Analyst: Cooking Mama spices up Majesco's forecast

by Ross Miller { Jun 14th 2007 at 4:55PM }

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter said that publisher Majesco is "close to returning to profitability" and predicts the Cooking Mama series has earned sales of $15 million this quarter. That figure, according to Gamasutra, is above the $13 million consensus estimate for quarterly sales.

"We are increasingly positive on shares now that the company has been able to stabilize revenues in the $12 – 13 million quarterly range," he said, "and believe that Majesco can break even at $65 million in annual revenues."

Majesco had at one point hit the proverbial rock bottom, spurred by dismal sales of Advent Rising and Joystiq favorite Psychonauts. The publisher is moving into the black through its sales of budget titles (six DS, one Wii and one Xbox 360 titles are coming this quarter), and we fully expect them to keep with what works. Folks who were hoping for a high-budget Cooking Mama Xtreme Beach Cookoff will probably have to wait for at least a few years of profitability.

Tags: cooking mama, CookingMama, majesco, michael pachter, MichaelPachter, pachter

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Mr Khan @ Jun 14th 2007 5:16PM

Makes sense, but i hope this strategy will invite more home-grown low-scale developers (like Office Create, the people behind Cooking Mama), and eventually will lead them back to a profitable point enough so that they can make a sequel to psychonauts

Shockgamer M2B @ Jun 14th 2007 5:21PM

Lord, I had just rented Cooking Mama from Game Fly last weekend. I think I had more fun laughing AT the game than playing it.

"Wondaful! Betta than Mama!!"

sheppy @ Jun 14th 2007 5:27PM

I consider it a sad state of affair when a company takes a huge chance to back some unique IPs and be punished for it, so they retreat to making their usual stable of budget drops to offset the losses.

Gotta wonder, what kind of lesson is this teaching the game industry.

Matthew @ Jun 14th 2007 5:28PM

I really enjoyed Cooking Mama for the first little while at least. I think worse games have had success. I say good for Majesco.

Also, wonderful, better than mama.

Vidikron @ Jun 14th 2007 5:49PM

Open the can! What fun.

BulletToothTony @ Jun 14th 2007 6:14PM

wow look at those graphics... they're so real.. atari 2600 has come a long way!!

zwarrior @ Jun 14th 2007 6:26PM

#6, Troll much?

I never played the game and am surprised at the success it garnered

fawazr @ Jun 14th 2007 6:36PM

@ sheppy

You do realize that Majesco was directly penalized by fans who couldn't care less, right? I hate to get all 'blue ocean', but it's the widening of the gaming audience that allows for companies like Majesco to come back from the brink of oblivion. The handful of hardcore gamers sure as hell weren't gonna make Majesco rich, so why bother catering to them?

bl13 @ Jun 14th 2007 8:05PM

Sigh, if only more people bought Psychonauts.

Although I have to say, that game almost gives me seizures.

Matt B @ Jun 14th 2007 9:00PM

I think any game by any developer is a risk. But a coddling cooking game, c'mon.

Pippers @ Jun 15th 2007 12:41AM

Cooking Mama is actually a really kickass game. It's really fun to have cook offs with your friends. Spazzing out trying to figure out how to flip the pan correctly before everything gets burned is hilariously fun. It makes for a great rental if nothing else. We really need more games like this, a breath of fresh air.