Majesco's Mama Defends Herself Against PETA
On Monday, PETA released a browser-based parody of the game, designed to dissuade people from eating meat " particularly turkeys this Thanksgiving.
The protest was timed to coincide with Majesco's debut of Cooking Mama World Kitchen, which shipped this week for the Wii game system.
Yesterday, Majesco's "Mama" herself defended the game against PETA's accusations.
In a statement from the gaming company, "Mama" noted: "I would never put rat in my Ratatouille Like any accomplished cook, I create my recipes to appeal to a broad range of tastes and preferences. My only goal is to ensure you leave the table well-fed."
The company took the opportunity to further promote World Kitchen's content, which it said includes more than 25 vegetarian-friendly recipes including breakfast, dinner, dessert and snack options.
For its part, PETA seemed satisfied with Mama's response: "Based on your and Majesco's good-natured responses to PETA's game, I think you understand that although we made you into a demonic, knife-wielding maniac in Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals, we still love you," wrote Joel Bartlett, PETA's assistant director of marketing, in his blog. "While we had a good time roasting you, the real purpose of our game, of course, was to bring to light some of the horrific practices of the turkey industry."
All the attention will likely add up to more sales for the game maker. That's obviously good news for a company that came close to bankruptcy only a few years ago, after investing in larger-scale, big-budget games that flopped at retail. Its revamped strategy is to be a player in the "casual gaming" segment, which enjoys a lower cost structure. In its third quarter, the company saw net revenue to $14.5 million, up 44 percent versus $10 million in revenue in 2007.
At the very least, Majesco can always further the series along with a Cooking Mama Vegetarian World addition. The folks at PETA have already promised to promote it -- should it ever be developed -- to the organization's 2 million members and supporters.