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MumboJumbo Acquires Ritual Entertainment [January 24, 2007, 3:28 pm ET] - 9 CommentsCasual games developer MumboJumbo announces they have acquired Ritual Entertainment, capping a period of change at the Dallas-based developer that has seen the departure of some long-time employees: DALLAS, TX – January 24, 2007 – MumboJumbo(TM), a leading developer of premium casual games, today announced it has acquired Ritual Entertainment(TM), a veteran game development studio with expertise in game design and artistic quality. In addition to the strategic importance of the deal, which strengthens MumboJumbo’s(TM) ability to deliver the best games to the casual gaming audience, the acquisition further solidifies the company’s presence as one of the largest casual game studios in the industry. “MumboJumbo(TM) established the casual games category at retail, and the purchase of Ritual Entertainment(TM) 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(TM) in 2001 to found MumboJumbo(TM). “The combination of Ritual’s(TM) 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.” “The disciplined structure of high end game development requires an in depth understanding of sophisticated tools and design techniques,” said Robert Atkins of Ritual Entertainment(TM). “Ritual’s(TM) expertise in these areas complements MumboJumbo’s(TM) mass market approach to casual game development and gives us a true competitive advantage.” With over 30 employees and more than 10 years in the games industry, Ritual Entertainment(TM) has contributed and developed several mainstream, hit titles on all platforms including "25 To Life," "Delta Force - Black Hawk Down," "Counter Strike," "Painkiller," "Quake 4," and the "SiN" franchise of games, among others. In recent months, MumboJumbo(TM) has brought the popular "LUXOR(TM)" franchise and other top-selling titles such as "Super Collapse" and "7 Wonders of the Ancient World" to numerous platforms including Xbox Live(R) Arcade, Nintendo DS(TM), and the Sony PSP(TM) (Playstation(R) Portable) handheld. The acquisition of Ritual(TM) marks the most significant instance in casual gaming history of a mainstream game development house migrating to a casual game publisher.
SiN Episodes Still Coming, Despite AcquisitionStudio also eyeing Xbox Live Arcade for future releases.By Dan Dormer, 01/25/2007As reported yesterday, Ritual Entertainment was purchased by MumboJumbo. However, this acquisition apparently doesn't mean the end of SiN Episodes, according to an interview conducted by GameIndustry.biz with Ritual CEO Ken Haward.When asked about the franchise's future, the follow up to SiN Episodes: Emergence, Haward remained vague but optimistic. "Even though the Episodes are smaller than traditional games, they are still "Triple A" titles in terms of planning, development, and polish. So, when we're ready to talk about it, we will. Until then, it's done when it's done, just like with most other big titles," he said.And on the topic of XBL, a platform Ritual has previously looked at for distribution, Haward maintained the company's position. "Xbox Live is a great platform. We look forward to be able to announce games for it."In wrap: SiN Episodes is still alive, even if it might be on life support.
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."
