UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

 

 

Commission File No. 000-51128

MAJESCO ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

160 Raritan Center Parkway

Edison, New Jersey 08837

(Address of principal executive office)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (732) 225-8910

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: NONE

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

 

Common Stock, Par Value $0.001

(Title of class)

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Yes o     No þ

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.  Yes o     No þ

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and, (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes þ     No o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes o     No o

 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein and, will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

 

(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).  Yes o     No þ

 

The aggregate market value of the common stock held by non-affiliates as of April 30, 2009 was $25.7 million.

 

The outstanding number of shares of common stock as of January 28, 2010 was 38,608,657.

 

The Registrant’s proxy or information statement is incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

Forward-looking Statements

 

Statements in this annual report on Form 10-K that are not historical facts constitute forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our or our industry’s actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Those factors include, among other things, those listed under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this annual report. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions. Actual events or results may differ materially. Moreover, neither we nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of these statements. We are under no duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this annual report to conform these statements to actual results.

 

Introduction

 

We are a provider of video game products primarily for the family oriented, mass market consumer. Our products allow us to capitalize on the large and growing installed base of interactive entertainment enthusiasts on a variety of different consoles, and handheld platforms. We sell our products primarily to large retail chains, specialty retail stores, video game rental outlets and distributors. We have developed our retail and distribution network relationships over our 23-year history.

 

We publish video games for almost all major current generation interactive entertainment hardware platforms, including Nintendo’s DS, DSi and Wii, Sony’s PlayStation 2, or PS2, and PlayStation Portable, or PSP^®, Microsoft’s Xbox and Xbox 360 and the personal computer, or PC and other mobile devices.

 

Our video game titles are targeted at various demographics at a range of price points. In some instances, these titles are based on licenses of well known properties and, in other cases based on original properties. We collaborate and enter into agreements with content providers and video game development studios for the creation of our video games.

 

Due to the larger budget requirements for developing and marketing premium console titles for core gamers, we focus on publishing more casual games targeting mass market consumers. In particular, we have focused on the Nintendo DS and Wii, which attract our target demographics. More recently, other platforms such as Xbox 360 have begun to see mass market adoption, and we have begun to develop games for this platform. We will continue to evaluate opportunities to reach our target demographic as other platforms move in this direction. We currently have 13 Wii, 8 DS and 1 DSi games in development.

 

Corporate Background

 

Our principal executive offices are located at 160 Raritan Center Parkway, Edison, NJ 08837, and our telephone number is (732) 225-8910. Our web site address is www.majescoentertainment.com. Majesco Sales Inc. was incorporated in 1986 under the laws of the State of New Jersey. On December 5, 2003, Majesco Sales Inc. completed a reverse merger with Majesco Holdings Inc. (formerly ConnectivCorp), then a publicly traded company with no active operations. Majesco Holdings Inc. was incorporated in 1998 under the laws of the State of Delaware. As a result of the merger, Majesco Sales Inc. became a wholly-owned subsidiary and the sole operating business of the public company. On April 4, 2005, Majesco Sales Inc. was merged into Majesco Holdings Inc., and, in connection with the merger, Majesco Holdings Inc. changed its name to Majesco Entertainment Company.

Industry Overview

 

The interactive entertainment industry is mainly comprised of video game hardware platforms, video game software and peripherals. Within this industry, North American combined sales of video game hardware, video game software and video game peripherals were approximately $19.7 billion in 2009 according to the NPD Group, a global provider of consumer market research information.

 

Video Game Hardware Platforms

 

Video game hardware platforms are comprised of home game consoles, or consoles, and portable handheld game devices, or handhelds, as well as multi-functional devices such as PCs, Personal Digital Assistants, or PDAs, and mobile phones. The current generation of consoles includes Nintendo’s Wii, Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360. On November 22, 2005, Microsoft launched the first of the next-generation consoles, the Xbox 360. According to the NPD Group, a global provider of consumer and retail market research information, the installed base for the Xbox 360 as of December 2009 was approximately 18.6 million. Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s Wii, were released in North America on November 17, 2006 and November 19, 2006, respectively. According to the NPD Group, the installed bases for the Wii and PlayStation 3 as of December 2009 were approximately 27 million and 11.1 million, respectively. These advanced consoles feature improved graphics capabilities, increased storage capacity and incremental online, wireless and multi-media entertainment functionality intended to attract a wider audience.

 

The current generation of handhelds is dominated by Nintendo’s DS, which launched in November 2004 and features a dual screen, wi-fi capability, higher capacity storage media than its predecessor Game Boy Advance, and is backward compatible with GBA cartridges. On June 11, 2006, Nintendo released the DS Lite, a 20% lighter update of the original DS that was also slimmer and brighter. According to the NPD Group, the North American Nintendo DS installed base is 38.7 million as of December 2009. In April 2009, Nintendo released the DSi, the third generation DS that features larger screens, a camera, downloadable applications and more. In March 2005, Sony launched the Sony PlayStation Portable system. According to the NPD Group, the North American PSP installed base was approximately 16.8 million as of December 2009.

 

The ability of multi-functional devices, such as PCs, PDAs and mobile phones, to serve as video game platforms has also been greatly enhanced. This is due to periodic advances in microprocessors, graphics chips, storage capacity, operating systems and media and digital rights management. These advances have enabled developers to introduce video games for multi-functional devices with enhanced game play technology and high resolution graphics.

 

Video Game Software

 

Video game software is created by the console and handheld manufacturers and by independent publishers and developers. Console and handheld manufacturers license publishers to develop video games for their platforms and retain a significant degree of control over the content, quality and manufacturing of these products. Most manufacturers also receive a royalty for every software title manufactured for their platform. The publishers, subject to the approval of the platform manufacturers, determine the types of games they will create. Publishers either utilize their own in-house development teams or outsource game development to third party developers. Following development, publishers then market and sell these products to retailers, either directly or through resellers.

 

Traditionally, video games and video content have been delivered using CDs, DVDs or cartridges. More recently, full games and other supplemental content, including additional levels, weapons, vehicles and more, can now be delivered via the Internet through game portals, such as Xbox Live, and various Internet sites, such as Yahoo!. The popularity of this emerging download category is expected to increase, especially within the large-scale multiplayer game segment and among the user bases of the next generation consoles, PDAs and mobile phones.

Peripherals

 

Most video game hardware platforms have a variety of peripherals that are designed to enhance the functionality of the device and the experience of the user. For instance, DS users can purchase headphone peripherals that enable private listening. New peripherals have also been developed that enable users to play video games on their televisions without the need for dedicated home game consoles.

 

Strategy

 

Our objective is to be an innovative provider of video games for the mass market with a focus on developing and publishing a wide range of casual and family oriented video games. Specifically, we strive to:

 

 

Video game franchises are those game brands that successfully sell multiple sequels. These provide valuable long-term benefits both in consumer base growth, and revenue predictability. A core strategy for growth is to pursue the development and cultivation of long-term franchises both through internally generated intellectual property and long-term licensing arrangements.

 

 

Video game development of casual games is generally less expensive and simpler than development of games for the core gamer demographic, where expectations for graphic quality and depth of play are very high. As such, we focus our game development efforts on products for the Nintendo DS and Wii systems, which have appealing price points and unique play mechanics that continue to resonate with the mainstream gamer and have experienced significant installed base growth over the past two years. We have a number of games in development for these systems. In general, from a game play/content perspective, we are focusing on publishing games that are relatively easy to play and whose subject matter will appeal to as wide an audience as possible. More recently, as we have seen more mass market adoption of other console platforms, such as Microsoft’s Xbox 360, we have begun to target opportunities to develop games for these platforms as well.

 

 

Our most successful franchise to date has been Cooking Mama, which, through January 19, 2010, has sold approximately 6.1 million units across six SKUs. The first brand extension, Gardening Mama, launched on March 31, 2009 and has sold more than 400,000 units. We will look to continue to grow this series with additional sequels and brand extensions and innovations.

 

 

During the past year, we have increased the number of titles we have published for which we own the intellectual property rights. During 2009, the titles we published for which we owned the intellectual property rights include: A Boy and His Blob, Our House: Party!, Left Brain Right Brain 2, Go Play Lumberjacks, Go Play Circus Star and Go Play City Sports. Owning these rights can substantially improve the profitability of the titles we publish by significantly reducing costs of sequels.

 

 

In the past, we have leveraged our experience, entrepreneurial environment and industry relationships with developers, manufacturers, content providers, retailers and resellers to create and distribute

new and innovative products. We will continue to capitalize on current market trends and pursue new product opportunities in categories related to our core business.

 

Products

 

We offer our customers a wide selection of interactive entertainment products for a variety of platforms.

 

Our most successful franchise to date has been Cooking Mama that, through January 19, 2010, has sold approximately 6.1 million units across six SKUs. In North America, Cooking Mama for the DS was first introduced in September 2006 at a $19.99 value price and has sold more than 2.7 million units. The Wii version, Cooking Mama: Cook Off, launched in March 2007, and Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends for DS was released in November 2007 at a $29.99 price point. Cooking Mama: World Kitchen for Wii was released in November 2008 and sold more than 330,000 units. The first brand extension, Gardening Mama, launched March 31, 2009 and has sold more than 400,000 units. The most recent installment is Cooking Mama 3: Shop and Chop for DS that was released in October 2009 at $29.99 and has already sold over 400,000 units.

 

Games

 

As of November 2009, our active catalog included 43 SKUs.

 

Titles

 

In addition to intellectual properties that we own, we also license the rights to content from developers or media entertainment companies, as in the cases of Age of Empires, Cake Mania, Jillian Michaels, Nancy Drew, Another Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.

Selected titles, their compatible platforms and launch dates include:

 

 

Peripheral Products

 

While we are no longer actively engaged in this category, our peripheral products in the past consisted principally of our back catalog TV Arcade plug-and-play products. These products are stand-alone games that connect directly into television sets with standard RCA cables. These are battery operated and require no additional hardware or software.

Throughout fiscal 2009, we continued to execute on our business model and product strategy. Product highlights include:

 

 

Product Development

 

Prior to initiating the development of a video game title, we perform market research, studio due diligence and financial analyses. A title must then be approved by our “green light” committee comprised of members from our executive, product development, finance, sales and marketing and legal/business affairs teams before being accepted for publication. Once accepted, the title is evaluated at regular milestones to ensure it is progressing on time, according to specifications and on budget.

 

We primarily use third party development studios to create our video game products. We carefully select third parties to develop video games based on their capabilities, suitability, availability and cost. We usually have broad rights to commercially utilize products created by the third party developers we work with. Development contracts are structured to provide developers with incentives to provide timely and satisfactory performance by associating payments with the achievement of substantive development milestones, and by providing for the payment of royalties to them based on sales of the developed product, only after we recoup development costs. We have worked, and continue to work, with independent third party developers, such as:

 

 

The development process for video games also involves working with platform manufacturers from the initial game concept phase through approval of the final product. During this process, we work closely with the developers and manufacturers to ensure that the title undergoes careful quality assurance testing. Each platform manufacturer requires that the software and a prototype of each title, together with all related artwork and documentation, be submitted for its pre-publication approval. This approval is generally discretionary.

 

On November 7, 2007, we announced the creation of an internal development facility to be based in Los Angeles focused on products and properties for the casual gamer. During the subsequent

18 months, the studio developed games for the Wii and DS. After evaluation of the studio’s performance and changes in the availability and cost of development with our third party partners, we closed the studio and decided to work solely with external development partners.

 

Intellectual Property

 

Platform Licenses

 

Hardware platform manufacturers require that publishers obtain a license from them to publish titles for their platforms. We currently have non-exclusive licenses from Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony for each of the popular console and handheld platforms. Each license generally extends for a term of between two to four years and is terminable under a variety of circumstances. Each license allows us to create one or more products for the applicable system, and requires us to pay a per-unit license fee and/or royalty payment from the title produced and may include other compensation or payment terms. Publishers are not required to obtain licenses for publishing video game software for PCs. All of the hardware manufacturers approve each of the titles we submit for approval on a title-by-title basis, at their discretion.

 

Licenses From Third Parties

 

While we develop original titles, most of our titles are based on rights, licenses and properties, including copyrights and trademarks, owned by third parties. Even our original titles usually include some rights or properties from third parties. License agreements with third parties generally extend for a term of between two to four years, are limited to specific territories or platforms and are terminable under a variety of events. Several of our licenses are exclusive within particular territories or platforms. The licensors often have strict approval and quality control rights. Typically, we are obligated to make minimum guaranteed royalty payments over the term of these licenses and advance payments against these guarantees, but other compensation or payment terms, such as milestone payments, are also common. From time to time, we may also license other technologies from third party developers for use in our products, which also are subject to royalties and other types of payment.

 

Licenses To Third Parties

 

As we create original titles we may decide to license rights to third parties, sometimes on an exclusive basis, in order to generate publicity or market demand for our titles, to generate additional revenue related to complementary products or a combination of these factors. For example, for certain titles we have sold the movie rights, entered into strategy guide deals and licensed a comic book series and an apparel line.

 

Manufacturing

 

Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft control the manufacturing of our products that are compatible with their respective video game consoles, as well as the manuals and packaging for these products, and ship the finished products to us for distribution. Video games for Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony game consoles consist of proprietary format CD-ROMs or DVD-ROMs and are typically delivered to us within the relatively short lead time of approximately two to three weeks. Sony PSP products adhere to a similar production time frame, but use a proprietary media format called a Universal Media Disc, or UMD.

 

With respect to GBA and DS products, which use a cartridge format, Nintendo typically delivers these products to us within 45 to 60 days after receipt of a purchase order.

 

Initial production quantities of individual titles are based upon estimated retail orders and consumer demand. At the time a product is approved for manufacturing, we must generally provide the platform manufacturer with a purchase order for that product, and pay for the entire purchase price prior to production. To date, we have not experienced any material difficulties or delays in the

manufacture and assembly of our products. However, manufacturers’ difficulties, which are beyond our control, could impair our ability to bring products to the marketplace in a timely manner.

 

Sales and Marketing

 

North America

 

Historically, our marketing programs principally supported our premium game titles. While we support most of our titles in some manner, those with the most potential will have long lead time, multi-faceted marketing programs designed to generate enthusiasm and demand. Specific consumer marketing strategies we may employ include: TV; radio and print advertising; website and online marketing; demo distribution; promotions and cross-promotions with third parties; and point-of-purchase advertising.

 

Additionally, we customize public relations programs that are designed to create awareness with all relevant audiences, including core gamers and mass entertainment consumers. To date, our public relations efforts have resulted in significant coverage for our company and individual titles in computer and video game publications, such as Game Informer, GamePro and Nintendo Power, as well as major newspapers, magazines and broadcast outlets, such as CNN, USA Today, Wired, Maxim, Newsweek, The New York Times and TV Guide, among others. We also host media events throughout the year at which print, broadcast and online journalists can preview, review and evaluate our products prior to their release.

 

In addition to regular face-to-face meetings and communications with our sales force, we employ extensive trade marketing efforts including: direct marketing to buyers and store managers; trade shows; various store manager shows; and distribution and sales incentive programs.

 

We sell our products primarily to large retail chains, specialty retail stores, video game rental outlets and distributors. Our sales team has strong relationships with major retailers and communicates with them frequently. To supplement our sales team, we currently utilize six sales representative organizations located throughout the United States. The firms we use were chosen based on their performance and retailer relationships. On average, two sales representatives per organization are assigned to our accounts. It is customary for the sales representatives and resellers of our games who are assigned specific customers to also distribute games produced by other manufacturers. Distribution channels are dominated by a select group of companies, and a publisher’s access to retail shelf space is a significant competitive factor.

 

International

 

Over the last four years, we expanded our international presence, by establishing a new office in the United Kingdom and entering into license and distribution agreements with leading international publishers for distribution in Europe and the PAL territories. During 2009, we terminated our distribution agreement with our then current partner, and subsequently negotiated alternative distribution arrangements on a territory by territory basis.

 

In addition, in 2009, we moved to a direct distribution model for the United Kingdom market, whereby we sold directly to our retail customers using local distributors to ship our product. We believed this model offered the potential to get better placement of our products at retail and to improve margins by reducing the distribution fee incurred under our existing distribution agreements. We incurred some increase in overhead as we added positions in sales and marketing to facilitate this operation. While this model offered more potential for profitability, we assumed some credit risk associated with these customers, and were responsible for various promotional allowances to which we did not have exposure under our previous distribution model. Largely as a result of the downturn in the United Kingdom video game market, the business performed below expectations.

 

Going forward in 2010, we are shifting our business model from publishing and distribution to more of a licensing approach. We believe this is prudent, given the result of dramatic changes in the European market, and reduced demand for our products there. The licensing model requires significantly reduced costs and overhead, as compared to distribution, but will allow us the potential to achieve profitability from our products in the European market.

Beginning January 5, 2010, management initiated a plan of restructuring to better align our workforce to our revised operating plans. As part of the plan, we reduced our personnel count by 16 employees, representing 17% of our workforce. We expect the restructuring to be completed during our first quarter ending January 31, 2010.

 

Customers

 

Our customers are comprised of national and regional retailers, specialty retailers and video game rental outlets. We believe we have developed close relationships with a number of retailers, including Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Wal-Mart. We also have strong relationships with Cokem, Ingram and SVG, who act as resellers of our products to smaller retail outlets. For the fiscal year ended 2009, our top four retail accounts were Wal-Mart, GameStop, Best Buy, and Target, accounting for approximately 18%, 16%, 14% and 11% of our net revenue, respectively.

 

Competition

 

In general, our products compete with other forms of entertainment for leisure time and discretionary spending of consumers. These other forms of entertainment include motion pictures, television and music. More specifically, the market for interactive entertainment products is highly competitive and relatively few products achieve significant market acceptance. We continue to face significant competition with respect to our products, which may also result in price reductions, reduced gross margins and loss of market share. Many of our competitors have significantly greater financial, marketing and product development resources than we do.

 

With respect to our video game products, we compete with many other third party publishers in the handheld, console and value segments. We expect that competition may increase in the future.

 

Current and future competitors may be able to:

 

 

Competitive factors such as the foregoing may have a material adverse effect on our business.

 

Seasonality

 

The interactive entertainment business is highly seasonal, with sales typically higher during the peak holiday selling season during the fourth quarter of the calendar year. Traditionally, the majority of our sales for this key selling period ship in our fiscal fourth and first quarters, which end on October 31 and January 31, respectively. Significant working capital is required to finance the manufacturing of inventory of products that ship during these quarters.

 

Employees

 

We had 81 full-time employees in the United States and eight full-time employees in the United Kingdom as of October 31, 2009. We have not experienced any work stoppages and consider our relations with our employees to be good.

 

 

Our business and operations are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties as described below. However, the risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of, or that we may currently deem immaterial, may become important factors that could harm our business, financial condition or results of operations. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could suffer.

 

We have experienced recent net losses and we may incur future net losses, which may cause a decrease in our stock price.

 

We incurred a net loss of $7.2 million in fiscal year 2009. The loss was primarily the result of impairments of games in development and higher marketing costs. Going forward, we may not be able to generate revenues sufficient to offset our costs and may sustain further net losses in future periods. Continued losses may have an adverse effect on our future operating prospects, liquidity and stock price.

 

We have experienced volatility in the price of our stock.

 

The price of our common stock has experienced significant volatility over the last five years, and such prices may be higher or lower than the price paid for our shares, depending on many factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be directly related to our operating performance. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

 

For example, the market price of our stock has fluctuated widely over the last fiscal year. Between November 1, 2008, and October 31, 2009, the closing sale price of our common stock ranged between a high of $2.30 and a low of $0.41, experiencing significant volatility. The historic market price of our common stock may not be indicative of future market prices. We may not be able to sustain or increase the value of our common stock. Further declines in the market price of our stock could adversely affect our ability to retain personnel with stock incentives, to acquire businesses or assets in exchange for stock and/or to conduct future financing activities with or involving our common stock.

 

In addition, purchases or sales of large quantities of our stock could have an unusual effect on our stock price.

 

If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results. As a result, current and potential stockholders could lose confidence in our financial reporting, which could have a negative impact on our stock price.

 

Pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, we are required to include in our Annual Report on Form 10-K our assessment of the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting. Although we believe that we currently have adequate internal control procedures in place, we cannot be certain that our internal controls over financial reporting will remain effective. If we cannot adequately maintain the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting, we may be subject to liability and/or sanctions or investigation by regulatory authorities, such as the Securities

and Exchange Commission. Any such action could adversely affect our financial results and the market price of our common stock.

 

Our business activities may require additional financing that might not be obtainable on acceptable terms, if at all, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, liquidity and our ability to operate going forward.

 

Although there can be no assurance, our management believes that based on our current plan there are cash sufficient capital resources from existing level of cash and operations, including our factoring and purchase order financing arrangements, to finance our operational requirements through at least the next 12 months. If we are unable to maintain profitability, or if unforeseen events occur that would require additional funding, we may need to raise capital or incur debt to fund our operations. We would expect to seek such capital through sales of additional equity or debt securities and/or loans from financial institutions, but there can be no assurance that funds will be available to us on acceptable terms, if at all, and any sales of such securities may be dilutive to investors.

 

Failure to obtain financing or obtaining financing on unfavorable terms could result in a decrease in our stock price and could have a material adverse effect on future operating prospects, or require us to significantly reduce operations.

 

We are heavily reliant on our factoring arrangement.

 

We utilize credit under a factoring agreement with Rosenthal and Rosenthal whereby we sell our receivables for immediate payment of a portion of the invoice amount and, in some instances, the ability to take additional cash advances. This is our primary source of financing. If Rosenthal suffered financial difficulty, or our relationship with Rosenthal deteriorated, this could significantly impact our liquidity.

 

We may not be able to maintain our listing on the NASDAQ Capital Market.

 

Our common stock currently trades on the NASDAQ Capital Market. This market has continued listing requirements that we must continue to maintain to avoid delisting. The standards include, among others, a minimum bid price requirement of $1.00 per share and any of: (i) a minimum stockholders’ equity of $2.5 million; (ii) a market value of listed securities of $35 million; or (iii) net income from continuing operations of $500,000 in the most recently completed fiscal year or in the two of the last three fiscal years. Our results of operations and our fluctuating stock price directly impact our ability to satisfy these listing standards. In the event we are unable to maintain these listing standards, we may be subject to delisting.

 

A delisting from NASDAQ would result in our common stock being eligible for listing on the Over-The-Counter Bulletin Board (the “OTCBB”). The OTCBB is generally considered to be a less efficient system than markets such as NASDAQ or other national exchanges because of lower trading volumes, transaction delays and reduced security analyst and news media coverage. These factors could contribute to lower prices and larger spreads in the bid and ask prices for our common stock. Additionally, trading of our common stock on the OTCBB may make us less desirable to institutional investors and may, therefore, limit our future equity funding options and could negatively affect the liquidity of our stock.

 

A significant portion of our revenue in 2009 was generated from games based on one licensed franchise.

 

Approximately 49% of our net revenues in 2009 and 46% of our revenues in 2008 were generated from games based on the Cooking Mama franchise, developed for use on the Nintendo DS and Wii. We licensed the rights to publish these games from a third party. We have secured rights to publish other games based on the Cooking Mama character, which are scheduled for release in 2010. However, we cannot guarantee that the new versions will be as successful as the original versions. If the new

versions are not successful, this may have a significant impact on our revenues. In addition, even if successful, we may be unable to secure the rights to publish further sequels to these games, which may adversely affect our business and financial performance.

 

Customer accommodations could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

 

When demand for our offerings falls below expectations, we may negotiate accommodations to retailers or distributors in order to maintain our relationships with our customers and access to our sales channels. These accommodations include negotiation of price discounts and credits against future orders commonly referred to as price protection. At the time of product shipment, we establish reserves for price protection and other similar allowances. These reserves are established according to our estimates of the potential for markdown allowances based upon historical rates, expected sales, retailer inventories of products and other factors. We cannot predict with certainty whether existing reserves will be sufficient to offset any accommodations we will provide, nor can we predict the amount or nature of accommodations that we will provide in the future. If actual accommodations exceed our reserves, our earnings would be reduced, possibly materially. Any such reduction may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. The granting of price protection and other allowances reduces our ability to collect receivables and impacts our availability for advances from our factoring arrangement. The continued granting of substantial price protection and other allowances may require additional funding sources to fund operations, but there can be no assurance that such funds will be available to us on acceptable terms, if at all.

 

If we do not consistently meet our product development schedules, our operating results will be adversely affected.

 

Our business is highly seasonal, with the highest levels of consumer demand and a significant percentage of our sales occurring during the end of the year holiday period. In addition, we often seek to release our products in conjunction with specific events, such as the release of a related movie. If we miss these key selling periods for any reason, including product development delays, our sales will suffer disproportionately. Likewise, if a key event to which our product release schedule is tied were to be delayed or cancelled, our sales would also suffer disproportionately. Our ability to meet product development schedules is affected by a number of factors, including the creative processes involved, the ability of third party developers to deliver work in a timely fashion and the need to fine-tune our products prior to their release. We have experienced development delays for our products in the past, which caused us to push back release dates. In the future, any failure to meet anticipated production or release schedules would likely result in a delay of revenue and/or possibly a significant shortfall in our revenue, harm our profitability, and cause our operating results to be materially different than anticipated.

 

Video games that are not high quality may not sell according to our forecast, which could materially impact our profitability in any given quarter.

 

Consumers who buy games targeted at the mass market and core gamers prefer high-quality games. If our games are not high quality, consumers may not purchase as many games as we expected, which could materially impact our revenue and profitability in any given quarter.

 

Increased competition for limited shelf space and promotional support from retailers could affect the success of our business and require us to incur greater expenses to market our products.

 

Retailers typically have limited shelf space and promotional resources, such as circulars and in-store advertising, to support any one product among an increasing number of newly introduced entertainment offerings.

Competition for retail support and shelf space is expected to increase, which may require us to increase our marketing expenditures or reduce prices to retailers. Competitors with more extensive lines, popular products and greater financial resources frequently have greater bargaining power with retailers. Accordingly, we may not be able to achieve or maintain the levels of support and shelf space that our competitors receive. As a result, sales of our products may be less than expected, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Fluctuations in our quarterly operating results due to seasonality in the interactive entertainment industry and other factors related to our business operations could result in substantial losses to investors.

 

We have experienced, and may continue to experience, significant quarterly fluctuations in sales and operating results. The interactive entertainment market is highly seasonal, with sales typically significantly higher during the year-end holiday buying season. Other factors that cause fluctuations in our sales and operating results include:

 

 

We believe that quarter-to-quarter comparisons of our operating results are not a good indication of our future performance. We may not be able to maintain consistent profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. In addition, our operating results may be below the expectations of public market analysts and investors causing the price of our common stock may fall or significantly fluctuate.

 

A weak global economic environment could result in a reduced demand for our products and increased volatility in our stock price.

 

Current uncertainty in global economic conditions poses a risk to the overall economy as consumers and retailers may defer or choose not to make purchases in response to tighter credit and negative financial news, which could negatively affect demand for our products. Additionally, due to the weak economic conditions and tightened credit environment, some of our retailers and distributors may not have the same purchasing power, leading to lower purchases of our games for placement into distribution channels. Consequently, demand for our products could be materially different from expectations, which could negatively affect our profitability and cause our stock price to decline.

 

Our business may be affected by issues in the economy that affect consumer spending.

 

Our products involve discretionary spending on the part of consumers. We believe that consumer spending is influenced by general economic conditions and the availability of discretionary income. This makes our products particularly sensitive to general economic conditions and economic cycles. Certain economic conditions, such as United States or international general economic downturns, including periods of increased inflation, unemployment levels, tax rates, interest rates, gasoline and other energy prices or declining consumer confidence could reduce consumer spending. Reduced consumer spending may result in reduced demand for our products and may also require increased selling and promotional expenses. A reduction or shift in domestic or international consumer spending could negatively impact our business, results of operations and financial condition. Consumers are generally more willing to make discretionary purchases, including purchases of products like ours,

during periods in which favorable economic conditions prevail. If economic conditions worsen, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

 

The loss of any of our key customers could adversely affect our sales.

 

Our sales to Wal-Mart, Game Stop, Best Buy and Target accounted for approximately 18%, 16%, 14% and 11%, respectively, of our net revenue for the fiscal year 2009. Although we seek to broaden our customer base, we anticipate that a small number of customers will continue to account for a large concentration of our sales given the consolidation of the retail industry. We do not have written agreements in place with several of our major customers. Consequently, our relationship with these retailers could change at any time. Our business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected if:

 

 

Significant competition in our industry could continue to adversely affect our business.

 

The market for interactive entertainment products is highly competitive and, relatively few products achieve significant market acceptance. We face significant competition with respect to our products, which may also result in price reductions, reduced gross margins and loss of market share. Many of our competitors have significantly greater financial, marketing and product development resources than we do. As a result, current and future competitors may be able to:

 

 

We compete with many other third party publishers in both our handheld and console market segments. In addition, console and handheld manufacturers, such as Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony, publish software for their respective platforms. Further, media companies and film studios are increasing their focus on the video game software market and may become significant competitors. We expect competition to increase as more competitors enter the interactive entertainment market.

 

We cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully compete against our current or future competitors or that competitive pressures will not have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.

 

Increasing development costs for games which may not perform as anticipated can decrease our profitability and could result in potential impairments of capitalized software development costs.

 

Video games can be increasingly expensive to develop. Because the current generation console platforms and computers have greater complexity and capabilities than the earlier platforms and computers, costs are higher to develop games for the current generation platforms and computers. If these increased costs are not offset by higher revenues and other cost efficiencies in the future, our margins and profitability will be impacted, and could result in impairment of capitalized software development costs. If these platforms, or games we develop for these platforms, do not achieve

significant market penetration, we may not be able to recover our development costs, which could result in the write-off of capitalized software costs if projects are canceled.

 

Our business is dependent on the viability of console hardware.

 

Our business depends on hardware on which consumers play our games. Our business can be adversely affected by various factors affecting hardware as follows:

 

 

Our business is highly dependent on the continued growth of current generation video game platforms and our ability to develop commercially successful products for these platforms.

 

We derive most of our revenue from the sale of products for play on video game platforms manufactured by third parties, specifically Nintendo’s Wii and DS. The success of our business is dependent upon the continued growth of these platforms and our ability to develop commercially successful products for these platforms.

 

Termination or modification of our agreements with hardware manufacturers, who are also competitors and frequently control the manufacturing of our titles, may adversely affect our business.

 

We are required to obtain a license in order to develop and distribute software for each of the manufacturers of video game hardware. We currently have licenses from Sony to develop products for PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PSP, from Nintendo to develop products for the GBA, GameCube, the DS, DSi, and Wii and from Microsoft to develop products for the Xbox and the Xbox 360. These licenses are non-exclusive and, as a result, many of our competitors also have licenses to develop and distribute video game software for these systems. These licenses must be periodically renewed, and if they are not, or if any of our licenses are terminated or adversely modified, we may not be able to publish games for such platforms or we may be required to do so on less attractive terms.

 

Our contracts with these manufacturers grant them approval rights with respect to new products and often also grant them control over the manufacturing of our products. While we believe our relationships with these manufacturers are good, the potential for delay or refusal to approve or support our products exists, particularly since these manufacturers are also video game publishers and, hence, are also our competitors. We may suffer an adverse effect on our business if these manufacturers:

 

 

The video game hardware manufacturers set the royalty rates and other fees that we must pay to publish games for their platforms, and therefore have significant influence on our costs. If one or more of these manufacturers change their fee structure, our profitability will be materially impacted.

 

In order to publish products for a video game system such as the Xbox 360 or Wii, we must take a license from Microsoft and Nintendo, respectively, which gives these companies the opportunity to set the fee structures that we must pay in order to publish games for that platform. Similarly, these companies have retained the flexibility to change their fee structures, or adopt different fee structures for new features for their video game systems. The control that hardware manufacturers have over the fee structures for their video game systems could adversely impact our costs, profitability and margins.

 

We may be unable to develop and publish new products if we are unable to secure or maintain relationships with third party video game software developers.

 

We utilize the services of independent software developers to develop the majority of our video games. Consequently, our success in the video game market depends on our continued ability to obtain or renew product development agreements with quality independent video game software developers. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain or renew these product development agreements on favorable terms, or at all, nor can we assure you that we will be able to obtain the rights to sequels of successful products that were originally developed for us by independent video game software developers.

 

Many of our competitors have greater financial resources and access to capital than we do, which puts us at a competitive disadvantage when bidding to attract independent video game software developers. We may be unable to secure or maintain relationships with quality independent video game software developers if our competitors can offer them better shelf access, better marketing support, more development funding, higher royalty rates, more creative control or other advantages. Usually, our agreements with independent software developers are easily terminable if either party declares bankruptcy, becomes insolvent, ceases operations or materially breaches the terms of such agreements.

 

In addition, many independent video game software developers have limited financial resources. Many are small companies with a few key individuals without whom a project may be difficult or impossible to complete. Consequently, we are exposed to the risk that these developers will go out of business before completing a project, lose key personnel or simply cease work on a project for which we have hired them.

 

If we are unable to maintain or acquire licenses to intellectual property, we may publish fewer titles and our revenue may decline.

 

Many of our video game titles are based on or incorporate intellectual property and other character or story rights acquired or licensed from third parties. We expect that many of our future products will also be based on intellectual property owned by others. The cost of acquiring these licenses is often high, and competition for these licenses is intense. Many of our competitors have greater resources to capitalize on licensing opportunities. Our licenses are generally limited in scope to specific platform and/or geographic territories and typically last for two to three years. We may not be able to obtain new licenses, renew licenses when they expire or include new offerings under existing licenses. If we are unable to obtain new licenses or maintain existing licenses that have significant commercial value at reasonable costs, we may be unable to sustain our revenue growth in the future other than through sales or licensing of our independently created material.

 

If we are unable to successfully introduce new products on a timely basis, or anticipate and adapt to rapidly changing technology, including new hardware platform technology, our business may suffer.

 

A significant component of our strategy is to continue to bring new and innovative products to market, and we expect to incur significant development, licensing and marketing costs in connection with this strategy.

The process of introducing new products or product enhancements is extremely complex, time consuming and expensive, and will become more complex as new platforms and technologies emerge. In the event we are not successful in developing new titles and other products that gain wide acceptance in the marketplace, we may not recoup our investment costs in these new products, and our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected as a result thereof.

 

Furthermore, interactive entertainment platforms are characterized by rapidly changing technology. We must continually anticipate the emergence of, and adapt our products to, new interactive entertainment platforms and technologies. The introduction of new technologies, including new console and handheld technology, software media formats and delivery channels, could render our previously released products obsolete, unmarketable or unnecessary. In addition, if we incur significant expense developing products for a new system that is ultimately unpopular, sales of these products may be less than expected and we may not be able to recoup our investment. Conversely, if we choose not to publish products for a new system that becomes popular, our revenue growth, reputation and competitive position may be adversely affected. Even if we are able to accurately predict which video game platforms will be most successful, we must deliver and market offerings that are accepted in our extremely competitive marketplace.

 

Technology changes rapidly in our business and if we fail to anticipate new technologies or the manner in which people play our games, the quality, timeliness and competitiveness of our products and services will suffer.

 

Rapid technology changes in our industry require us to anticipate, sometimes years in advance, which technologies we must implement and take advantage of in order to make our products and services competitive in the market. If we fail to anticipate and adapt to these and other technological changes, our market share and our operating results may suffer. Our future success in providing online games, wireless games and other content will depend on our ability to adapt to rapidly changing technologies, develop applications to accommodate evolving industry standards and improve the performance and reliability of our applications.

 

Our business is “hit” driven. If we do not deliver “hit” titles, or if consumers prefer competing products, our sales could suffer.

 

While many new products are regularly introduced, only a relatively small number of “hit” titles account for a significant portion of net revenue. Competitors may develop titles that imitate or compete with our “hit” titles, and take sales away from us or reduce our ability to command premium prices for those titles. Hit products published by our competitors may take a larger share of consumer spending than we anticipate, which could cause our product sales to fall below our expectations. If our competitors develop more successful products or offer competitive products at lower prices, or if we do not continue to develop consistently high-quality and well received products, our revenue, margins, and profitability will decline.

 

Intellectual property claims may increase our product costs or require us to cease selling affected products, which could adversely affect our earnings and sales.

 

Development of original content, including publication and distribution, sometimes results in claims of intellectual property infringement. Although we make efforts to ensure our products do not violate the intellectual property rights of others, it is possible that third parties still may allege infringement. These claims and any litigation resulting from these claims, could prevent us from selling the affected product, or require us to redesign the affected product to avoid infringement or obtain a license for future sales of the affected product. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and future business prospects. Any litigation resulting from these claims could require us to incur substantial costs and divert significant resources, including the efforts of our technical and management personnel.

Our intellectual property is vulnerable to misappropriation and infringement which could adversely affect our business prospects.

 

Our business relies heavily on proprietary intellectual property, whether our own or licensed from third parties. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, unauthorized parties may try to copy our products, or obtain and use information that we regard as proprietary. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries may not protect our proprietary rights to as great an extent as the law of the United States. Our rights and the additional steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property may not be adequate to deter misappropriation, particularly given the difficulty of effectively policing unauthorized use of our properties. If we are unable to protect our rights in intellectual property, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

 

If our products contain defects, our business could be harmed significantly.

 

The products that we publish and distribute are complex and may contain undetected errors when first introduced or when new versions are released. Despite extensive testing prior to release, we cannot be certain that errors will not be found in new products or releases after shipment, which could result in loss of or delay in market acceptance. This loss or delay could significantly harm our business and financial results.

 

Rating systems for digital entertainment software, potential legislation and consumer opposition could inhibit sales of our products.

 

Trade organizations within the video game industry require digital entertainment software publishers to provide consumers with information relating to graphic violence, profanity or sexually explicit material contained in software titles, and impose penalties for noncompliance. Certain countries have also established similar rating systems as prerequisites for sales of digital entertainment software in their countries. In some instances, we may be required to modify our products to comply with the requirements of these rating systems, which could delay the release of those products in these countries. We believe that we comply with such rating systems and properly display the ratings and content descriptions received for our titles. Several proposals have been made for legislation to regulate the digital entertainment software, broadcasting and recording industries, including a proposal to adopt a common rating system for digital entertainment software, television and music containing violence or sexually explicit material, and the Federal Trade Commission has issued reports with respect to the marketing of such material to minors. Consumer advocacy groups have also opposed sales of digital entertainment software containing graphic violence or sexually explicit material by pressing for legislation in these areas, including legislation prohibiting the sale of certain “M” rated video games to minors, and by engaging in public demonstrations and media campaigns. Retailers may decline to sell digital entertainment software containing graphic violence or sexually explicit material, which may limit the potential market for our “M” rated products, and adversely affect our operating results. If any groups, whether governmental entities, hardware manufacturers or advocacy groups, were to target our “M” rated titles, we might be required to significantly change or discontinue a particular title, which could adversely affect our business.

 

Our business is subject to risks generally associated with the entertainment industry, and we may fail to properly assess consumer tastes and preferences, causing product sales to fall short of expectations.

 

Our business is subject to all of the risks generally associated with the entertainment industry and, accordingly, our future operating results will depend on numerous factors beyond our control, including the popularity, price and timing of new hardware platforms being released; economic, political and military conditions that adversely affect discretionary consumer spending; changes in consumer demographics; the availability and popularity of other forms of entertainment; and critical reviews and public tastes and preferences, which may change rapidly and cannot be predicted. A decline in the popularity of certain game genres or particular platforms could cause sales of our titles to decline dramatically. The period of time necessary to develop new game titles, obtain approvals of platform licensors and

produce finished products is unpredictable. During this period, consumer appeal for a particular title may decrease, causing product sales to fall short of expectations.

 

We seek to manage our business with a view to achieving long-term results, and this could have a negative effect on short-term trading.

 

Our focus is on creation of stockholder value over time, and we intend to make decisions that will be consistent with this long-term view. As a result, some of our decisions, such as whether to make or discontinue operating investments or pursue or discontinue strategic initiatives, may be in conflict with the objectives of short-term traders. Further, this could adversely affect our quarterly or other short-term results of operations.

 

If we do not continue to attract and retain key personnel, we will be unable to effectively conduct our business.

 

The market for technical, creative, marketing and other personnel essential to the development and marketing of our products and management of our businesses is extremely competitive. We are frequently competing for this talent with other companies with greater resources. Our ability to operate within this highly competitive interactive entertainment industry is dependent upon our ability to attract and retain our employees. If we cannot successfully recruit and retain the employees we need, or replace key employees following their departure, our ability to develop and manage our businesses will be impaired.

 

 

Not applicable.

 

 

We lease 21,250 square feet of office, development and storage space located at 160 Raritan Center Parkway, Edison, NJ 08837. The lease, which provides for base rents of approximately $24,000 per month, plus taxes, insurance and operating costs, expires on January 31, 2015.

 

We currently lease 900 square feet of office space in Europe, located at City Point, Temple Gate, BS16PL, Bristol, UK. This lease costs approximately $10,000 per month and will end as of January 31, 2010. The Company has no plans to renew this lease.

 

We lease 5,974 square feet of office space at 2121 Cloverfield Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90404 for our development studio. This lease, which costs approximately $13,740 per month, will be terminated effective January 31, 2010, for a fee of $57,000.

 

 

None.

 

 

Not applicable.

 

Our common stock is listed for trading on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “COOL.” Prior to March 13, 2006, our common stock was listed on the NASDAQ Global Market.

Prior to January 26, 2005, our common stock was quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board. The market for our common stock has often been sporadic, volatile and limited.

 

The following table shows the high and low bid quotations for our common stock as reported by the NASDAQ Capital Market from November 1, 2007 through October 31, 2009. The prices reflect inter-dealer quotations, without retail markup, markdown or commissions, and may not represent actual transactions.

 

 

Holders of Common Stock.  On January 28, 2010, we had approximately 165 registered holders of record of our common stock. On January 28, 2010, the closing sales price of our common stock as reported on the NASDAQ Capital Market was $0.76 per share.

 

Dividends and dividend policy.  We have never declared or paid any dividends on our common stock and we do not anticipate paying dividends on our common stock at the present time. We currently intend to retain earnings, if any, for use in our business. We do not anticipate paying dividends in the foreseeable future.

 

Securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans.  The information called for by this item is incorporated by reference from our definitive proxy statement relating to our 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which we will file with the SEC within 120 days after our October 31, 2009 fiscal year end.

 

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.  All prior sales of unregistered securities have been previously reported on a Current Report on Form 8-K.

 

The following tables summarize certain selected consolidated financial data, which should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto and with management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations included elsewhere in this report. All financial information presented reflects as appropriate the 1-for-7 reverse stock split of our common stock, which occurred on December 31, 2004.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with “Selected Financial Data” and our consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this annual report on Form 10-K. This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including, but not limited to, those set forth under ‘Risk Factors’ and elsewhere in this annual report on Form 10-K.

 

Overview

 

We are a provider of interactive entertainment products. We sell our products primarily to large retail chains, specialty retail stores, video game rental outlets and distributors. We also sell our products, on a limited basis, internationally through distribution agreements with other publishers or licensing agreements. We have developed our retail and distribution network over our 23-year history.

 

We publish video game software for most major interactive entertainment hardware platforms, including Nintendo’s Wii, DSi, and DS, Sony’s PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable, or PSP, Microsoft’s Xbox and Xbox 360, the personal computer, or PC, and other mobile devices.

 

Our video game titles are targeted at various demographics at a range of price points. In some instances, these titles are based on licenses of well known properties, and in other cases based on original properties. We collaborate and enter into agreements with content providers and video game development studios for the creation of the majority of our video games.

 

Our business model and product strategy is primarily focused on games with relatively lower development costs for both console and handheld systems targeting “mass market” consumers. We believe this strategy allows us to capitalize on our strengths and expertise while reducing some of the cost and risk associated with publishing console titles for core gamers. We continue to publish titles for popular handheld systems such as the DS and PSP. We also publish software for Nintendo’s Wii console, as we believe this platform allows us to develop games within our cost parameters, while enabling us to reach mass-market consumers. In addition, we continue to look opportunistically for titles to publish on the PC and other home console systems. More recently, other platforms such as Xbox 360 have begun to see mass market adoption, and we have begun to develop games for this

platform. We will continue to evaluate opportunities to reach our target demographic as other platforms move in this direction.

 

We license rights to intellectual property used in our video games from third parties and work with third party development studios to develop our own proprietary video game titles.

 

Our operations involve similar products and customers worldwide. These products are developed and sold domestically and internationally. The Company is centrally managed and our chief operating decision makers, the chief executive and other officers, use consolidated and other financial information supplemented by sales information by product category, major product title and platform for making operational decisions and assessing financial performance. Accordingly, we operate in a single segment.

 

Net Revenues.  Our revenues are principally derived from sales of our video games. We provide video games primarily for the mass market and casual game player. Our revenues are recognized net of estimated reserves for price protection and other allowances.

 

Cost of Sales.  Cost of sales consists of product costs and amortization and impairment of software development costs and license fees. A significant component of our cost of sales is product costs. These are comprised primarily of manufacturing and packaging costs of the disc or cartridge media, royalties to the platform manufacturer and manufacturing and packaging costs of peripherals. Commencing upon the related product’s release, capitalized software development and intellectual property license costs are amortized to cost of sales. When, in management’s estimate, future cash flows will not be sufficient to recover previously capitalized costs, we expense these capitalized costs to cost of sales — software development costs and license fees. These expenses may be incurred prior to a game’s release.

 

Gross Profit.  Gross profit is the excess of net revenues over product costs and amortization and impairment of software development and license fees. Development and license fees incurred to produce video games are generally incurred up front and amortized to cost of sales. The recovery of these costs and total gross profit is dependent upon achieving a certain sales volume, which varies by title.

 

Product Research and Development Expenses.  Product research and development expenses relate principally to our cost of supervision of third party video game developers, testing new products and conducting quality assurance evaluations during the development cycle as well as costs incurred at our development studio, which was closed in 2009, that are not allocated to games for which technological feasibility has been established. Costs incurred are employee-related, may include equipment, and are not allocated to cost of sales.

 

Selling and Marketing Expenses.  Selling and marketing expenses consist of marketing and promotion expenses, the cost of shipping products to customers and related employee costs. A component of these expenses is credits to retailers for trade advertising.

 

General and Administrative Expenses.  General and administrative expenses primarily represent employee related costs, including corporate executive and support staff, general office expenses, professional fees and various other overhead charges. Professional fees, including legal and accounting expenses, typically represent the second largest component of our general and administrative expenses. These fees are partially attributable to our required activities as a publicly traded company, such as SEC filings.

 

Loss on Impairments of Software Development Costs and License Fees- Cancelled Games.  Loss on impairments of software development costs and license fees — cancelled games consists of contract termination costs, and the write-off of previously capitalized costs, for games that were cancelled prior to their release to market. We periodically review our games in development and compare the remaining cost to complete each game to projected future net cash flows expected to be generated from sales. In cases where we don’t expect the projected future net cash flows generated from sales to be sufficient to cover the remaining incremental cash obligation to complete the game, we cancel the

game, and record a charge to operating expenses. While we incur a current period charge on these cancellations, we believe we are limiting the overall loss on a game project that is no longer expected to perform as originally expected due to changing market conditions or other factors. Significant management estimates are required in making these assessments, including estimates regarding retailer and customer interest, pricing, competitive game performance, and changing market conditions.

 

Interest and Financing Costs.  Interest and financing costs are directly attributable to our factoring and our purchase-order financing arrangements.

 

Income Taxes.  Income taxes consists of our provision/(benefit) for income taxes and proceeds from the sale of rights to certain net operating loss carryforwards in the state of New Jersey. Utilization of our net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards may be subject to a substantial annual limitation due to the “change in ownership” provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. The annual limitation may result in the expiration of net operating loss carryforwards before utilization. Due to our history of losses, a valuation allowance sufficient to fully offset our NOL and other deferred tax assets has been established under current accounting pronouncements, and this valuation allowance will be maintained until sufficient positive evidence exists to support its reversal.

 

Seasonality and Variations in Interim Quarterly Results

 

Our quarterly net revenues, gross profit, and operating income are impacted significantly by the seasonality of the retail selling season, and the timing of the release of new titles. Sales of our catalog and other products are generally higher in the first and fourth quarters of our fiscal year (ending January 31 and October 31, respectively) due to increased retail sales during the holiday season. Sales and gross profit as a percentage of sales also generally increase in quarters in which we release significant new titles because of increased sales volume as retailers make purchases to stock their shelves and meet initial demand for the new release. These quarters also benefit from the higher selling prices that we are able to achieve early in the product’s life cycle. Therefore, sales results in any one quarter are not necessarily indicative of expected results for subsequent quarters during the fiscal year.

 

Critical Accounting Estimates

 

Our discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”).

 

In June 2009, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) became the single source of authoritative accounting principles recognized by the FASB to be applied by non-governmental entities in the preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP. Rules and interpretative releases of the Securities and Exchange Commission Codification did not create any new GAAP standards but incorporated existing accounting and reporting standards into a topical structure with a new referencing system to identify authoritative accounting standards, replaced the prior references.

 

The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

 

We have identified the policies below as critical to our business operations and to the understanding of our financial results. The impact and any associated risks related to these policies on our business operations is discussed throughout management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations where such policies affect our reported and expected financial results.

Revenue Recognition.  We recognize revenue upon the shipment of our product when: (1) risks and rewards of ownership are transferred; (2) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (3) we have no continuing obligations to the customer; and (4) the collection of related accounts receivable is probable. Certain products are sold to customers with a street date (the earliest date these products may be resold by retailers). Revenue for sales of these products is not recognized prior to their street date. Some of our software products provide limited online features at no additional cost to the consumer. Generally, we have considered such features to be incidental to our overall product offerings and an inconsequential deliverable. Accordingly, we do not defer any revenue related to products containing these limited online features. However, in instances where online features or additional functionality is considered a substantive deliverable in addition to the software product, such characteristics will be taken into account when applying our revenue recognition policy.

 

Reserves for Price Protection and Other Allowances.  We generally sell our products on a no-return basis, although in certain instances, we provide price protection or other allowances on certain unsold products in accordance with industry practices. Price protection, when granted and applicable, allows customers a partial credit with respect to merchandise unsold by them. Revenue is recognized net of estimates of these allowances. Sales incentives and other consideration that represent costs incurred by us for assets or services received, such as the appearance of our products in a customer’s national circular advertisement, are generally reflected as selling and marketing expenses. We estimate potential future product price protection and other discounts related to current period product revenue.

 

Our reserves for price protection and other allowances fluctuate over periods as a result of a number of factors including analysis of historical experience, current sell-through of retailer inventory of our products, current trends in the interactive entertainment market, the overall economy, changes in customer demand and acceptance of our products and other related factors. Significant management judgments and estimates must be made and used in connection with establishing the allowance for returns and price protection in any accounting period. However, actual allowances granted could materially exceed our estimates as unsold products in the distribution channels are exposed to rapid changes in consumer preferences, market conditions, technological obsolescence due to new platforms, product updates or competing products. For example, the risk of requests for allowances may increase as consoles pass the midpoint of their lifecycle and an increasing number of competitive products heighten pricing and competitive pressures. While management believes it can make reliable estimates regarding these matters, these estimates are inherently subjective. Accordingly, if our estimates change, this will result in a change in our reserves, which would impact the net revenues and/or selling and marketing expenses we report. For the 12-month periods ended October 31, 2009, 2008 and 2007, we provided allowances for future price protection and other allowances of $5.0 million, $2.6 million, and $2.0 million, respectively. The fluctuations in the provisions reflected our estimates of future price protection based on the factors discussed above. We limit our exposure to credit risk by factoring the majority of our receivables to a third party that generally buys our receivables without recourse.

 

Capitalized Software Development Costs and License Fees.  Software development costs include development fees, in the form of milestone payments made to independent software developers, and direct payroll and overhead costs for our internal development studio. Software development costs are capitalized once technological feasibility of a product is established and management expects such costs to be recoverable against future revenues. For products where proven game engine technology exists, this may occur early in the development cycle. Technological feasibility is evaluated on a product-by-product basis. Amounts related to software development that are not capitalized are charged immediately to product research and development costs. Commencing upon a related product’s release capitalized software development costs are amortized to cost of sales based upon the higher of (i) the ratio of current revenue to total projected revenue or (ii) straight-line charges over the expected marketable life of the product.

 

Prepaid license fees represent license fees to holders for the use of their intellectual property rights in the development of our products. Minimum guaranteed royalty payments for intellectual

property licenses are initially recorded as an asset (prepaid license fees) and a current liability (accrued royalties payable) at the contractual amount upon execution of the contract or when specified milestones or events occur and when no significant performance commitment remains with the licensor. Licenses are expensed to cost of sales at the higher of (i) the contractual royalty rate based on actual sales or (ii) an effective rate based upon total projected revenue related to such license.

 

Capitalized software development costs are classified as non-current if they relate to titles for which we estimate the release date to be more than one year from the balance sheet date.

 

The amortization period for capitalized software development costs and prepaid license fees is usually no longer than one year from the initial release of the product. If actual revenues or revised forecasted revenues fall below the initial forecasted revenue for a particular license, the charge to cost of sales may be larger than anticipated in any given quarter. The recoverability of capitalized software development costs and prepaid license fees is evaluated quarterly based on the expected performance of the specific products to which the costs relate.

 

When, in management’s estimate, future cash flows will not be sufficient to recover previously capitalized costs, we expense these capitalized costs to cost of sales — software development costs and license fees, in the period such a determination is made. These expenses may be incurred prior to a game’s release. If a game is cancelled and never released to market, the amount is expensed to general and administrative expenses. As of October 31, 2009, the net carrying value of our licenses and software development costs was $3.7 million. If we were required to write off licenses or software development costs, due to changes in market conditions or product acceptance, our results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

 

Prepaid license fees and milestone payments made to our third party developers are typically considered non-refundable advances against the total compensation they can earn based upon the sales performance of the products. Any additional royalty or other compensation earned beyond the milestone payments is expensed to cost of sales as incurred.

 

Inventory.  Inventory, which consists principally of finished goods, is stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined by the first-in, first-out method. We estimate the net realizable value of slow-moving inventory on a title-by-title basis and charge the excess of cost over net realizable value to cost of sales.

 

Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation.  Stock-based compensation expense is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized as expense over the vesting period. Determining the fair value of stock-based awards at the grant date requires judgment, including, in the case of stock option awards, estimating expected stock volatility. In addition, judgment is also required in estimating the amount of stock-based awards that are expected to be forfeited. If actual results differ significantly from these estimates, stock-based compensation expense and our results of operations could be materially impacted.

 

Commitments and Contingencies.  We record a liability for commitments and contingencies when the amount is both probable and reasonably estimable.

Results of Operations

 

The following table sets forth our results of operations expressed as a percentage of total revenues:

 

 

The following table sets forth the components of settlements, loss on impairments and other expenses (income) for the years ended October 31, 2009, 2008 and 2007.

 

The following table sets forth the source of net revenues, by game platform, for the previous three fiscal years, in millions:

 

 

 

 

Year ended October 31, 2009 versus year ended October 31, 2008

 

Net Revenues.  Net revenues for the year ended October 31, 2009 increased to $94.5 million from $63.9 million in the comparable period last year. The $30.6 million increase is primarily due to incremental revenue growth from several successful new releases during the year, including: Cooking Mama: World Kitchen for the Nintendo Wii, Gardening Mama for the Nintendo DS, Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2009 for the Nintendo Wii (released in late October 2008); and Another Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. The impact of these releases, combined with continued strong re-order sales for our catalog Cooking Mama products resulted in growth in net revenues of 48%. Additionally, we released Cooking Mama 3: Shop and Chop for the Nintendo DS and Jillian Michaels’ Resolution for the Nintendo Wii, late in October 2009. The release of these two titles contributed to the 2009 revenue growth, however, the majority of their sales will be reflected in the next fiscal year.

 

Gross Profit.  Gross profit for the year ended October 31, 2009 was $22.9 million compared to a gross profit of $23.1 million in the same period last year. Gross profit as a percentage of net sales was 24.3% for the year ended October 31, 2009 compared to 36.1% for the year ended October 31, 2008. The decrease in gross profit as a percentage of revenue is primarily due to: (i) an impairment of capitalized software development and license costs of $2.5 million related to games scheduled for release in 2010 that had a carrying value in excess of their fair value based on projected future cash flows; (ii) the release of certain video games with sales that were inadequate to cover development costs and minimum royalty payments, resulting in gross losses on those games (including Our House: Party! and Major Minor’s Majestic March); and (iii) higher royalty costs as a percent of net revenues on certain games when compared to the prior year.

 

Product Research and Development Expenses.  Research and development costs increased $1.4 million to $4.7 million for the year ended October 31, 2009 from $3.3 million for the comparable period in 2008. The increase was primarily the result of expenses related to our development studio and approximately $0.2 million paid to developers for the development of mobile games. During the year ended October 31, 2009, substantially all of the work performed in the studio was allocated to non-

capitalizable projects. After evaluation of the studio’s performance, and changes in the availability and cost of development with our third-party partners, we now believe that closing the studio and taking advantage of these external opportunities represents a better value for the Company. Therefore, we reduced our personnel used for internal development and incurred approximately $0.2 million in severance and lease termination costs. Development costs for mobile games is recorded as research and development costs because we are currently evaluating opportunities in this market and no significant revenue contribution is expected from current projects.

 

Selling and Marketing Expenses.  Total selling and marketing expenses increased from $8.6 million for the year ended October 31, 2008 to $14.6 million for the year ended October 31, 2009. The increase is primarily due to higher media costs associated with TV and internet advertising campaigns to support the launch of our new Cooking Mama titles, Jillian Michaels titles, and the launch of our GoPlay brand. The increased expenditures were primarily incurred during the nine months ended July 31, 2009. After an assessment of the market’s response to the programs the Company reduced the use of media advertising during the fourth quarter of 2009. Selling and marketing expense as a percentage of net sales was approximately 15.5% and 13.5% for the year ended October 31, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

 

General and Administrative Expenses.  For the year ended October 31, 2009, general and administrative expenses were $8.6 million, a decrease of $0.9 million from $9.5 million in the comparable period in 2008. The decrease is primarily due to lower compensation expenses resulting from incentive compensation plans. Our incentive compensation plan is primarily based on net income generated by the Company. During 2009, we generated a net loss, resulting in significantly lower incentive compensation expense. General and administrative expenses include $1.7 million and $1.6 million of non-cash compensation expenses for the years ended October 31, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

 

Settlement of Litigation and Related Charges.  Settlement of litigation charges is comprised of $0.7 million related to the change in fair value of common stock issued in settlement of our class action securities litigation (see commitments and contingencies discussion below) and a gain on the settlement of legal fees of $0.3 million.

 

Loss on impairment of software development costs and license fees — cancelled games.  Loss on impairment of capitalized software development costs and license fees — cancelled games increased to $1.0 million for the 12 months ended October 31, 2009 from $0.1 million for the 12 months ended October 31, 2008, due primarily to a higher number of cancelled games in 2009 due to changing market conditions.

 

Operating (Loss) Income.  Operating loss for the year ended October 31, 2009 was $6.6 million, compared to operating income of $2.8 million for the year ended October 31, 2008. The decrease in operating income primarily resulted from the impact of the lower gross profit, higher product research and development expenses, impairment of software development and capitalized licenses and higher selling and marketing expenses discussed above.

 

Interest and Financing Costs, Net.  Interest and financing costs increased to $1.3 million for the year ended October 31, 2009 from $0.6 million for the year ended October 31, 2008. The increase of $0.7 million is the result of a higher percentage of our inventory purchases being financed through our purchase order financing facility for seasonal inventory needs, and higher factoring fees related to higher sales volume.

 

Change in Fair Value of Warrants.  On September 5, 2007, we issued warrants in connection with an equity financing. The warrants contain a provision that may require settlement by transferring assets. Therefore, they are recorded at fair value as liabilities in accordance with ASC Topic 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.

 

We recorded an expense of $0.4 million for the year ended October 31, 2009, reflecting the increase in fair value of the warrants during that period and income of $1.3 million for the year ended October 31, 2008, reflecting the decrease in fair value of the warrants during that period.

Income Taxes.  For the year ended October 31, 2009, we did not record any income tax benefit related to the utilization of net operating loss carryforwards because realization of the resulting loss carryforwards cannot be assured. Income taxes for the year ended October 31, 2009 include a gain resulting from proceeds of approximately $1.1 million from the sale of the rights to approximately $14.2 million of New Jersey state income tax net operating loss carryforwards, under the Technology Business Tax Certificate Program administered by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

 

For the year ended October 31, 2008, we only provided for alternative minimum taxes because our net operating loss carryforwards exceeded our taxable income.

 

Net (Loss) Income.  Net loss for the year ended October 31, 2009 was $7.2 million, a decrease of $10.6 million from net income of $3.4 million for the comparable period in 2008. This decrease is primarily due to the increased operating loss, the settlement of litigation and related charges, net, the increase of net interest and financing expenses and the change in fair value of warrants, partially offset by a gain from the sale of certain state net operating loss carryforwards, as discussed above.

 

Year ended October 31, 2008 versus year ended October 31, 2007

 

Net Revenues.  Net revenues for the year ended October 31, 2008 increased to $63.9 million from $51.0 million in the comparable period in 2007. The $12.9 million increase is primarily due to increased revenue from a greater number of new releases for the Nintendo Wii platform from two in 2007 to nine in 2008, and the release of Cooking Mama 2 for the Nintendo DS. The addition of this new title, in addition to continued re-orders for our previously released titles, Cooking Mama for the Nintendo DS and Cooking Mama; Cook-Off for the Nintendo Wii, have led to increased revenues for the franchise overall, when compared the prior year.

 

Gross Profit.  Gross profit for the year ended October 31, 2008 was $23.1 million compared to a gross profit of $17.3 million in the same period in 2007. The increase in gross profit is primarily attributable to the higher net revenues discussed above. Gross profit as a percentage of net sales was 36.1% for the year ended October 31, 2008 compared to 33.9% for the year ended October 31, 2007. The increase in gross profit is attributable to a higher gross margin on new releases and the impact of $0.8 million of revenues related to the satisfaction of minimum purchase commitments for our Dance Dance Revolution, or DDR, dance mat product, for which there was no cost of sales.

 

Product Research and Development Expenses.  Research and development costs increased $1.0 million to $3.3 million for the year ended October 31, 2008 from $2.3 million for the comparable period in 2007. The increase is the result of the opening of our new development studio, additional testers to support growth in our product lineup and personnel to support our internet based initiatives. We capitalized approximately $1.1 million of expenses related to the internal development of video games for year ended October 31, 2008.

 

Selling and Marketing Expenses.  Total selling and marketing expenses increased from $7.4 million for the year ended October 31, 2007 to $8.6 million for the year ended October 31, 2008. The increase is primarily due to higher media costs associated with the release of new titles, and variable fulfillment and sales commission expenses related to higher sales during the year ended October 31, 2008 as compared to the same period in 2007. Selling and marketing expense as a percentage of net sales was approximately 13.5% and 14.6% for the year ended October 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively.

 

General and Administrative Expenses.  For the year ended October 31, 2008 general and administrative expenses were $9.5 million, an increase of $1.1 million from $8.4 million in the comparable period in 2007. The increase is primarily due to higher compensation expenses resulting from incentive compensation plans and a charge to bad debt expense of $0.3 million related to the bankruptcy of the Circuit City retail chain. Our incentive compensation plan is primarily based on net income generated by the Company. During 2007, we generated a net loss, resulting in lower incentive compensation expense. General and administrative expenses include $1.6 million and $1.5 million of non-cash compensation expenses for the year ended October 31, 2008 and 2007, respectively.

Settlement of Litigation and Related Charges, Net.  On September 27, 2007, we entered into settlement agreements to settle the following litigations pending in the United States District Court, District of New Jersey: (i) a securities class action brought on behalf of a purported class of purchasers of our securities; (ii) a private securities action filed by Trinad Capital Master Fund, Ltd.; (“Trinad”) and (iii) a second action filed by Trinad, purportedly on behalf of the Company.

 

On January 16, 2009, we entered into an amendment to the securities class action settlement agreement. Under the terms of the settlement agreement in the securities class action, as amended, we made cash payments of $466,667 in January 2009 and $233,333 in May 2009 and we contributed one million shares of our common stock. The shares being contributed to the settlement were distributed to the settlement claimants when the court granted final approval of the settlement in March 2009. Our insurance carrier also contributed a cash payment.

 

During the 12 months ended October 31, 2007, we recorded a $2.8 million charge in connection with the expected settlement of the class action litigation, based on the terms of the original settlement. The charge was comprised of $2.5 million, representing the fair value, on the date the agreement was executed, of the common stock expected to be distributed when the settlement becomes effective and $0.3 million representing the increase in the value of the shares since that date. During the year ended October 31, 2008, we recorded a gain on litigation settlement of $0.3 million representing the decline in the value of the shares to be issued under the settlement, as if it occurred on October 31, 2008.

 

The estimated settlement liability was adjusted at October 31, 2008, to reflect the terms of the amended settlement agreement entered into on January 16, 2009. Accordingly, an additional gain on settlement of litigation of $1.3 million was recorded during the year ended October 31, 2008. The total estimated liability at October 31, 2008 is $1.3 million, comprised of the $0.7 million in cash payments, and $0.6 million representing 1.0 million shares of common stock at the closing market price of $0.55 at that date.

 

Under the terms of the settlement of the private securities claim in the action brought by Trinad, on its own behalf, our insurance carrier made a cash payment to Trinad. The Court dismissed this action on February 23, 2009 and the matter is now closed.

 

The settlement agreement in the action filed by Trinad, purportedly on behalf of the Company, did not result in a payment to us. Plaintiff’s attorneys did not receive any fees in connection with the settlement. This settlement was approved by the Court, and the Court dismissed the action on May 12, 2009. The dismissal is no longer subject to appeal and the matter is now closed.

 

As previously disclosed, on July 26, 2007, Charlie Bolton filed a complaint against the Company and several current and former directors and officers of the Company in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. The allegations in the complaint were similar to those in the class action and Trinad’s action against the Company and several current and former directors and officers discussed above. On September 16, 2008, the Company entered into a settlement with Bolton providing for a cash payment from insurance proceeds and the action was dismissed, with prejudice.

 

Operating Income (Loss).  Operating income for the year ended October 31, 2008 was $2.8 million, compared to an operating loss of $3.8 million for the year ended October 31, 2007. The increase in operating income primarily resulted from the impact of the higher net revenue, higher gross profit, and decrease in settlement of litigation charges, partially offset by the increased operating expenses also discussed above.

 

Interest and Financing Costs, Net.  Interest and financing costs decreased to $0.6 million for the year ended October 31, 2008 from $1.6 million for the year ended October 31, 2007. The decrease of $1.0 million is the result of a lower percentage of our inventory purchases being financed through letters of credit as a result of an equity financing completed in September 2007, and lower factoring fees.

Change in Fair Value of Warrants.  On September 5, 2007, we issued warrants in connection with an equity financing. The warrants contain a provision that may require settlement by transferring assets. Therefore, they are recorded at fair value as liabilities in accordance with ASC Topic 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.

 

We recorded income of $1.3 million for the year ended October 31, 2008, reflecting the decrease in fair value of the warrants during that period.

 

Income Taxes.  For the year ended October 31, 2008, we only provided for alternative minimum taxes because our net operating loss carryforwards exceeded our taxable income. For the year ended October 31, 2007, we did not record any income tax benefit because realization of the resulting loss carryforwards can not be assured.

 

Net Income (Loss).  Net income for the year ended October 31, 2008 was $3.4 million, an increase of $8.2 million from a net loss of $4.8 million for the comparable period in 2007. This increase is primarily due to the increased operating income, the reduction in settlement of litigation and related charges, net, the reduction of net interest and financing expenses and the change in fair value of warrants discussed above.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

We generated a net loss of $7.2 million in 2009, net income of $3.4 million in 2008, and a net loss of $4.8 million in 2007. Historically, we have funded our operating losses through sales of our equity and use of our purchase order financing and factor arrangements to satisfy seasonal working capital needs. We raised approximately $5.8 million in net proceeds from the sale of our equity securities in September 2007, and approximately $8.6 million in September 2009.

 

Our current plan is to fund our operations through product sales. However, we may be required to modify that plan, or seek outside sources of financing if our operating plan and sales targets are not met. There can be no assurance that such funds will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. In the event that we are unable to negotiate alternative financing, or negotiate terms that are acceptable to us, we may be forced to modify our business plan materially, including making more reductions in game development and other expenditures. Based on our current level of cash on hand and our operating plan, management believes it can operate under the existing level of financing for at least one year. However, if the current level of financing was reduced and we were unable to obtain alternative financing, it could create a material adverse change in the business.

 

Our cash and cash equivalents balance was $11.8 million as of October 31, 2009. We had approximately $6.0 million outstanding under our purchase order financing arrangement, primarily for goods to be received and sold within 60 days of October 31, 2009. We expect continued volatility in the use and availability of cash due to the seasonality of our business, timing of receivables collections and working capital needs necessary to finance our business and growth objectives.

 

To satisfy our liquidity needs, we factor our receivables. We also utilize purchase order financing through the factor and through a finance company to provide funding for the manufacture of our products. In connection with these arrangements, the finance company and the factor have a security interest in substantially all of our assets.

 

Under our factoring agreement we have the ability to take cash advances against accounts receivable and inventory of up to $20.0 million, and the availability of up to $2.0 million in letters of credit. The factor, in its sole discretion, can reduce the availability of financing at anytime. In addition, we have $10.0 million of availability for letters of credit and purchase order financing with another lender. We had outstanding advances against accounts receivable of approximately $13.8 million under our factoring agreement at October 31, 2009.

 

Factoring and Purchase Order Financing.  As mentioned above, to provide liquidity, we take advances from our factor and utilize purchase order financing to fund the manufacturing of our products.

Under the terms of our factoring agreement, we sell our accounts receivable to the factor. The factor, in its sole discretion, determines whether or not it will accept the credit risk associated with a receivable. If the factor does not accept the credit risk on a receivable, we may sell the accounts receivable to the factor while retaining the credit risk. In both cases we surrender all rights and control over the receivable to the factor. However, in cases where we retain the credit risk, the amount can be charged back to us in the case of non-payment by the customer. The factor is required to remit payments to us for the accounts receivable purchased from us, provided the customer does not have a valid dispute related to the invoice. The amount remitted to us by the factor equals the invoiced amount, adjusted for allowances and discounts we have provided to the customer, less factor charges of 0.45 to 0.5% of the invoiced amount.

 

In addition, we may request that the factor provide us with cash advances based on our accounts receivable and inventory. The factor may either accept or reject our request for advances at its discretion. Generally, the factor allowed us to take advances in an amount equal to 70% of net accounts receivable, plus 60% of our inventory balance, up to a maximum of $2.5 million. Occasionally the factor allows us to take advances in excess of these amounts for short term working capital needs. These excess amounts are typically repaid within a 30-day period. At October 31, 2009, we had no excess advances outstanding.

 

Amounts to be paid to us by the factor for any accounts receivable are offset by any amounts previously advanced by the factor. The interest rate is prime plus 1.5%, annually, subject to a 5.5% floor. In certain circumstances, an additional 1.0% annually is charged for advances against inventory.

 

Manufacturers require us to present a letter of credit, or pay cash in advance, in order to manufacture the products required under a purchase order. We utilize letters of credit either from a finance company or our factor. The finance company charges 1.5% of the purchase order amount for each transaction for 30 days, plus administrative fees. Our factor provides purchase order financing at a cost of 0.5% of the purchase order amount for each transaction for 30 days. Additional charges are incurred if letters of credit remain outstanding in excess of the original time period and/or the financing company is not paid at the time the products are received. When our liquidity position allows, we will pay cash in advance instead of utilizing purchase order financing. This results in reduced financing and administrative fees associated with purchase order financing.

 

Advances from Customers.  On a case by case basis, distributors and other customers have agreed to provide us with cash advances on their orders. These advances are then applied against future sales to these customers. In exchange for these advances, we offer these customers beneficial pricing or other considerations.

 

On September 27, 2007, we entered into settlement agreements to settle certain litigations then pending in the United States District Court, District of New Jersey: (i) a securities class action brought on behalf of a purported class of purchasers of our securities; (ii) a private securities action filed by Trinad; and (iii) a second action filed by Trinad purportedly on behalf of us. All three actions are now concluded.

 

In January 2009, we entered into an amendment to the securities class action settlement agreement. Under the terms of the settlement agreement in the securities class action, as amended, we agreed to make cash payments totaling $700,000 in three installments. The first two payments were made in January and February 2009, and the last payment was made in May 2009. We also contributed one million shares of our common stock to the settlement fund. Our insurance carrier also contributed a cash payment.

 

On February 23, 2009, the settlement was approved by the Court, and the class action was dismissed. The dismissal is no longer subject to appeal. The settlement administrator distributed the shares and cash to eligible settlement claimants in May 2009 and the matter is now closed.

 

The settlement agreement in the action filed by Trinad, purportedly on behalf of us, did not result in a payment to us, and Trinad’s attorneys did not receive any fees in connection with the settlement. This settlement was approved by the Court, and the Court dismissed the action on May 12, 2009. The dismissal is no longer subject to appeal and the matter is now closed.

We recorded aggregate expense of $1.95 million under the amended settlement agreements, reflecting $700,000 in cash payments, and $1.25 million fair value of common stock, on its date of issuance, March 30, 2009.

 

We originally recorded an accrual equal to the $2.5 million fair value of common stock to be issued under the settlement agreement on the date of its execution, September 27, 2007. The accrual was adjusted each quarter to reflect the change in the value of shares to be issued under the agreement. This adjustment resulted in a gain of $322,000 for the nine months ended July 31, 2008. The accrual was further adjusted at October 31, 2008 to $1.25 million reflecting the $700,000 in cash payments, and $0.55 per share fair value of one million shares of common stock to be issued under the revised settlement agreement at that date. The share based portion of the accrual was adjusted to the fair value of the shares to be issued, at each balance sheet date thereafter, until their issuance on March 30, 2009. The fair value of the shares on date of issuance was $1.25 million ($1.25 per share), resulting in expense of $560,000 for the year ended October 31, 2009.

 

On March 30, 2009, we issued 130,000 shares of common stock, with a fair value of $162,500, to a group of underwriters named as defendants in the class action litigation, in payment of $458,000 in legal fees for which we were responsible under an indemnification agreement. The gain of $296,000 resulting from the difference between the fair value of the stock issued and the legal expenses, which had been recorded as general and administrative expenses during prior periods, was included in Settlement of Litigation and other expenses, net, for the year ended October 31, 2009.

 

Under the terms of the settlement of the private securities claim in the action brought by Trinad, on its own behalf, our insurance carrier made a cash payment to Trinad. The Court dismissed this action on February 23, 2009 and the matter is now closed.

 

At times, we may be a party to other routine claims and suits in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management, after consultation with legal counsel, the outcome of such routine claims would not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, and results of operations or liquidity.

 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

 

As of October 31, 2009, we had no off-balance sheet arrangements.

 

Cash Flows

 

Cash and cash equivalents were $11.8 million as of October 31, 2009 compared to $5.5 million at October 31, 2008. Working capital as of October 31, 2009 was $11.8 million compared to $6.7 million at October 31, 2008.

 

Operating Cash Flows.  Our principal operating source of cash is from the sales of our interactive entertainment products. Our principal operating uses of cash are for payments associated with third party developers of our software; costs incurred to manufacture, sell and market our video games and general and administrative expenses.

 

For the year ended October 31, 2009, we used approximately $6.6 million in operating activities, compared to $2.7 million in the previous year. The increase in cash used in operating activities is primarily due to the increased net loss of $10.5 million, partially offset by a decrease in the net change in the amount invested in capitalized software development and license fees of $7.7 million. Capitalized software development and license fees increased $4.6 million for the 12 months ended October 31, 2008, compared to a decrease of $3.1 million for the 12 months ended October 31, 2009. We generally invest in game development projects with a development time of three to 18 months. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2008, we began investing in several game projects for release in the year ended 2009, resulting in a use of cash, and increase in capitalized software development costs and license fees at October 31, 2008. During 2009, these amounts were charged to operating expenses, resulting in a non-cash charge to net income for the 12 months ended October 31, 2009. We also reduced the amount

invested in capitalized software development and license fees, at October 31, 2009, for games to be released in fiscal 2010, based on an assessment of market conditions. We expect the amount invested in game development to fluctuate based on seasonality, scheduled release dates, and market conditions in the future. The change in operating cash flows for the 12 months ended October 31, 2009 was also impacted by offsetting changes in other working capital accounts, most significantly by (1) increases in advance payments for inventory, the net amount due from factor and decreased accounts payable and accrued expenses and (2) decreases in prepaid expenses and accounts receivable. The change in operating cash flows for the 12 months ended October 31, 2008 was also impacted by offsetting changes in other working capital accounts. The cash flow impact of increases in accounts receivable and inventory the cash flow impact of were offset by increased accounts payable and customer billings due from distribution partner.

 

For the year ended October 31, 2008, we used approximately $2.7 million in operations, compared to $0.8 million in the prior year. The increase in cash used in operating activities, from the prior year, is primarily due to increased capitalized software development and royalties due to an increase in the number of games in development.

 

Investing Cash Flows.  Cash used in investing activities for the year ended October 31, 2009, 2008 and 2007 are primarily related to purchases of computer equipment and leasehold improvements of $0.1 million, $0.3 million, and $0.2 million, respectively.

 

Financing Cash Flows.  Net cash generated by financing activities for the year ended October 31, 2009 consists primarily of net proceeds from a public offering of common stock of $8.6 million (see note 12 to the financial statements), and an increase in outstanding borrowings under our purchase order financing agreement, to finance seasonal inventory purchases.

 

Net cash generated by financing activities in 2008 consists of an increase in purchase order financing.

 

Net cash generated by financing activities for the year ended October 31, 2007 consists primarily of net proceeds from the private placement of our equity securities of $5.8 million (see note 10 to the financial statements), offset by the repayment of purchase order financing.

 

 

As a smaller reporting company, we are not required to provide the information under this item, pursuant to Regulation S-K Item 305(e).

 

 

The financial statements required by Item 8 are submitted in a separate section of this report, beginning on Page F-1, are incorporated herein and made a part hereof.

 

 

None.

 

 

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures.  Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e), as of the end of the period covered by this report.

 

In designing and evaluating our disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives.

No system of controls can prevent errors and fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the control system’s objectives will be met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within our company have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur. Controls can also be circumvented by individual acts of some people, by collusion of two or more people, or by management override of the controls. The design of any system of controls is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Over time, controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or deterioration in the degree of compliance with its policies or procedures. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.

 

Subject to the limitations above, management believes that the consolidated financial statements and other financial information contained in this report, fairly present in all material respects our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows for the periods presented.

 

Based on the evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) were effective at a reasonable assurance level.

 

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during our most recent fiscal quarter that materially affected, or that are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.  Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act. Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP. Our internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that:

 

 

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

 

Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2009. In making this assessment, management used the framework set forth in the report entitled Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, or COSO. The COSO framework summarizes each of the components of a company’s internal control system, including (i) the control environment, (ii) risk assessment,

(iii) control activities, (iv) information and communication, and (v) monitoring. Based on this evaluation, management determined that our system of internal control over financial reporting was effective as of October 31, 2009.

 

This report does not include an attestation report of our registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management was not subject to attestation by our registered public accounting firm pursuant to temporary rules of the SEC that permit the Company to provide only a management’s report in this report.

 

 

Not applicable.

 

The information required by Part III of Form 10-K under the items listed below are incorporated by reference from our definitive proxy statement relating to the 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which we will file with the SEC within 120 days after our October 31, 2009 fiscal year end:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1) Financial Statements.

 

The financial statements required by item 15 are submitted in a separate section of this report, beginning on Page F-1, incorporated herein and made a part hereof.

 

(2) Financial Statement Schedules.

 

Schedules have been omitted because of the absence of conditions under which they are required or because the required information is included in the financial statements or notes thereto.

 

(3) Exhibits.

 

The following exhibits are filed with this report, or incorporated by reference as noted:

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

MAJESCO ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARY

 

Chief Executive Officer and Director

 

Date: January 29, 2010

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of

Majesco Entertainment Company

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Majesco Entertainment Company and Subsidiary (the “Company”) as of October 31, 2009, and the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and comprehensive loss, and cash flows for the year then ended. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit.

 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audit included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of Majesco Entertainment Company and Subsidiary at October 31, 2009 and the results of their operations and their cash flows for the year then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

/S/  AMPER, POLITZINER & MATTIA, LLP

 

January 28, 2010

Edison, New Jersey

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders

Majesco Entertainment Company

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of Majesco Entertainment Company and subsidiary as of October 31, 2008, and the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and accumulated other comprehensive loss, and cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended October 31, 2008. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

 

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Majesco Entertainment Company and subsidiary as of October 31, 2008, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the two years in the period ended October 31, 2008, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

 

We were not engaged to examine management’s assessment of the effectiveness of Majesco Entertainment Company and subsidiary’s internal control over financial reporting as of October 31, 2008, and, accordingly, we do not express an opinion thereon.

 

MCGLADREY & PULLEN, LLP

 

New York, New York

January 29, 2009

MAJESCO ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARY

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except share data)

 

 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements

MAJESCO ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARY

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(in thousands, except share data)

 

 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements

MAJESCO ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARY

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
(in thousands, except share data)

 

 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements

MAJESCO ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARY

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)