Majesco

Majesco Games Corporation

Company type	Private (post-2017 management buyout)
Industry	Video games
Predecessor	Majesco Sales Inc., Majesco Entertainment Company
Founded	1986 (1986) in Edison, New Jersey, United States
Fate	Acquired by PolarityTE, Inc. in 2016; management buyout in 2017; acquired by Liquid Media Group in 2018
Headquarters	Hazlet , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Jesse Sutton (CEO post-2017)
Products	Video games, game publishing and distribution
Owner	Liquid Media Group (majority 51% share as of 2018)
Number of employees	5 (circa 2015) (2015)
Parent	Liquid Media Group (majority shareholder since 2018)

Majesco Games Corporation—previously known as Majesco Sales Inc. and Majesco Entertainment Company—is a United States-based video game publisher and distributor with its headquarters located in Hazlet, New Jersey. Established in 1986 in Edison, New Jersey, Majesco remained privately owned until a 2003 reverse merger with ConnectivCorp transformed it into a publicly traded entity. The merged company was renamed Majesco Holdings Inc. the following year, in 2004.

On December 1, 2016, the biotechnology company PolarityTE, Inc. acquired Majesco through a reverse merger, resulting in the discontinuation of Majesco’s video game business. In 2017, CEO Jesse Sutton led a management buyout to regain control and operate the company as a private entity once again. Subsequently, on January 15, 2018, Majesco was acquired by Liquid Media Group.

1986–1998

At its inception, Majesco concentrated on re-releasing discontinued titles by obtaining licenses to self-manufacture games for Nintendo and Sega systems, thereby carving out a sustainable niche within the market. In 1998, the company collaborated with Sega to produce the Genesis 3 console and Game Gear Core System. Additionally, it secured a publishing agreement with Hasbro Interactive to release games on handheld and console platforms such as the Game Boy Color.

1998–2016

During this period, Majesco transitioned towards internal game development through its Pipe-Dream Interactive division, established by Dan Kitchen and Kevin Mitchell—both formerly producers at Morning Star Multimedia. The company licensed popular franchises like Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six for the Sega Dreamcast and developed titles including Q*Bert for the Game Boy Color. Partnerships with major publishers such as Activision, THQ, and Codemasters broadened its offerings across platforms like PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, and European territories.

Majesco produced games for consoles including GameCube, Xbox, and PlayStation 2 while publishing notable series such as Bomberman. It also released PC titles like BloodRayne, developed by Terminal Reality. However, financial difficulties emerged following investments in high-budget projects such as Psychonauts and Advent Rising, which failed to meet commercial expectations despite favorable critical reception or anticipation. Among the company's top-selling products were GBA Video releases and Jaws Unleashed.

By 2006, financial pressures compelled Majesco to cancel projects like Demonik and Taxi Driver, prompting a strategic pivot toward value-priced and handheld games—highlighted by the success of the Cooking Mama franchise on Nintendo DS. The firm expanded into digital distribution via Steam with titles like Advent Rising and BloodRayne, inaugurated a casual gaming studio in Los Angeles in 2007, and initiated social gaming ventures including a Facebook adaptation of Bananagrams.

In 2011, Majesco strengthened its social gaming portfolio through the acquisition of Quick Hit, a developer specializing in that sector. Despite hopes for recovery following an underperforming fiscal year in 2013, losses persisted in 2014, leading to the shutdown of Midnight City and cancellation of the console version of Gone Home. In 2015, with a new CEO at the helm and workforce reduced to five employees, Majesco redirected its focus toward mobile and downloadable games, announcing upcoming projects such as Glue and a fresh installment of A Boy and His Blob.

On December 9, 2016, Majesco halted its entertainment operations after merging with biotech firm PolarityTE; this transaction resulted in PolarityTE acquiring Majesco’s NASDAQ ticker symbol COOL. By June 2017, PolarityTE divested Majesco’s assets, enabling the company to reestablish itself as an independent entity once more.

2017–present

Majesco made a return to the gaming industry on November 9, 2017, with the launch of Romans from Mars on the Steam platform. Subsequently, on January 15, 2018, Liquid Media Group acquired a majority 51% share in Majesco and appointed Jesse Sutton as its Gaming Advisor. Later that year, Majesco revealed plans for Coba: Tale of the Moon on Nintendo Switch, with ambitions to expand it into a comprehensive media franchise.

On June 15, 2020, Ziggurat Interactive purchased several intellectual properties from Majesco, including titles such as BloodRayne, Advent Rising, Flip's Twisted World, and Raze's Hell. Ziggurat pledged to modernize BloodRayne for current PC hardware, collaborating with the original developer Terminal Reality, and indicated intentions to further develop the series.

In 2021, Majesco announced a forthcoming Nintendo Switch version of Monster Tale, originally released on Nintendo DS; however, as of February 2025, this version has yet to be launched.

While Liquid Media Group no longer lists Majesco among its subsidiaries, no official statement regarding divestment has been made. Jesse Sutton remains a member of Majesco’s board but is no longer employed by Liquid Media and is engaged in other entrepreneurial activities.

Controversies and lawsuits

Former employees of Taldren, Inc. accused Majesco of deliberately orchestrating Taldren’s closure to gain control over the Black9 intellectual property. These allegations included delayed milestone payments and unauthorized use of "programmer assistance" to access source code.

To promote Advent Rising, Majesco organized an Xbox Live contest offering $1 million for discovering hidden symbols within the game. The contest was terminated on August 15, 2005, due to concerns over fairness and security. As restitution, participants were offered a choice among two complimentary games—BloodRayne 2, Guilty Gear X2 #Reload, Psychonauts, Raze's Hell, or Phantom Dust—alongside a public apology from Majesco.

In 2005, shareholders initiated a class action lawsuit alleging that Majesco shipped products to retailers with prior knowledge they would be returned, aiming to artificially inflate revenue and stock prices. A subsequent lawsuit filed in 2006 by Trinad Capital Master Fund accused the company of mismanagement; both cases were resolved by 2007.

In 2011, Majesco was named among defendants in litigation concerning alleged patent infringements related to motion control technology used in Nintendo Wii games. The Federal Circuit ruled in favor of Majesco and other defendants in 2018.

Subsidiaries

• Pipe Dream Interactive
• Majesco Studios Santa Monica
• Midnight City: Founded on August 29, 2013, this indie publishing label focuses on delivering independent games to console platforms.

Games published

• Advent Rising (Xbox, Microsoft Windows)
• Æon 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)
• Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (Nintendo DS, Wii, Xbox 360)
• 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 & Bruised (GameCube, PlayStation 2)
• Blast Works: Build, Trade, Destroy (Wii)
• Blokus Portable: Steambot Championship (PSP)
• The BloodRayne franchise (PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, Microsoft Windows; includes titles like BloodRayne 2 and BloodRayne: Betrayal)
• BlowOut (PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox; also available on Xbox Originals for Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows)
• Both Bomberman Generation and Bomberman Jetters (GameCube)
• Various entries in the Bomberman Max series (Game Boy Advance)
• Boxing Fever (Game Boy Advance)
• A Boy and His Blob (Wii)
• Brain Boost series and multiple Bust-A-Move games for Nintendo DS and Wii
• Several licensed titles such as the Cooking Mama, Gardening Mama, and their sequels across Nintendo platforms in North America
• The WayForward Technologies-developed title Double Dragon Neon (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
• Drake of the 99 Dragons (Xbox, Microsoft Windows)
• Numerous Nintendo DS releases including Eco Creatures, Fish Tycoon, as well as educational titles like Left Brain, Right Brain
• A variety of Wii games including Flip's Twisted World, Freddi Fish: Kelp Seed Mystery, along with fitness-oriented titles like those featuring Jillian Michaels
• Action and sports games such as Greg Hastings' Paintball 2, fighting game Guilty Gear Dust Strikers, and racing games like HSX: Hypersonic Xtreme
• Prominent franchises including Jaws Unleashed, the cult classic Phantom Dust, and Kinect-based NBA Baller Beats
• A broad assortment of casual and family-friendly games spanning platforms like Nintendo DS, Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC

External links

• Majesco Entertainment company profile at MobyGames