Difference between revisions of "LJN"

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'''LJN''' a former toy company originally founded in 1970. It was acquired by MCA in 1985, where it began to publish video games based on MCA properties, before being sold to [[Acclaim Entertainment]] in 1990. Founder of LJN, Jack Friedman, was also responsible for the creation of [[THQ]] in 1989 and Jakks Pacific in 1995.
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'''LJN''' was an American toy manufacturer and video game publisher, notable for licensing a significant number of popular movies for adaptations to [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] games in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and for the generally poor quality of those games.
  
LJN's history sees it commonly associated with Nintendo Entertainment System games of dubious quality it published during the late 1980s and early 1990s. After becoming part of Acclaim, the toy division was stripped back entirely and it became one of several publishing labels used by its new owners - in many ways a Nintendo counterpart to [[Flying Edge]] and later [[Arena]]. All three labels were sidelined in 1995, and all future games simply used Acclaim branding.
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Company founder [[Jack Friedman]] would later establish game developer [[THQ]] in 1989, and toy design company [[Jakks Pacific]] in 1995.
  
In its prime, no game was ever published by LJN for a [[Sega]] system (although the [[Sega Mega Drive]] version of ''[[Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage]]'' erroneously credits LJN in-game), however the brand mysteriously re-emerged under the name "LJN Entertainment, inc" for the 2000 [[Sega Dreamcast]] release of ''[[Spirit of Speed 1937]]''. It is currently not known why Acclaim chose to re-use this brand for a single game, and the name has not been seen since. Acclaim itself closed its doors in 2004 after a protracted bankruptcy and liquidation period.
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==Company==
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LJN was founded by [[Jack Friedman]] in 1970 as a manufacturer of toys, and specialized in the production of action figures. The company was acquired by MCA in 1985, when it began to publish video games based on MCA properties. Five years later, LJN was sold to [[Acclaim Entertainment]], who dissolved its entire toy development division and reformed the company into a game publishing label. Now serving as Acclaim's [[Super Nintendo]] counterpart to it's [[Sega Genesis]] counterpart [[Flying Edge]] (and later, [[Arena]]), all three labels would be retired in 1995, and future games uniformly used Acclaim branding.
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The company would never truly publish a game for a [[Sega]] system (despite ''[[Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage]]'' erroneously crediting LJN in-game); however, the brand mysteriously re-emerged under the name "LJN Entertainment, Inc." for the 2000 [[Sega Dreamcast]] release of ''[[Spirit of Speed 1937]]''. The brand and name have never been used since, and the reasons for its inclusion is unknown.
  
 
==Softography==
 
==Softography==
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==References==
 
==References==
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[[Category:Third-party distributors]]
 
[[Category:Third-party distributors]]

Revision as of 08:31, 25 September 2021

https://segaretro.org/images/a/a9/LJN_Ltd_logo.png

LJN Ltd logo.png
LJN
Founded: 1970
Defunct: 1995
Merged into: MCA (1985), Acclaim Entertainment (1990)
Headquarters:
Glen Cove, New York, United States

LJN was an American toy manufacturer and video game publisher, notable for licensing a significant number of popular movies for adaptations to Nintendo Entertainment System games in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and for the generally poor quality of those games.

Company founder Jack Friedman would later establish game developer THQ in 1989, and toy design company Jakks Pacific in 1995.

Company

LJN was founded by Jack Friedman in 1970 as a manufacturer of toys, and specialized in the production of action figures. The company was acquired by MCA in 1985, when it began to publish video games based on MCA properties. Five years later, LJN was sold to Acclaim Entertainment, who dissolved its entire toy development division and reformed the company into a game publishing label. Now serving as Acclaim's Super Nintendo counterpart to it's Sega Genesis counterpart Flying Edge (and later, Arena), all three labels would be retired in 1995, and future games uniformly used Acclaim branding.

The company would never truly publish a game for a Sega system (despite Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage erroneously crediting LJN in-game); however, the brand mysteriously re-emerged under the name "LJN Entertainment, Inc." for the 2000 Sega Dreamcast release of Spirit of Speed 1937. The brand and name have never been used since, and the reasons for its inclusion is unknown.

Softography

Dreamcast

References