Majesco Creating New Casual Game Studio

Videogame developer and publisher Majesco has announced that it will be forming a new studio to produce games exclusively for the casual market.

Jesse Sutton, Majesco's CEO, said, "We're excited about the opportunities that will result from this initiative and believe this move will allow us to build the same or better products as we do externally with similar or reduced costs. We also firmly believe that the creation and ownership of intellectual property increases long-term shareholder value."

The studio will be based on Los Angeles, with former Sega Vice President of Development Bill Petro heading the team. "Majesco is well positioned to succeed with the mass-market video game sector," Petro said. "I am excited to join such a dynamic organization and begin expanding its in-house capabilities."

Founded in 1986, Majesco's recent efforts with high-profile releases including Psychonauts and Advent Rising have faltered, but the company has found considerably greater success publishing lower-priced budget and casual titles.