Midway
From LoveToKnow VideoGames
Ever heard of Mortal Kombat? How about Joust, NBA Jam, Space Invaders or Pac-Man? Midway has been one of the most quietly prolific companies in the video game industry over it's long history. Many arcade goers will no doubt recognize the name plastered over the side of their favorite machines. From their beginnings as arcade machine manufacturers to their current focus of video games, Midway is a name the gaming world won't soon forget.
History of Midway
Midway, the famous video game publisher and developer responsible for Mortal Kombat and NBA Jam, began as an arcade machine manufacturer in 1958. Many similar companies emerged from the Chicago area around this time, though Midway is one of the few that survives to this day. It is perhaps the oldest U.S.-based video games maker still active in the video game market.
Ten years after their inception, Midway was purchased by Bally. The company's production was shifted to focus on arcade machines in 1978. Their first big break was the licensing and distribution deal for Space Invaders that same year, followed by Pac-Man just two years later. Bally/Midway was the leading producer of arcade video games through the late 1980's.
Williams Electronics purchased Midway in 1988, merging the two companies to form WMS Industries based in Chicago. Both companies produced titles under their original names and even acquired the Bally name for their pinball machines.
In 1996, WMS purchased Time-Warner Interactive, which included Atari Games. Two years later, WMS sold Midway Games Inc., making it an independent company for the first time in 30 years. Despite the split, the two companies shared a building and had numerous agreements allowing the shared use of names on pinball machines. This made little difference in 1999 when both companies withdrew from the pinball business. It was then that Midway decided to focus on video games.
Their Video Games
- Cruis'n USA (with Nintendo) - A racing game on the Nintendo 64 featuring classic cars in realistic environments.
- Joust - Arcade jousting game.
- Mortal Kombat - Highly controversial fighting game.
- Ms. Pac Man - The feminine counterpart of the pellet munching yellow guy.
- NBA Jam - A basketball game with simple play mechanics and an emphasis on wacky codes.
- Smash TV - Intense top-down adventure/shooter game popular on the NES and SNES systems.
Where They Are Today
Midway has had its hardships along with its successes. In 2001 the company shut down the arcade division due to heavy losses. Two years later, Midway Games West, the renamed acquisition of Atari Games, was closed as well.
Operating as an independent company in its own building in Chicago, Midway Games continues to develop video games for many consoles. The company has several subsidiaries and recently purchased a number of independent developers to strengthen its production teams. The longest-running developer of video games in the U.S. shows no signs of slowing down.
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