well, you have kids. From the sounds of it the Wii isn't the system for you - try the PS3 or 360, as they're actively targeting the 15-25 year old male demographic (which I'll assume you're in). They'll have tons of game from companies that want your money, and will pretty much cater to you hand and foot (really, you can't lose). If you want something inexpensive, well, there's always the PS2.

    For people outside the 15-25 year old male demographic, would like something different, or want an inexpensive 2nd system (maybe while waiting for 360 and PS3's prices to go down), the Wii should be great. If the success of the DS in selling to people like us is any indication, Nintendo should make a nice, tidy profit.

  • funtownarcade

    Posted Sep 11, 2006 11:31 pm PT

    Now there is some intuitive use of the wiimote!

  • DarkGhost89

    Posted Sep 11, 2006 8:51 pm PT

    What a pity, try to make a push to be a AAA game publisher and got it kicked hard. I guess its better to be B-level games and rebuild then try making another expensive game and risk a flop, though if it a hit it would solve everything. BTW, the developer who make Psychonauts is now wokring for Sierra (i think its still on the news somewhere), so they don't have a connection anymore.

  • chikahiro94

    Posted Sep 11, 2006 8:03 pm PT

    Bust-A-Move on the Neo Geo rocks! Good luck finding it though - rare on the MVS, not sure if there was ever an AES version...

  • nintendorocks

    Posted Sep 11, 2006 7:55 pm PT

    The only Bust-A-Move that I ever liked was the GameBoy Advance version of Super Bust-A-Move. And the only ones I have not played are the original and Bust-A-Move Millenium. Bust-A-Move is really a pretty bad series. There have been some decent Bust-A-Move titles that for sure but nothing that great except Super Bust-A-Move for the GBA like I said. Majesco, if your gonna make a new Bust-A-Move than make another PSP or DS one.

  • Croove_55

    Posted Sep 11, 2006 7:47 pm PT

    Eh, well I don't care what these guys do. I do want to see someone use the cheap game development software for the wii to start a new indie game company. Hopefully, the $2000 (I think, correct me if I'm wrong) price tag on the wii development package will start a huge explosion on new, really really cheap download games, even if they are about on the technical level of the SNES library.

  • Mp5slipknot

    Posted Sep 11, 2006 7:11 pm PT

    Ok, what about Black and White creatures?

  • ssj4_2004

    Posted Sep 11, 2006 7:01 pm PT

    I cannot wait for Bust-a-wii to come out I just hope they add online multi-player...

  • DS_fan_atic

    Posted Sep 11, 2006 5:49 pm PT

    poor Majesco, it's ok, let Nintendo fix it.

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