PETA takes on Cooking Mama

By Robert Purchese Published 20 November, 2008

Animal rights group not happy.

Majesco has rejected criticisms from animal rights group PETA over the amount of meat in Cooking Mama.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals made a browser-based parody of the culinary IP earlier this week, claiming the titular chef has a one-track mind.

"Why is PETA picking on poor Mama? Because the games are so heavy on dishes made from dead animals that the only things missing are the blood and the slaughterhouse," argued PETA.

Not so, retorted Majesco in a statement: "Cooking Mama World Kitchen includes more than 25 vegetarian-friendly recipes including delicious breakfast, dinner, dessert and snack options. And, while Mama is not a vegetarian, she fully supports the humane treatment of animals."

505 Games will be bringing Cooking Mama: World Kitchen to European Wiis next year.

Fresh-out-of-the-oven features include a proper 3D kitchen that Cooking Mama can throw burgers around in, plus loads more mini-games and even a rhythmical slant to boring chores such as chopping to keep them interesting.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (84) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • AliRay #1 3 years ago

    Dear PETA:

    FUCK OFF.

    kthxbye

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #2 3 years ago

    I was going to write an indignant comment, but AliRay has summed up my initial feelings surprisingly well.

  • gingerlink #3 3 years ago

    I think peta have chosen the wrong thing to pick on.

    this whole situation all seems rather amusing though.

  • Hairbear #4 3 years ago

    Good shout AliRay. If i was a cannibal i certainly know who I'd be picking on!

  • CallousB #5 3 years ago

    I'd buy Cooking Mama if it was like the PETA parody.

  • myiagros #6 3 years ago

    I'm a veggie but still disapprove of this action taken by PETA.

    Surely majesco could get this flash game removed due to copyright infringement?

  • miiiguel #7 3 years ago

    I support PETA's activity - even more after I saw a documentary where they electrocute animals for the fashion industry, I almost puked - but they do more harm to their cause then good because, this is rather pathetic.

  • Colin8703 #8 3 years ago

    Yes what with all the tigers and foxes and elephants being killed for nothing more than tusks and fur, I feel as though we should attack a Nintendo DS game instead guys.

    What do you think?

    Signed

    Dr Cornwallis

    PETA

  • ayrtonsenna #9 3 years ago

    The only good thing PETA ever did was have a naked Alicia Silverstone in their ad :)

    /wanks

  • Arrit #10 3 years ago

    PETA are always trying to get a pound of flesh from somewhere or other.

  • peak_performance #11 3 years ago

    That game is just too charming* to be mad at them

  • SEVQA #12 3 years ago

    Anything that has its back to the sky is fair game for lunch or dinner as far as I'm concerned!

    I can’t wait for a butchery DS game - sort like trauma centre combined with that mockney cunt Jamie Oliver’s cooking game!

  • clean515 #13 3 years ago

    "made from dead animals "


    Hmm should we eat living animals in our games instead ? Haha. I respect PETA when they try to stop downright abuse but this is pathetic.

  • optimusprym8 #14 3 years ago

    am sure this will boost the sales of the existing and to-be-released title/s

  • iancognito #15 3 years ago

    Well it got some publicity. I assume that's what they were after.

  • Oh-Bollox #16 3 years ago

    Ethical treatment of animals? Like a Welshman buying a sheep a drink before he fucks it?

  • Collymilad #17 3 years ago

    What the fuck is happening to the world today?

    Everyone has something to moan about.

    PETA: WE ARE AT THE TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN, DEAL WITH IT. Those animals taste DAMN good. I hate Nazi vegetarians/activists.

    I mean, it's surprising they took time out from killing scientists researching cures to save peoples lives to do this.
    Edited by 1 at 20/11/08 @ 12:32

  • Fred_Titmus #18 3 years ago

    If we are not meant to eat animals then why are they made of meat?

  • jack_klugman #19 3 years ago

    Everyone has something to moan about.

    PETA: WE ARE AT THE TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN, DEAL WITH IT. Those animals taste DAMN good. I hate Nazi vegetarians/activists.

    Irony?

  • makeamazing #20 3 years ago


    Seriously, last time I checked it wasnt illegal or frowned upon to eat burgers, chicken, etc etc.. this really is a stupid move from PETA.. Why dont they go and pick on whale hunting or shark killing or something that might prevent them going the way of the Dodo..., not some digital DS game which lets be honest will now have the following in the startup screens :

    "No animals (digital or otherwise) were hurt in the making of this game".

  • Wolfman #21 3 years ago

    Do they critisise cookery books or are they just picking on games?

    -wolfman
    Edited by 1 at 20/11/08 @ 12:44

  • Riggers #22 3 years ago

    After playing the PETA version of Cooking Mama, I understand why they're vegetarian. THEY CAN'T COOK.

    Stuffing the turkey when there's still giblets inside? Cutting its head off after stuffing it? Not basting the turkey? Having organs and bone floating around in their gravy? WTF?

    And don't even get me started on the bleeding eggs...

  • iokthemonkey #23 3 years ago

    I believe animals WANT to be eaten.

    If not, how come cows haven't evolved spines or the ability to spit poison when the farmer approaches?
    Edited by 1 at 20/11/08 @ 12:49

  • iokthemonkey #24 3 years ago

    Oh and BOO at Eurogamer for missing out on an obvious PETArded joke.

  • PearOfAnguish #25 3 years ago

    Sorry PETA, I like animals too, but some of them just taste too good.

  • dadrester #26 3 years ago

    hehe... i quite enjoyed that flash game! well done... still i fucking love a good blue ribeye or fillet steak... mmmm

  • Quint2020 #27 3 years ago

    Jesus Christ, bloody crazy Vegans.

  • Tzetrik #28 3 years ago

    Fucking veggies, trying to scare people out of proper food preparation.

  • MaxiSleep #29 3 years ago

    All of WoW's recopies are based on MEAT!!!


    Ban this sick filth!!!!

  • iokthemonkey #30 3 years ago

    Fucking veggies, trying to scare people out of proper food preparation.

    ----

    Exactly. I can see the PETA-approved version now, with all its wonderful recipes for "Twig Soup", "Leaf with Dirt", "Bark and Mud Pie" and "A Hot Carrot."

  • jonfon #31 3 years ago

    MEAT IS MURDER!!

    Tasty, tasty murder

  • menage #32 3 years ago

    Blame the videogame!

    When is Greenpeace going to ram their boat into Nintendo headquarters.

  • Azazel #33 3 years ago

    Is this the same PETA that destroys and illegally disposes of 97% of the animals it "rescues"?

    "... we make the brain perfect before we blow it out."

    PETALOL

  • SEVQA #34 3 years ago

    Hello Sir/Madam: Today's special is a hung for 21 day fillet of steak in black pepper sauce with light garnish grilled to your specification.

    We have vegetarian option: YOU CAN FUCK OFF!

  • Shakey_Jake33 #35 3 years ago

    What exactly do PETA wish to achieve here? It's not as if this game is going to encourage people to dare to defy PETA's moral standards (which differs from most rational people's opinions) by eating meat is it? They should do sort out some real animal rights abominations, such as the aforementioned examples, rather than some video game.

    They should sue Ready Steady Cook too, they use meat on there all the time.

  • Canyarion #36 3 years ago

    That was fun. But I'm already a veggie!

  • Collymilad #37 3 years ago

    "Everyone has something to moan about.

    PETA: WE ARE AT THE TOP OF THE FOOD CHAIN, DEAL WITH IT. Those animals taste DAMN good. I hate Nazi vegetarians/activists.

    Irony? "

    And the smart one of the thread pops up. I did say everyone has something to moan about, so that would include me.

  • shotgun44 #38 3 years ago

    PETA and anyone who is a member can fuck off under a rock and die for all I care. Whinging fucking mince-bags

  • hoster #39 3 years ago

    "If not, how come cows haven't evolved spines or the ability to spit poison when the farmer approaches?"

    Selective breeding: Their ancestors, giant Aurochs and the like were far feistier: after we domesticated cattle we set about breeding only the ones with the traits we liked, hence the big fat docile livestock we have today :)

  • chicknstu #40 3 years ago

    That's amazing!

    Awesome idea.

  • chrisjm #41 3 years ago

    im going to make a cooking mama: wild

    recipes will include sharkfin soup
    breaded elephant trunk rings
    cheeta chops
    monkey hand rolls
    roast sparrow

    and because its a game and not real they can cry all they like but no animals will of been hurt, virtual animals cannot become extinct.

  • shotgun44 #42 3 years ago

    Just imagine the horrors of being one of their children!

    'No, sorry guys, I can't come out today 'cause I been grounded for playing cooking mama.'
    'Seriously?'

  • Spooke #43 3 years ago

    http://i3 95.photobucket.com/albums/pp38/...

  • andywilkie35 #44 3 years ago

    dunno if this has been said already (haven't got time to check) but I just wanted to say that vegetarians are shit and for every animal they don't eat, I'll eat three

  • AnthonyC #45 3 years ago

    I hope no one shows PETA COD World at War. Nothing I like better than sticky grenading those fluffy little snarling nazi hell hounds!

  • kinky_mong #46 3 years ago

    I think Majesco should sue them anyway just for good measure and to get an extra bit of publicity from this pathetic campaign.

    And if any members of PETA read this comment I would just like to remind them that for every animal they don't eat I will eat 3.

    Edit: Bugger Wilkie beat me to it!
    Edited by 1 at 20/11/08 @ 13:41

  • Garulon #47 3 years ago

    " They should do sort out some real animal rights abominations, such as the aforementioned examples, rather than some video game."

    Like Battery Farms. For a laugh, the next time you see animal rights activists moaning about teh cuddly hamsterz being drugged out of their mind in a lab, ask them why are they wasting their time over a hundred or so animals when the millions of battery hens in Britain alone would give their right eye for the living conditions of lab rats.

    Y'know, if they were sentient. WHICH THEY'RE NOT.

    Keep up the PETA bashing guys, I'm so happy so many people see through their bullshit.

  • iokthemonkey #48 3 years ago

    Selective breeding: Their ancestors, giant Aurochs and the like were far feistier: after we domesticated cattle we set about breeding only the ones with the traits we liked, hence the big fat docile livestock we have today :)

    ----

    No, sorry. Cows like being eaten, plain and simple. Even if they can't evolve spines or poison, they could run away, yet they make no attempt to, therefore they enjoy it.

  • chicknstu #49 3 years ago

    Once again I find myself completely at odds with the opinions of 99% of the worlds 'Gamers'.

    All they appear to me to be doing is using the game, something their target audience in this case are familiar with, and parodying it (VERY WELL, might I add!) as a means to get across their message.

    And it's worked a treat!

  • iokthemonkey #50 3 years ago

    All they appear to me to be doing is using the game, something their target audience in this case are familiar with, and parodying it (VERY WELL, might I add!) as a means to get across their message.

    And it's worked a treat!

    ----

    When did "work[ing] a treat" and "pissing people off" become synonymous?

  • Oh-Bollox #51 3 years ago

    And it's worked a treat!

    Not really. No-one has quit eating animals because of a shit flash game. If they did, they would be so stupid as to deserve being eaten.

  • kiroquai #52 3 years ago

    I look forward to PETA giving us a grave desecration flash game, or a nail bomb flash game. They seem to support both of those causes too.

  • Garulon #53 3 years ago

    "That word doesn't mean what you think it means, obviously... "

    It absolutly means what I think it means. Alive isn't the same as sentient.

  • Pastici #54 3 years ago

    As my mate said its stuff like this that devalues any good work they have done.

  • Garulon #55 3 years ago

    "I look forward to PETA giving us a grave desecration flash game, or a nail bomb flash game. They seem to support both of those causes too. "

    Naked lefty actress game about Fur (or whatever) would also fit the bill, I'd have thought.

  • pervertron #56 3 years ago

    The flash game is fab! I'm addicted to ripping out animal organs! Yey PETA!
    Now where are the levels where I can club seals, hunt whales and skin foxes?

  • Futaba #57 3 years ago

    I ate a steak last night. It was very tasty. Fuck you PETA.

  • kangarootoo #58 3 years ago

    Sheesh.

    PETA do a lot of good work, and I agree with a lot of their manifesto, but sometimes I just wish they would think before opening their gobs.

    Most people eat meat, and most receipes for main meals therefore contain meat. I've been vege on about off for yonks, but I recognise 2 crucial things;

    1. I am in the minority.
    2. Preaching about vegetarianism is the ONE thing most likely to cause someone else to abandon any interest in becoming a vege themselves.

    PETA's hamfisted references to blood and slaughterhouses is frankly idiotic and stupid. Do you hear me PETA, I am saying whoever issued that statement is stupid and needs retraining.

    PR is not easy, and PETA sometimes seem to think that strong beliefs are the most important thing. I tend to think that is you care about a cause, if you REALLY care about it, you will never let the strength of feel that you hold interfere with your ability to actually make change. ACTUALLY make change, not just preach about it, and nag, and feel good about yourself and say "Well at least I did my bit", but act in a way that helps the cause you say you represent.

    Lunatic pedantic childish commentary from PETA such as this DOES NOT help animals. Like I said, I support their cause, but I don't always support them and their oft-cackhanded actions.

  • wizbob #59 3 years ago

    Cooking Mama is a mass-market game that purports to teach people how to cook (not that many people in this thread prepare their own food). PETA have an interest in reducing the amount of meat that people eat, so this game is a natural target for parody. It's not healthy to eat too much meat. I'm explaining this in short, simple sentences because most of the comments here sound like they have been left by fat wheezing 14 year olds who are unlikely to have killed any animals in their short, indoor lives.

    Personally, I don't like the way PETA have made use of women in their campaigns but trying to get people to cut down on meat from factory animals seems like a better use of resources to me than any number of tiger- or whale-saving campaigns.

    No, I am not a vegetarian nor have I slaughtered my own meat, etc. The comment threads here get worse all the time.

  • kangarootoo #60 3 years ago

    Oh god. I just played the flash game, and now I am twice as annoyed.

    Blood does not come out of a dead turkey when you pluck its feathers. So what I am viewing is basically a lie... and a really obvious one at that.

    It all just feels so clichey and elitist. Its like the game was made for people who ALREADY support PETA and their manifesto, so they can laugh and feel superior. It wasn't made for vegetarians who don't agree with PETA all the time, and it certainly wasn't made for meat eaters who are maybe looking for a reason to become a vegatarian.

    This sort of thing really makes me angry actually, and its rare I get properly angry, very rare. It reminds me of the may day riots, where middle class white kids chuck bins through the window of McDonalds and say they are doing it in support of the starving in africa. In fact they are doing it because they are bigoted against a another group of human beings, and their actions do more harm than good to those they clame to be helping. But they do it because they cannot control their own anger.

    And the same thing is happening here. When I see a game such as this, I see PETA venting its anger and slinging mud and "calling names". It really feels like nobody has sat down and asked the question "is this the best way we can apply our resources to reduce animals cruelty and promote vegetarianism".

    Is it just me? Am I losing the plot? I mean, doesn't that seem to anyone else like the most f*cking obvious question, that PETA should be asking themselves every single day? And yet they come out with something like this, and I just think "You don't care enough to control yourself, to actually do what is best. You give in your anger and would rather sling mud that facilitate actual change."

    Dickheads.

  • kangarootoo #61 3 years ago

    @wizbob

    "but trying to get people to cut down on meat from factory animals"

    But this is where my whole attitude hinges. SUCCEEDING is infinitely better than merely trying. "trying" is what people do to salve their own conciences, ACHIEVING is what they do if their cause is more important to them than their own feelings of worth.

    I don't want to make this about you, but do you really think this latest action by PETA is going to hold water with anyone other than the already-converted?

  • Garulon #62 3 years ago

    @andywilkie35
    "dunno if this has been said already (haven't got time to check) but I just wanted to say that vegetarians are shit and for every animal they don't eat, I'll eat three "

    No vegeterians are not shit, I'm not a vegetarian but totally understand the perspective of those who are (vegans are fricken crazy though), PETA are mindless middle-class scum trying to drain off their middle-class guilt with allowance from Daddy and they're doing the vegetarian movement (which holds both the ethical and financial high ground - do you know just how inefficient eating meat actually is from an economic perspective?) untold damage.

    On the plus side, they're prolly all vegans so will be really easy to beat up. Go get 'em veggies!

  • Garulon #63 3 years ago

    I have common ground with Kanagrootoo! :o

  • Dan234 #64 3 years ago

    Fresh from their success with Samba de Amigo, now they're after Cooking Mama.

    Anyone get the idea that PETA have just realised the games industry is the fountain of all of society's ills? Cooking Mama's been out for ages. What are they hoping to achieve, to get the game pulled? And does that mean they've saved an animal? Er, no.

  • Daymare #65 3 years ago

    "...but I just wanted to say that vegetarians are shit..."

    Oh yeah!? You' momma! :)

  • wizbob #66 3 years ago

    I don't want to make this about you, but do you really think this latest action by PETA is going to hold water with anyone other than the already-converted?

    I don't think I understand what PETA are trying to do at all. My best guess is that they're taking an extremist position to force people to choose sides, aggravate their opponents and leave the middle ground. Which is really not that different from a Bolshevik or terrorist approach.

  • Garulon #67 3 years ago

    You know, I meant sapient. I'm an idiot.

    But still clevererer than PETA!

  • Futaba #68 3 years ago

    Save the sea kittens! [link url=http://www. peta.org/Sea_Kittens/about.asp
    ]http://www. peta.org/Sea_Kittens/about.asp
    [/link]

    ...lol

  • SEVQA #69 3 years ago

    PET An animal then eat it!

  • kangarootoo #70 3 years ago

    @andywilkie35

    "dunno if this has been said already (haven't got time to check) but I just wanted to say that vegetarians are shit and for every animal they don't eat, I'll eat three"

    Dude, that doesn't even make sense. When I was vege I didn't eat animals... I didn't eat ALL animals. So for ALL the animals I didn't eat, you ate three times ALL animals?

    What I can't understand is why anyone would dislike someone just because they are vegetarian. I can understand disliking someone for preaching, and I can understand disliking someone for controlling your life, but a moderate vege does neither of those things. They simply don't eat meat.

    "You are shit because you don't eat meat"

    Does that not seem kind of unhinged to you? Is there no irony visible to you at, who might dismiss veges as preaching their beliefs in an aggressive way?

    Now I completely understand that some vegetarians are militant and annoying. But those are just militant annoying people who also HAPPEN to be vegetarians. If they weren't vege, they would still be c*nts, but they would be flying a different flag.

    I know loads of veges, and not one of them preaches to meat eaters, will happily eat in the presence of people eating meat, eat in restaurants that serve meat, and so on. Maybe its just 'cos I don't hang around with annoying twats, vege or otherwise.
    Edited by 1 at 20/11/08 @ 17:13

  • kuzanagi #71 3 years ago

    Dear PETA,

    For every animal you save, I shall consume two.

    Fuck you very much.

  • elephant_stone #72 3 years ago

    hahahahahaha

    haha

    ha

    WHAT?!

  • Azazel #73 3 years ago

    Save the sea kittens! http://www. peta.org/Sea_Kittens/about.asp

    Oh dear...

  • mizcicz #74 3 years ago

    peta is absolutely right! tell that cooking mama not to kill animals - whats wrong with that? someone has to... there was one thing i really really liked about playing fable 2: i was able to only eat vegan food and even had advantages from that (a slim good looking char)...i almost managed to have a vegan diet in fallout 3 but i had to eat one or two ants as well i must admit - otherwise i would have died but i´m not proud of it...well...and lots of booze and drugs...but for fable it worked...

  • kcorb #75 3 years ago

    That flash game is awesome! Could have been better though, the turkey was dead by the time I got to it.

  • smelly #76 3 years ago

    This is the SAME peta that kills stray dogs?

  • Shakey_Jake33 #77 3 years ago

    Obviously the issue here isn't whether or not someone is vegetarian/vegan (which is a very personal decision), but whether feel the need to take the moral high-ground, regard their own opinion as the one and only true good, and thrust that upon everyone else. It is a concern if people cannot see the difference between a vegetarian/vegan, and PETA who fit very nicely into the latter. Anyone who regards vegetarians/vegans as 'shit' is just as bad as PETA - I say that as a meat-eater.

  • SixFootHalfling #78 3 years ago

    No PETA no animals are hurt, its a game see?

    However 18,967,432,563 lines of code are MURDERED in order to make a single meal in Cooking Mama and I think this is what we should be complaining about as this is obviously amoral and should be stopped immediately. In fact if PETA's game is an almost straight copy think of how many lines of code that Murders everyday.
    Bastards.

  • SixFootHalfling #79 3 years ago

    Wow this is pathetic
    When was the last time you broke an egg and blood came out?
    When was the last time you put 1g of stuffing in a turkey and it inflated 4 inches?
    When was the last time you plucked a bird, thats dead, that bleed?
    And when was the last time you saw a cokked turkey with visible veins sticking out of its neck?

  • Agent_Llama #80 3 years ago

    My comments will only echo others that have gone before; PETA deserve support for what they do, but really, picking on Cooking Mama? Come off it. Next up will be how Fable II encourages animal abuse as you can kick chickens...

  • Svecke #81 3 years ago

    All the PETA bashing makes me warm and happy inside.

  • kangarootoo #82 3 years ago

    @mizcicz

    "peta is absolutely right! tell that cooking mama not to kill animals"

    Well, Cooking Mama does not kill animals for a start. It uses meat in its receipes, like pretty much every cook book out there.

    "whats wrong with that?"

    As I said in my previous posts, there are ways and means. I support the same causes as PETA, but their methods are frankly a bit crap at times (this is very much one of those times).

    How many vegetarians do you think this game will actually create? All I am seeing in this thread is meat eaters becoming even more certain that they will continue to eat meat. Is that really what PETA were hopinh to achieve? Did they even think about what it was they wanted to achieve?

  • mizcicz #83 3 years ago

    @kangorootoo: that´s exactly the problem you mention here...of course EVERY cooking mama who prepares meat kills animals, or paid someone to do that bloody business for her. what do you think a steak was before becoming a steak...i give you a hint. it was not a suitcase...you just did not make the connection there (or do not want to)...thats the problem and thats what peta is trying to sell...making a link from the food on your plate that seems to be just some food - to the living, breathing animal it once was..and there is nothing wrong with that in my opinion. peta uses a strange ´style´ to get PR sometimes. thats correct. but on the other hand people just seem to ´tick´like that and it works...in the end their efforts still have a good purpose...and i really do believe that small things can really make a change (a vegetarian cooking mama will help a little, a vegan diet in fable 2 for gaining good karma...it´s a start to make people think...nothing more - nothing less)...sorry for bad english i´m not native english speaking

  • kangarootoo #84 3 years ago

    @mizcicz

    "and i really do believe that small things can really make a change"

    Tbh I really think we agree for the most part. Little things do make a difference, and a vege cooking mama might also be a good thing. I just don't think PETA have made that a more likely outcome with their actions here (but I think we probably agree on that too).

    "sorry for bad english i´m not native english speaking"

    Hey, don't apologise. You write a better paragraph than some of the native english speakers on here, and you points were quite clear.