Majesco Entertainment is announcing today that it is making a bigger investment in Facebook games with the coming launch of its Parking Wars 2. Like many other traditional game companies, publicly traded game publisher Majesco is pivoting into what’s hot.
It will be interesting to see if companies such as Majesco, which have been established in console and handheld video games for a long time, can make the leap into social and mobile games as new, faster-growing players emerge in those markets.
Majesco has a license to make a game based on the popular Parking Wars TV show on A&E. It hired Area/Code to make the game and will formally launch the game by May, said Jesse Sutton, chief executive of Edison, N.J.-based Majesco.
“As Facebook becomes more mature, we are making it part of our strategy,” Sutton said. “Our focus will be on brands, brands, brands” for casual audiences such as boys, girls, families and adult women.
Majesco makes popular games such as the Mama series of games for handhelds and consoles. It published Cooking Mama for Facebook in recent months and the game has spread to more than 1 million monthly active users. Sutton says the company has gotten the quality, retention and monetization figured out on that game and is applying those lessons to the new game.
The new Parking Wars 2 game is being published under unusual circumstances. Majesco commissioned New York-based Area/Code to develop the game. But Zynga agreed to acquire Area/Code in January. Area/Code will finish the game for Majesco, but the game will be published by Majesco, which has a much smaller base of users on Facebook than Zynga, the market leader on Facebook. Sutton said the Area/Code developers were committed to finishing the game and Zynga agreed that they could do so. At some point, Majesco may take over the full maintenance of the ongoing game after the formal launch.
The Area/Code deal highlights a growing problem for smaller publishers like Majesco. There are lots of Flash game developers making games for Facebook, but there aren’t many with a proven track record for making hits. Once a development firm becomes famous for its work, it is often acquired by one of the leaders in the social game or traditional game business. That’s making it tougher for Majesco and other publishers to find the talent to make good games, Sutton said.
“There are very few of these companies now,” Sutton said. “When they show a little success, they are acquired by someone.”
Sutton said his company hopes that brands will play a bigger role on Facebook in the coming years. Spending lots of money marketing original games on Facebook is how Zynga and other big players approach the market. But Majesco doesn’t have that kind of marketing firepower. So it relies on the brand deals. This year, Sutton hopes to establish a trio of titles with strong traffic on Facebook, measured in the millions of monthly active users. Majesco’s first Facebook game was Bananagrams, launched in 2009.
Sutton said Majesco will continue to invest in console and portable game devices such as the Nintendo 3DS, the Nintendo Wii and the Microsoft Xbox 360 with Kinect. One of the company’s big hits is the Zumba game for Kinect. Majesco may also expand into mobile games on the iPhone and Android platform.
Majesco has 85 employees, with internal game producers making games with teams of external developers. In the Parking Wars 2 game, you park your car on a street and feed the meter. Then you try to give your friends tickets. You can buy consumable items such as a brick to throw through the window of your friends’ cars. You can also buy virtual goods to customize your street or car.
In its last fiscal year, Majesco reported revenues of $75.6 million, down 20 percent from a year ago. The loss per share was 3 cents compared to 24 cents a year earlier. Clearly, the company needs to score big with its new initiatives.
Next Story: Car-sharing service RelayRides raises $5.1M from Google Ventures Previous Story: Tesla’s Model S update: pricing and deliveries
What do taxation, social media and self-development have in common? All three play a big part in this small business news roundup as we look at top small business stories from around the Web.
Tax Repeals & Realities
A controversial 1099 expansion will be repealed. But lawmakers are now complaining they will have a hard time paying for it. The extremely unpopular expansion of reporting requirements placed on businesses that spend money with multiple vendors would have been costly and time consuming, especially for small business. But extra revenue was supposed to cover some of the costs for an equally unpopular new health care law. The Hill
Things you’d better remember at tax time. As tax time rolls around, there are a few things you will definitely want to keep in mind to avoid costly mistakes for your business. If you’re a business owner, Miranda Marquit has some important tips you will want to keep handy. An important part of running your business is making sure that tax and other financial issues are handled correctly. This post lists at least five things you must not forget. AllBusiness
Reforms & Deductions
A tax overhaul for small businesses? How would a proposed overhaul of the U.S. tax structure affect small business and, as the often-touted engine of economic recovery, shouldn’t small business concerns be in the forefront when considering any comprehensive changes to the tax law? At least two lawmakers think the answer is yes and plan to hold bi-partisan hearings to discuss how small business concerns can be addressed. WSJ
10 small business tax deductions you won’t want to miss. Even though these deductions are often forgotten about, any tax deduction can represent an important tax savings that can help your small business’s bottom line. Certainly small business owners must be responsible citizens paying the taxes they owe, but make sure your business is also taking advantage of every break afforded you as well. Huffington Post
Facebook & Twitter
How do you “like” the changes on Facebook? That’s right, recently the social media giant announced plans to tweak some of its most popular (and perhaps overused?) functions. Many small businesses now use Facebook for marketing as well, which gives the recently publicized change added significance to those engaged in FB online marketing. How will the change affect you? E-Marketing Associates
Who are all those phony baloney tweeters out there? Rick LaPoint sorts out fact from fiction where fake twitter followers are concerned. Who are they? How do I know whether they are real? Should I follow them back and WHY are they so popular? If you’re like many business and marketing folks who have taken to the twitterverse in pursuit of real people to do business with, you’ll want to read this post about some of the phantoms that haunt the world of microblogging. Internet Marketing
LinkedIn & Blogging
And speaking of Facebook and Twitter. Guess what two social media channels did not rank highest for acquisition of new customers in a survey recently conducted by HubSpot. Want to know where your concentration should be in terms of social media channels that see the greatest results when it comes to winning new clients and customers? Then look no further. Dawn Westerberg Consulting
Is there a secret to writing great blog posts for your business? If so than this article blows the lid off with some simple intuitive and time honored techniques passed down from some of the best. It’s all distilled into a simple guide designed to make you a better blogger for your business. If you haven’t yet figured out how to translate your ideas into posts that will keep your potential customers coming back for more, here is the perfect starting point. Solo Biz Coach
Personal Finance
Financial planning for your small business. One of the strengths of your small business may also be its chief liability. It is the fact that you alone may be responsible for many of the functions of the business and that, without you, it might be hard for your family to maintain the business and the income it provides. Here are some considerations that may help when planning for the future, good and bad. Open Forum
Self-development
Taking time out. Sometimes the key to more efficiency and productivity is to take time out when needed. In a small business, things can become overwhelming. If you’re the only one who handles most things in your company, be sure you occasionally give yourself a break from the pressure. Taking time out allows you to recharge and helps you be more productive in the long run. Sian Phillips
From Small Business TrendsSmall Business News: Taxation, Social Media and Self-development Roundup
bench craft company reviews
Antique Gold Chain Worth $250000 Found Off Florida - AOL <b>News</b>
Bill Burt, a diver searching for the wreckage of the Spanish ship Nuestra Senora de Atocha, finds a 17th century chain worth $250000 on the ocean floor.
<b>News</b> FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and Funny Pictures
epic fail photos - news fail. ... Fox News… not impressed… Reply � letitbito says: March 28, 2011 at 8:19 pm. like it. Reply. Jordan says: March 28, 2011 at 8:35 pm. Chuck Norris is scoring with your mother, you should be thankful. ...
Plutonium detected in soil at Fukushima nuke plant | Kyodo <b>News</b>
''We must control the water well so it won't ever go outside'' the complex, said Sakae Muto, vice president of TEPCO, at a news conference. TEPCO revealed the elevated radiation levels in trench water a day after it first detected them, ...
No comments:
Post a Comment