Difference between revisions of "Midway Games"
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− | {{sub-stub}}'''Midway Games Inc.''' was a video game developer and later publisher. | + | {{sub-stub}}'''Midway Games, Inc.''' was a video game developer and later publisher. |
Midway was founded in 1958 as '''Midway Manufacturing Co.''' as an independent manufacturer of amusement equipment. In 1969 it was acquired by [[Bally Manufacturing]], which was a dominant force in the slot machine market, however the two continued to run as separate entities in the Bally family. | Midway was founded in 1958 as '''Midway Manufacturing Co.''' as an independent manufacturer of amusement equipment. In 1969 it was acquired by [[Bally Manufacturing]], which was a dominant force in the slot machine market, however the two continued to run as separate entities in the Bally family. | ||
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Midway developed and published some of the most successful video games of the 80s before striking gold in the 90s with the ''Mortal Kombat'' series of fighting games and ''NBA Jam'' series of sports games. | Midway developed and published some of the most successful video games of the 80s before striking gold in the 90s with the ''Mortal Kombat'' series of fighting games and ''NBA Jam'' series of sports games. | ||
− | In 1994, WMS would purchase [[Tradewest]] and rename it "Williams Entertainment". Then, in 1996, WMS purchased [[Time Warner Interactive]] (and [[Atari Games]]). Both were subsequently merged into a '''Midway Games''' brand - Williams Entertainment became | + | In 1994, WMS would purchase [[Tradewest]] and rename it "Williams Entertainment". Then, in 1996, WMS purchased [[Time Warner Interactive]] (and [[Atari Games]]). Both were subsequently merged into a '''Midway Games''' brand - Williams Entertainment became [[Midway Home Entertainment]] while Time Warner Interactive became [[Midway Games West]]. In 1998 Midway Games split from WMS Industries, becoming its own separate company once again. |
Their output started to decline in the 2000s — and their bottom line plummeted, leading to their bankruptcy in 2009. Warner Bros. currently owns most, if not all, of their IP assets (bar some Atari Games assets, now owned by a different Atari Inc.). | Their output started to decline in the 2000s — and their bottom line plummeted, leading to their bankruptcy in 2009. Warner Bros. currently owns most, if not all, of their IP assets (bar some Atari Games assets, now owned by a different Atari Inc.). | ||
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==Softography== | ==Softography== |
Revision as of 16:46, 15 January 2020
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Midway Games | ||
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Founded: 1958 (as Midway Manufacturing) | ||
Defunct: still in liquidation as of 2011 | ||
Merged with: Time Warner Interactive, Atari Games, Williams Entertainment (1996) | ||
Merged into: Bally (1969) | ||
Headquarters:
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This teeny-tiny article needs some work. You can help us by expanding it.
Midway Games, Inc. was a video game developer and later publisher.
Midway was founded in 1958 as Midway Manufacturing Co. as an independent manufacturer of amusement equipment. In 1969 it was acquired by Bally Manufacturing, which was a dominant force in the slot machine market, however the two continued to run as separate entities in the Bally family.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s Midway produced electro-mechanical arcade machines, but by 1973 the company was beginning to take an interest in the burgeoning video games market. Midway got its big break when it acquired the license to distribute Japanese arcade games from the likes of Namco and Taito in North America, including Space Invaders and Pac-Man. Midway would also produce its own video games, most notably the unauthroised modification to Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man.
Both Bally and Midway were producing pinball tables separately, so in 1982 it was decided to merge the two divisions, creating Bally Midway Manufacturing Co., Inc.. From this point onwards most video games and pinball tables were being credited to "Bally Midway", and the company was producing its own video games in addition to distributing imports.
After the summer of 1983[1] Bally Midway purchased Sega Electronics (formerly Gremlin Industries) for an undisclosed price[2]. The majority of Sega's products at this point were coming from Japan, so Bally Midway became the exclusive distributor of Sega arcade games for a short period, before Sega re-entered the market to represent themselves.
In 1988 the Bally Midway division was purchased by WMS Industries. WMS chose to distinguish the brands once again, with the Bally name used for pinball, and the Midway name used for video games. The purchasing also led to the video game assets of Williams Electronics Games being merged with Midway. Williams, who also produced pinball tables, would effectively absorb the Bally pinball division some years later.
Midway developed and published some of the most successful video games of the 80s before striking gold in the 90s with the Mortal Kombat series of fighting games and NBA Jam series of sports games.
In 1994, WMS would purchase Tradewest and rename it "Williams Entertainment". Then, in 1996, WMS purchased Time Warner Interactive (and Atari Games). Both were subsequently merged into a Midway Games brand - Williams Entertainment became Midway Home Entertainment while Time Warner Interactive became Midway Games West. In 1998 Midway Games split from WMS Industries, becoming its own separate company once again.
Their output started to decline in the 2000s — and their bottom line plummeted, leading to their bankruptcy in 2009. Warner Bros. currently owns most, if not all, of their IP assets (bar some Atari Games assets, now owned by a different Atari Inc.).
Contents
- 1 Softography
- 1.1 Electro-mechanical arcade
- 1.2 LaserDisc hardware
- 1.3 System 1
- 1.4 Arcade
- 1.5 Master System
- 1.6 Mega Drive
- 1.7 Game Gear
- 1.8 Mega-CD
- 1.9 32X
- 1.10 Saturn
- 1.11 Dreamcast
- 1.12 Atari 2600
- 1.13 Amstrad CPC
- 1.14 Apple II
- 1.15 Atari 8-bit family
- 1.16 BBC Micro
- 1.17 Commodore 64
- 1.18 IBM PC
- 1.19 ZX Spectrum
- 1.20 Bally Midway-published arcade games
- 1.21 Master System
- 1.22 Mega Drive
- 1.23 Mega CD
- 1.24 Sega 32X
- 1.25 Game Gear
- 1.26 Saturn
- 2 Gallery
- 3 References
Softography
Electro-mechanical arcade
- Missile (1969)
LaserDisc hardware
- Astron Belt (1982) (as Bally Midway)
- Albegas (1983) (as Bally Midway)
- Galaxy Ranger (1983) (as Bally Midway)
System 1
Arcade
- Tapper (1984) (as Bally Midway)
- Bank Panic (1984) (as Bally Midway)
Master System
- Rampage (1988) (as Bally Midway)
- Mortal Kombat (1993) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- T2: The Arcade Game (1993) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- Mortal Kombat II (1994) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- Mortal Kombat 3 (1996) (as Midway Manufacturing)
Mega Drive
- Arch Rivals (1992) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- T2: The Arcade Game (1992) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- Super High Impact (1992) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- Jerry Glanville's Pigskin Footbrawl (1992) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- Mortal Kombat (1993) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- NBA Jam (1994) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- Mortal Kombat II (1994) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- Blockbuster World Video Game Championship II (1995) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- Mortal Kombat 3 (1995) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- NBA Jam Tournament Edition (1995) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- Revolution X (1995) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game (1995) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1996) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- NBA Hang Time (1996)
- Total Carnage (unreleased) (as Midway Manufacturing)
Game Gear
- Arch Rivals (1992) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- T2: The Arcade Game (1993) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- Mortal Kombat (1993) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- Mortal Kombat II (1994) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- NBA Jam (1994) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- NBA Jam Tournament Edition (1995) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- Mortal Kombat 3 (1996) (as Midway Manufacturing)
Mega-CD
- Mortal Kombat (1994) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- NBA Jam (1994) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- Total Carnage (unreleased) (as Midway Manufacturing)
32X
- Mortal Kombat II (1994) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- NBA Jam Tournament Edition (1995) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game (1995) (as Midway Manufacturing)
Saturn
- NBA Jam Tournament Edition (1995) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- Mortal Kombat II (1996) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- Revolution X (1996) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1996) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game (1996) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- Rampage World Tour (1997)
- Mortal Kombat & Mortal Kombat II (unreleased) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- Mortal Kombat 3 (unreleased) (as Midway Manufacturing)
- War Gods (unreleased)
Dreamcast
- Mortal Kombat Gold (1999)
- NFL Blitz 2000 (1999)
- NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC (1999)
- The Grid (unreleased)
Atari 2600
- Spy Hunter (1984) (as Bally Midway)
- Tapper (1984) (as Bally Midway)
Amstrad CPC
- Tapper (1984) (as Bally Midway)
Apple II
- Spy Hunter (1984) (as Bally Midway)
- Tapper (1984) (as Bally Midway)
Atari 8-bit family
- Spy Hunter (1984) (as Bally Midway)
BBC Micro
- Spy Hunter (1985) (as Bally Midway)
- Tapper (1985) (as Bally Midway)
Commodore 64
- Spy Hunter (1984) (as Bally Midway)
- Tapper (1984) (as Bally Midway)
IBM PC
- Spy Hunter (1984) (as Bally Midway)
ZX Spectrum
- Spy Hunter (1985) (as Bally Midway)
- Tapper (1985) (as Bally Midway)
Bally Midway-published arcade games
- Astron Belt (1983)
- Galaxy Ranger (1984)
Master System
- Mortal Kombat (1993)
- Mortal Kombat II (1994)
- Mortal Kombat 3 (1996)
Mega Drive
- Mortal Kombat (1993)
- NBA Jam (1994)
- NBA Jam Tournament Edition (1994)
- Mortal Kombat II (1994)
- Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)
- Revolution X (1995)
- Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1996)
- Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits (1996)
Mega CD
- Mortal Kombat (1994)
- NBA Jam (1994)
Sega 32X
- NBA Jam Tournament Edition (1995)
- Mortal Kombat II (1995)
Game Gear
- Mortal Kombat (1993)
- NBA Jam (1994)
- NBA Jam Tournament Edition (1994)
- Mortal Kombat II (1994)
- Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)
Saturn
- NBA Jam Tournament Edition (1995)
- Revolution X (1995)
- WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game (1995)
- Mortal Kombat II (1996)
- Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1996)