Planet Entertainment responds to allegations it was ‘unauthorised’ to release new Cooking Mama game

Planet Entertainment has responded to reports alleging it was “unauthorised” to release the latest Cooking Mama game, Cooking Mama: Cookstar, on Nintendo Switch last month, breaching its licence contract with IP holder Office Create.

In a statement yesterday, Office Create said that though it terminated the Cooking Mama contract with Planet Entertainment on March 30th due to “a wide range of deficiencies affecting the overall feel, quality and content of the game […] Planet proceeded to release Cooking Mama: Cookstar without addressing all of the rejections and without Office Create’s approval”. 

“In August 2018, Office Create licensed Planet to develop the Cooking Mama: Cookstar game for Nintendo Switch,” IP holder Office Create said in a statement (thanks, Eurogamer). “Unfortunately, the quality of the game builds failed to meet the standards that our customers expect and deserve. Office Create rejected a wide range of deficiencies affecting the overall feel, quality and content of the game.”

“We have also learned that Planet and/or its European distributor has been promoting an upcoming European release of a PS4 version of Cooking Mama: Cookstar,” the statement continued. “Office Create has not licensed Planet (or any other entity) to create any Cooking Mama games for PS4. Office Create itself has not been involved in the development of any PS4 Cooking Mama game.”

https://twitter.com/CookstarMama/status/1250507324596211713?s=20

“Planet Entertainment wants to explain the mystery surrounding the Nintendo Switch game to all Cooking Mama Cookstar fans,” the publisher explained via a statement on the company’s Twitter account.

“Office Create, the rights holder to Cooking Mama, approved the detailed game design in 2019. 1st Playable the game developer and Planet followed the exact approved design. That design is the exact game on Nintendo Switch which also includes many additional Office Create suggestions which add gameplay value.

“Unfortunately, creative differences arose as Cooking Mama Cookstar was near completion that were outside the scope of our agreement and the game design approved by Office Create.

“We appreciate the overwhelming positive response and support from Cooking Mama Cookstar fans,” Planet Entertainment added. “Office Create has our total respect. We thank them for their wisdom and wish them well”.

Koch Media – which distributes Cooking Mama: Cookstar in Europe – told Eurogamer “this is a matter between Office Create and Planet Entertainment and as discussions between them are ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time”.

Further rumours that Cooking Mama: Cookstar maliciously mines cryptocurrency have been denied by developer 1st Playable.