For a game as peaceful and relaxing as the Cooking Mama series, you would assume that the game’s development is just as calm, right? Well, you’d be wrong there! In fact, the team who created the Cooking Mama franchise recently revealed they’re suing the Cooking Mama Cookstar developers. According to legal reports, this is mainly due to problems with licensing.
Earlier, Office Create, who are the creators of the fun cooking video game simulator, released a statement. As part of this statement, they clarified the situation between the company and Planet Entertainment. This latter company was the developer of the 2020 video game, Cooking Mama Cookstar, which was notably different from the other series games.
Office Create was the series’ main developer, if you weren’t aware. They developed almost all of the game’s titles since 2006, including the spinoff entries like Babysitting Mama and Gardening Mama. The first game in the series, titled Cooking Mama, came out on the Nintendo DS and was an immediate hit. So, it was no surprise when the Japanese development studio followed this up with numerous sequels. However, in 2020, they gave the rights to Planet Entertainment, allowing them to release Cooking Mama Cookstar on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.
Unfortunately, it seems the partnership was not as positive as your might think. Shortly before the game’s release, Office Create announced cancelling Cooking Mama Cookstar. According to their official report, “quality concerns” were the driving factor behind this cancellation. Despite this, Planet Entertainment continued to release the game anyway, despite Office Create not permitting them. So, Office Create decided to sue the company, and it seems things have reached a boiling point.
Cooking Mama Superstar Controversy
Image: Planet Entertainment
Earlier, Office Create released a statement about Cooking Mama Cookstar, including details about the legal battle with Planet Entertainment. In addition, the developers show their gratitude towards the fans for supporting the franchise. Here’s part of what they said:
“Planet Entertainment LLC released the Nintendo Switch version of ‘Cooking Mama: Cookstar’, which did not meet the quality standards approved by [Office Create]. In addition, in the US and Europe, the Company began advertising the sale of the Sony PlayStation 4 version of Cooking Mama: Cookstar, which [we] had not authorized in the license agreement in the first place.”
So, to combat the illegal release of this game, Office Create confirmed they have “filed arbitration proceedings in the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce.” This is directed mainly against Planet Entertainment, but it also includes the company’s CEO, Steve Grossman. Shortly before this, the International Chamber of Commerce concluded that Planet Entertainment had infringed Office Create’s rights to intellectual property. They also demanded that Grossman cover the cost of the damages and “prohibit any and all acts that misrepresent their association with [Office Create].”
Later, Office Create gave more information, revealing that Cooking Mama Cookstar won’t be available for purchase any longer. They said:
“In order to protect our important asset, the Cooking Mama series, and to ensure that our customers enjoy them, we are taking all legal action to remove Cooking Mama: Cookstar, manufactured and sold by Planet, from the market.”
Clearly, they were very unhappy with the game – and it’s not hard to see why!
Office Create and Planet Entertainment
Image: Planet Entertainment
Earlier, when Planet Entertainment first released Cooking Mama Cookstar, many critics and fans gave it poor reviews. They stated that the gameplay was repetitive, the controls were poor, and it didn’t add anything new to the franchise. After this, Office Create released an Apple Arcade exclusive title, Cooking Mama Cuisine, which received a much better reception.
Since 2006, there have been over 15 Cooking Mama titles. These have been on various systems, from the Nintendo DS to Apple Arcade. Clearly, it’s a franchise that won’t go away anytime soon. Now that the legal battle is almost over, hopefully, we’ll get another title in the series soon.