MumboJumbo Acquires Ritual Entertainment, Next Luxor to Feature Boobies?

[badman]

Family reunions are fun, right? Well, you may remember that in early 2001, Ritual Entertainment announced that it was deporting its then-CEO Ron Dimant to a new island to create MumboJumbo along with then-president Mark Dochtermann. It seems that the venture paid off in more ways than one, as today MumboJumbo announced that it is not only awesome at creating so-called "premium casual games", but also that it has acquired Ritual Entertainment, merging the Tribe into its operations and (re-)creating a big, though somewhat more casual, happy family.

The press release is a little unspecific about Ritual's immediate future and has no information on SiN Episodes at all, but hopefully Ritual's new supreme commander (no, not that one, this one) will have some information for us soon. Here is the obligatory marketing speak, with an extra dash of trademark symbols:

“MumboJumbo™ established the casual games category at retail, and the purchase of Ritual Entertainment™ is consistent with our strategy to bring high-quality casual game content to the major platforms,” said Ron Dimant, who left his post as chief executive officer of Ritual Entertainment™ in 2001 to found MumboJumbo™. “The combination of Ritual’s™ high-end, multi-platform expertise and our own industry-leading publishing model will set the bar for quality and sophistication in casual games and create a major industry powerhouse. The casual games market is beginning to mature as evidenced by an increase in consumer expectations. Ultimately, the companies providing the best content will win, which is why we are investing so heavily in the development of technology and original IP.”

Click here to read the full press release. Who knows, maybe the next Luxor will have you launching balls at Elexis Sinclaire's oversized chest for that extra bit of bounciness.

[LeftE]

I, for one, welcome our new MonkeyBall-riding overlords!

(Long live Levelord)

[Xenogenetic]

So is www.mumbojumboistic.com registered yet?

[Blade_cop]

Let me get this straight, so this company is going to help Ritual with Sin Episodes, right?

[Curly]

Originally Posted by badman

Family reunions are fun, right? Well, you may remember that in early 2001, Ritual Entertainment announced that it was deporting its then-CEO Ron Dimant to a new island to create MumboJumbo along with then-president Mark Dochtermann. It seems that the venture paid off in more ways than one, as today MumboJumbo announced that it is not only awesome at creating so-called "premium casual games", but also that it has acquired Ritual Entertainment, merging the Tribe into its operations and (re-)creating a big, though somewhat more casual, happy family.

The press release is a little unspecific about Ritual's immediate future and has no information on SiN Episodes at all, but hopefully Ritual's new supreme commander (no, not that one, this one) will have some information for us soon. Here is the obligatory marketing speak, with an extra dash of trademark symbols:

“MumboJumbo™ established the casual games category at retail, and the purchase of Ritual Entertainment™ is consistent with our strategy to bring high-quality casual game content to the major platforms,” said Ron Dimant, who left his post as chief executive officer of Ritual Entertainment™ in 2001 to found MumboJumbo™. “The combination of Ritual’s™ high-end, multi-platform expertise and our own industry-leading publishing model will set the bar for quality and sophistication in casual games and create a major industry powerhouse. The casual games market is beginning to mature as evidenced by an increase in consumer expectations. Ultimately, the companies providing the best content will win, which is why we are investing so heavily in the development of technology and original IP.”

Click here to read the full press release. Who knows, maybe the next Luxor will have you launching balls at Elexis Sinclaire's oversized chest for that extra bit of bounciness.

Violence/gore > casual

[Raveness]

We can kiss SiN Episodes goodbye. Or maybe episode #2 will be SiN Pinball (Sinball) or possibly Freeport Hold'em.

[Curly]

Originally Posted by Blade_cop

Let me get this straight, so this company is going to help Ritual with Sin Episodes, right?

They will if they know what's good for them.

[Blade_cop]

Originally Posted by Curly

They will if they know what's good for them.

Thanks, just wanted to know.

Ritual is dead

[Hudson]

I can't believe this.. Ritual is gone man.

They're going to be making Bejeweled clones

[TonicBH]

Whoa whoa hey hold up!

We're not quite sure if this means the end of Sin Episodes QUITE yet. Don't spout gloom and doom especially if we're not sure what these guys have up their sleeves yet.

When they actually announce its cancellation, THEN start flailing your arms in panic.

[Curly]

It looks very much like no chance for either
SE2, SE1 official multiplayer or any upgrades
for Sin/WOS. Too bad.

http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=15054

[Cynosure]

Lets all riot!

I WANT MORE SIN!!!!!

[Xenogenetic]

Looks Like Ritual Just Got ****ed In The Ass

[Onden]

Pertinent part from the article Curly linked.

Alas, what this means for Ritual and its fans is a new era. In fact, it would appear that new games in the SiN series and others won't be happening anytime soon now that Ritual is owned by MumboJumbo. "The idea of acquiring Ritual was to have them strengthen our development in the casual genre and not to have them involved at all in the action style games," Cottam explained. "If there's an opportunity to have them do something on the SiN episodes, we would look at that, but that will not be the focus of the company. The combined companies will focus exclusively on casual, unless opportunities present themselves that we think are strategic from a business standpoint... Again, I wouldn't close the door on [traditional games] but that's not the primary focus."

From Mark Cottam, CEO of MumboJumbo.

Continuing a franchise, with what all evidence points to was meager sales, is not very "stategic from a business standpoint." Pretty sure we can now conclusively say it's dead, Jim.

[Blade_cop]

Originally Posted by Onden

Pertinent part from the article Curly linked.

Alas, what this means for Ritual and its fans is a new era. In fact, it would appear that new games in the SiN series and others won't be happening anytime soon now that Ritual is owned by MumboJumbo. "The idea of acquiring Ritual was to have them strengthen our development in the casual genre and not to have them involved at all in the action style games," Cottam explained. "If there's an opportunity to have them do something on the SiN episodes, we would look at that, but that will not be the focus of the company. The combined companies will focus exclusively on casual, unless opportunities present themselves that we think are strategic from a business standpoint... Again, I wouldn't close the door on [traditional games] but that's not the primary focus."

From Mark Cottam, CEO of MumboJumbo.

Continuing a franchise, with what all evidence points to was meager sales, is not very "stategic from a business standpoint." Pretty sure we can now conclusively say it's dead, Jim.

So your saying Sin episodes is gone forever!?!?!?

[Xenogenetic]

Yep
ihavetolengthenthistotencharacters

[Curly]

I, for one, would never pay 19.95 for any of
mumbojumbos current catalog of "premium casual
games" when you could most likely find the same
type of games on sites like gamehippo.com for
free.

And to think that only this morning I was happily
oblivious to the words "casual games".

[Xenogenetic]

You don't like the endless list of pong and tetris knock-offs?

[Curly]

Originally Posted by Xenogenetic

You don't like the endless list of pong and tetris knock-offs?

Not enough to spend money on, no.
I noticed that the mumbojumbo website will allow me
to write user reviews and rate their current games.
Not very wise.

[Hudson]

Originally Posted by Curly

It looks very much like no chance for either
SE2, SE1 official multiplayer or any upgrades
for Sin/WOS. Too bad.

http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=15054

It's cliché, but yeah, they sold out. SiN:E must have destroyed the company.

Go piracy!

[Xenogenetic]

Especially if they don't let Ritual finish SiN

[Onden]

So I'm just thinking, how does a FPS developer translate well into making casual games?

I mean can you guys really see Levelord™ working on the next version of Zuma or whatever? Is he going to become BreakoutCloneBrickLayoutLord™?

Seriously though, presumably the programmers and artists who joined Ritual did so not just because they were looking for a job, but also because they wanted to make hardcore action games. How can moving into casual games like this be fulfilling for them in any way?

I wouldn't be surprised if most of the remaining Ritual employees jumped ship and the company becomes nothing more than a hollow name.

[Hudson]

I'm hoping most of the people move on to other studios. I think the talent that went into SiN:E would be lost if they were put to work on "Go! Go! Super Magic Solitaire IV"

Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll release some source code before their dying breath.

[Curly]

I still can't understand mumbo jumbos' logic in
acquiring Ritual. Mumbo jumbo will undoubtedly
"downsize"(fire just about everyone associated
with Ritual) because that's what one company
typically does when acquiring another company.
What does Mumbo Jumbo want with a FPS developer
anyway? What is their motivation?