The 2005 Version of the ET-Atari Landfill goes to.

SirFozzie · 07-21-2005, 02:02 AM

From a video game board I hang out at..
G4's "Attack of the Show" just ran a story about how Majesco announced earlier in the week horrid sales for both Psychonauts and the first game in the Advent Trilogy. Majesco is now facing several shareholder lawsuits with plaintiffs arguing that Majesco knew that Psychonauts would fail and created a false hype for it to boost the stock price.

Look, I know Grim Fandango is now a legendary cult game, but it never sold well when it came out 7 years ago so I don't know why anyone thought this would be a huge hit.

The marketing campaign was abysmal, the TV commercials never really explained what the game was about, making it look like some sort of bizarre cross between "Harry Potter" and "A Nightmare Before Christmas."

'Oh, that guy sneezed his brains out and that other guy is using the brain to create a death ray. I must fucking run to EB and get this game immediately.'

SackAttack · 07-21-2005, 02:23 AM

Psychonauts is related to Grim Fandango?

SackAttack · 07-21-2005, 02:24 AM

Also, the hype on Psychonauts well predates Majesco, so I don't know why anybody's blaming the CEO for that.

SirFozzie · 07-21-2005, 02:29 AM

here's an article from The Inquirer (the English paper, not the tabloid)

THE SUMMER of legal love in the IT world has spread its tentacles to the gaming industry today with publisher Majesco having four different suits launched against it, three in the same day, and with more expected to follow. The really interesting thing about this one is that it is the companies own shareholders who are filing suit.

The company’s fortunes over the last couple of months have been mixed. Just before E3 in May they released Psychonauts to rave reviews and it had bought licences such as Taxi Driver and Aeon Flux. Its stock price was at $9 a share just before the show and after it they posted excellent expected results of between $175 to $185 million in revenue and a profit of between $16 to $18 million.

However, a month after E3 the boss quit as expected earnings dropped to $120 to $125 million in revenue and the profit dropped to an operating loss of $16 to $19 million. The stock price has hit rock bottom at $3.25 a share and now the companies shareholders are filing suit against the company, claiming it mislead them with short term rosy figures that they knew they would have to revise downwards to current levels at a later date.

Slow sales of Psychonauts and their other big launch Advent Rising have contributed and now the company is in a lot of hot water with the four class-action suits already filed and more expected to follow. At the very least shareholders suing company’s makes a change from the usual AMD sues Intel and err, AMD sues Intel again stories we’ve been hearing…

Draft Dodger · 07-21-2005, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Psychonauts is related to Grim Fandango?

I think they are being compared as really good games that just didn't sell very well when they came out.

TroyF · 07-21-2005, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

I think they are being compared as really good games that just didn't sell very well when they came out.

I thought the same designer made both games.

jeff061 · 07-21-2005, 08:31 AM

Tim Schaefer made both games.

MikeVic · 07-21-2005, 08:32 AM

2005 Version of ET? I thought ET was a horrible, horrible game? Is Psychonauts supposed to be good?

Blackadar · 07-21-2005, 08:32 AM

I'm going to pick up psychonauts...it got some great reviews.

gstelmack · 07-21-2005, 08:36 AM

The latest OXM has a blurb saying basically "Please go buy Psychonauts. It's a great game, Majesco took a chance on it, and we don't want to kill off publishers taking chances on different games just because they're different, but this one is selling really poorly."

moriarty · 07-21-2005, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackadar

I'm going to pick up psychonauts...it got some great reviews.

Never heard of it, but after reading some of the reviews I'm interested. I loved Grim Fandango.

Draft Dodger · 07-21-2005, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeff061

Tim Schaefer made both games.

wow, no kidding.
in that case, the game industry could use about 10,000 more guys like Tim Schaefer

jeff061 · 07-21-2005, 09:26 AM

Other games he worked on:

The Secret of Monkey Island
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge
Day of the Tentacle
Full Throttle

All classics, too bad adventure games don't sell any more.

Shkspr · 07-21-2005, 09:52 AM

I really wanted to play Psychonauts. Reeeeally was looking forward to it.

Then I saw the artwork.

I don't want to play a game where the lead character is a shriveled up little potato, I'm sorry. Visually, the game is an ugly mess, the box is an uglier mess, and the news that it is selling horribly is not at all newsworthy.

Advent Rising is apparently the opposite, a beautiful game whose vaunted storyline by Orson Scott Card and gameplay mechanics are for crap. Next time, give us the art direction of Advent Rising with the controls and story of Psychonauts.

stkelly52 · 07-21-2005, 10:18 AM

I picked up Psychonauts with my Blockbuster pass, and I have to say that I have been very impressed with it. It is a very entertaining game and certainly worth buying.

sterlingice · 07-21-2005, 01:27 PM

Can we sue studios for overhyping bad movies and misleading shareholders?

SI

07-21-2005, 02:29 AM	#4
SirFozzie Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: The State of Insanity	here's an article from The Inquirer (the English paper, not the tabloid) THE SUMMER of legal love in the IT world has spread its tentacles to the gaming industry today with publisher Majesco having four different suits launched against it, three in the same day, and with more expected to follow. The really interesting thing about this one is that it is the companies own shareholders who are filing suit. The company’s fortunes over the last couple of months have been mixed. Just before E3 in May they released Psychonauts to rave reviews and it had bought licences such as Taxi Driver and Aeon Flux. Its stock price was at $9 a share just before the show and after it they posted excellent expected results of between $175 to $185 million in revenue and a profit of between $16 to $18 million. However, a month after E3 the boss quit as expected earnings dropped to $120 to $125 million in revenue and the profit dropped to an operating loss of $16 to $19 million. The stock price has hit rock bottom at $3.25 a share and now the companies shareholders are filing suit against the company, claiming it mislead them with short term rosy figures that they knew they would have to revise downwards to current levels at a later date. Slow sales of Psychonauts and their other big launch Advent Rising have contributed and now the company is in a lot of hot water with the four class-action suits already filed and more expected to follow. At the very least shareholders suing company’s makes a change from the usual AMD sues Intel and err, AMD sues Intel again stories we’ve been hearing… __________________ Check out Foz's New Video Game Site, An 8-bit Mind in an 8GB world! http://an8bitmind.com

07-21-2005, 08:31 AM	#7
jeff061 Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: MA	Tim Schaefer made both games. __________________ Last edited by jeff061 : 07-21-2005 at 08:33 AM.

07-21-2005, 08:36 AM	#10
gstelmack Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Cary, NC	The latest OXM has a blurb saying basically "Please go buy Psychonauts. It's a great game, Majesco took a chance on it, and we don't want to kill off publishers taking chances on different games just because they're different, but this one is selling really poorly." __________________ -- Greg -- Author of various FOF utilities

07-21-2005, 09:26 AM	#13
jeff061 Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: MA	Other games he worked on: The Secret of Monkey Island Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge Day of the Tentacle Full Throttle All classics, too bad adventure games don't sell any more. __________________ Last edited by jeff061 : 07-21-2005 at 09:27 AM.

07-21-2005, 10:18 AM	#15
stkelly52 College Benchwarmer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Seattle WA	I picked up Psychonauts with my Blockbuster pass, and I have to say that I have been very impressed with it. It is a very entertaining game and certainly worth buying. __________________ Check out an undrafted free agent's attempt to make the Hall of Fame: Running to the Hall Now nominated for a Golden Scribe!

07-21-2005, 02:23 AM	#2
SackAttack Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Green Bay, WI	Psychonauts is related to Grim Fandango?

07-21-2005, 02:24 AM	#3
SackAttack Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Green Bay, WI	Also, the hype on Psychonauts well predates Majesco, so I don't know why anybody's blaming the CEO for that.

07-21-2005, 08:32 AM	#8
MikeVic Head Coach Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hometown of Canada	2005 Version of ET? I thought ET was a horrible, horrible game? Is Psychonauts supposed to be good?

07-21-2005, 08:32 AM	#9
Blackadar Retired Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Fantasyland	I'm going to pick up psychonauts...it got some great reviews.

07-21-2005, 09:52 AM	#14
Shkspr College Benchwarmer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Amarillo, TX	I really wanted to play Psychonauts. Reeeeally was looking forward to it. Then I saw the artwork. I don't want to play a game where the lead character is a shriveled up little potato, I'm sorry. Visually, the game is an ugly mess, the box is an uglier mess, and the news that it is selling horribly is not at all newsworthy. Advent Rising is apparently the opposite, a beautiful game whose vaunted storyline by Orson Scott Card and gameplay mechanics are for crap. Next time, give us the art direction of Advent Rising with the controls and story of Psychonauts.

07-21-2005, 01:27 PM	#16
sterlingice Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Back in Houston!	Can we sue studios for overhyping bad movies and misleading shareholders? SI __________________ Houston Hippopotami, III.3: 20th Anniversary Thread - All former HT players are encouraged to check it out! Janos: "Only America could produce an imbecile of your caliber!" Freakazoid: "That's because we make lots of things better than other people!"

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