European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 15, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine Santa bring me Demon attack egomania and space vultures by Andrew Pollack new York times on t lock now Hul Here comes Pac Man again Vidon . A Cole trainmen craze Folk null tar everything rom sore thumbs of the decline of Itie nation s youth. Am making a comeback three companies will to Selling Home video Gamo machines in the United slalom this Christmas. Retailers thai have nol sold machines for two years Are stocking up again and Stal Side television will soon reverberate once More to i he capping and beeping sounds of commercials Aboul invading aliens and Missic warfare the fun is Back. Alan says in the first television commercials it has made in two years. It s like Back to inc Lulu re said James h Levy president of Active sign. A video game Cartridge company that won irom rags to riches to rags. No one expects video games to be Tho Tad they were in 1961 and 1g82 manufacturers estimate thai 2 million game machines will be sold in the United states this year far less than the More than 8 million sold when the lad was at ils Peak in 1982. Some 10 million to 15 million cartridges will be sold compared with 75 million Bach in 1983 still manufacturer and retailers Hope that improved technology and a new audience will make video games a steady business we have kids thai Are ust conning of age who were not around for the Lisl time said Ronald Judy vice president of marketing for Nintendo of America which Sells game machines for those Wilh poor memories of that period a Brief reminder is in order Alari inc. A Pipsqueak of a company a few years earlier Rase to 12 billion in revenues. Hollywood studios toy companies and All manner of entrepreneurs rushed to produce game cartridges with names like Demon attack egomania space vultures and revenge of Tho Beefsteak tomatoes. There were even some a rated games. Fora heeling moment game designers became the new Rock stars. But by the end of 1932, the Market dried up quickly As Consumers were lured to More versatile Home computers or simply became bored. Atari shrank to a Skeleton and was sold. Most of the other companies Lett the business. Retailers took a Bath As millions of cartridges remained on their shelves. Atari dumped fuck roads of unsold cartridges into a Tendril in new Mexico. The comeback involve one Battle scarred old timer atari and two japanese companies that were Only peripherally involved in the first round. This is ironic because video games had been the Only consumer electronics product thai the japanese did nol dominate although they did make some of the Moat popular software such As Pac Man. Donkey Kong and space invaders. Now by persistence and Liming the japanese May come to control the video game Market Aller All. The Market Lor Home video games developed later in Japan than in the United slates and is still fairly Strong. Japanese manufacturers Are therefore Able to make a Tun at the american Market whereas Moat american concerns have left the business. Leading he Way is Nintendo the japanese company thai developed Donkey Kong and which is by far the video game Leader in Japan. The company which has its american Headquarters on Wash. Sold about 90,000 Mach Mes a a Nsang last Christmas in new York City. It did Mumm in los Angeles Starling in february. Now ,1 is going  entering the Market is Sega enterprises lid an Arcade video game company once owned by Gulf and Western industries and now affiliated Wilh computer video games am Back Ami an top acted to lie big Sellers in the states Otis Christmas. Services co a japanese software concern. Both companies boast japanese made machines with Slick technology. Game cartridges now can have far More electronic memory and thus Many More Levels of play before the game repeats itself. Strategy games Are possible in addition to shoot pm up games Sega with american Headquarters in san Jose. Calif., is negotiating with Parker Brothers to sell an electronic monopoly game. The accessories Are also More advanced. Nintendo has a robot that reacts to what is on the screen. Both companies Are Selling guns Lor shooting at lha screen in addition to the traditional controllers. Prices might be a deterrent to the Success of this comeback. Nintendo s game set has a list Price in the United slates of s1bo, including the guns and robots. The Basic machine and Joy Slicks alone sell for $100. Sega s system Sells for $120 in the Basic Model and $150 with the gun. Both Are Likely to be heavily discounted by retailers game cartridges will sell for $20 to $35. Pursuing a Low Price strategy is the atari corp., which has continued to sell ils 2600 machine the original video game machine. The 2600, of which More than 20 million have been sold does nol offer the same Quality As the japanese machines but it costs Only $40. Atari based in Sunnyvale calif., also plans to sell a new More powerful machine the 7boo, which was introduced several years ago but never brought to Market. The 7800. Which will sell for about $80, will use cartridges designed for the 2600. Ii will also have More powerful cartridges. Nintendo plans to spend $16 million this fall on advertising. Sega Moi i than $9 million and Alan in Iho Low millions according to officials of those companies. In its heyday Alan alone used to spend $75 million on advertising Moat major retailers in Amanca Are carrying the games again although some remain cautious soars. Roebuck & co., the nation s largest retailer is carrying the Nintendo system in ils Christmas catalogue bul nol in its stores. K Mart no. 2, will carry Only the Nintendo machine and will have in in 700 stores by Christmas a spokesman said software developers Are even More Poulious act vision continues to produce some games Lor Iho Alari 2600 but is nol developing new ones a few computer game manufacturers such As bronc bund and electronic arts have licensed games to Alan but Alan will have to spend its own time and Money to convert the games Tor use on its machines. Few companies will develop software for Nintendo and Sega which rely mainly on an ample Supply of games developed in Japan. Both japanese companies Are insisting on manufacturing and distributing All cartridges themselves a policy the american software vendors do not like. The japanese companies say it is necessary to prevent the Cartridge glut thai helped kill the business a few years ago. By All accounts the big Gisl seller this Christmas will be Nintendo which has the broadest distribution Ana has retailers most excited. Judy said Nintendo hoped to sell 1.1 million to 1.3 million machines cafes reports that video games including Nintendo will nol be available this Christmas season it Europe because manufacturers have limited their production of these items saturday november 15, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 13