What does your name say about you? It says this: that is the name which your parents gave you. Unless you've changed your name for some reason. In which case... whatever. Bored now. Let's move on, shall we?
"Okay."
Thanks.
Now get this: video game companies are called what they're called for all kinds of strange and fruity reasons.
Here are but ten or eleven or something of the hidden stories behind the game company names. Get ready to have your mind blown...! By which I mean: "get ready to learn some facts that at most you'll find mildly interesting!"
"Okay."
Thanks.
Now get this: video game companies are called what they're called for all kinds of strange and fruity reasons.
Here are but ten or eleven or something of the hidden stories behind the game company names. Get ready to have your mind blown...! By which I mean: "get ready to learn some facts that at most you'll find mildly interesting!"
ELECTRONIC ARTS was originally... AMAZIN' SOFTWARE
EA founder Trip Hawkins - who, aside from being well handsome, sounds like a character from a light-hearted 1980s action movie directed by John Carpenter or Robert Zemeckis - used to work for Apple.
He left the company in 1982 with a big, fat, business plan for a video games publishing company, and managed to secure $200,000 in funding off of some guy. Somewhere between writing the plan, and getting the money, the name changed to Electronic Arts - potentially at the behest of the first EA employee, a former colleague of Trip's called Rich Melmon.
"Hmmm... this melmon is a bit rich."
"Er... it's pronounced melon."
"Just be quiet and eat your icen creamen."
"Also, stop ordering melon just so you can make fun of my name, Trip."
"Waiter! Another five bowls of your richest watermelmon, please!"
He left the company in 1982 with a big, fat, business plan for a video games publishing company, and managed to secure $200,000 in funding off of some guy. Somewhere between writing the plan, and getting the money, the name changed to Electronic Arts - potentially at the behest of the first EA employee, a former colleague of Trip's called Rich Melmon.
"Hmmm... this melmon is a bit rich."
"Er... it's pronounced melon."
"Just be quiet and eat your icen creamen."
"Also, stop ordering melon just so you can make fun of my name, Trip."
"Waiter! Another five bowls of your richest watermelmon, please!"
INFOGRAMES was originally... WANG SYSTEM
The founders of Infogrames, Bruno Bonnell and Christophe Sapet, originally wanted to call their company Zboub Système. Astonishingly, the closest English translation of zboub is a slang term for penis. No, really. The reason for this? Shits and giggles, presumably.
However, the duo's legal counsel suggested a rude company name might not go down well with the delicate sensibilities of 1983, and so Bonnell and Sapet resorted to using a computer programme that mixed and matched various high-tech words. They eventually settled on Infogrames - a portmanteau of information technology and program.
Also, the company's homosexual armadillo logo was selected, according to Bonnell, because: "This dinosaur is our symbol; the armadillo has always survived changes to its environment, from the melting of glaciers to the worst of heat waves."
Of course, Infogrames later took over Atari, but was subsequently bought out by Bandai Namco. So, y'know... epic survival skills there. What really killed the "dinosaurs"? A corporate acquisition. I never read that in Darwin's Origin of the Species (I never read Darwin's Origin of the Species).
Notice: Armadillos aren't dinosaurs, Bruno. In fact, nobody knows what they are.
"Armadillo-ing out of here!!!!!"
However, the duo's legal counsel suggested a rude company name might not go down well with the delicate sensibilities of 1983, and so Bonnell and Sapet resorted to using a computer programme that mixed and matched various high-tech words. They eventually settled on Infogrames - a portmanteau of information technology and program.
Also, the company's homosexual armadillo logo was selected, according to Bonnell, because: "This dinosaur is our symbol; the armadillo has always survived changes to its environment, from the melting of glaciers to the worst of heat waves."
Of course, Infogrames later took over Atari, but was subsequently bought out by Bandai Namco. So, y'know... epic survival skills there. What really killed the "dinosaurs"? A corporate acquisition. I never read that in Darwin's Origin of the Species (I never read Darwin's Origin of the Species).
Notice: Armadillos aren't dinosaurs, Bruno. In fact, nobody knows what they are.
"Armadillo-ing out of here!!!!!"
SEGA was originally... STANDARD GAMES
Formed in America in 1940, Standard Games provided coin-op amusement machines to US military bases, for service men and women to fanny around on during their leisure time.
Following the war, Standard Games was sold, and the prudish US government outlawed slot machines in US territories, as all types of slots were considered far too rude. The founders of Standard subsequently formed Service Games, to provide amusement machines to US bases in Japan - the service part of its name referring, quite literally, to the armed services.
Service Games was sold off in 1960, or something, but the name was brought back in 1965, following a merger between the company's new owner Rosen Enterprises - which imported arcade games to Japan - and a Japanese company, Klaatu Barada Nikto (Nihon Goraku Bussan).
The new company was named Sega Enterprises - shortly afterwards releasing the first of what would become many arcade games - Endoscope (Periscope).
Following the war, Standard Games was sold, and the prudish US government outlawed slot machines in US territories, as all types of slots were considered far too rude. The founders of Standard subsequently formed Service Games, to provide amusement machines to US bases in Japan - the service part of its name referring, quite literally, to the armed services.
Service Games was sold off in 1960, or something, but the name was brought back in 1965, following a merger between the company's new owner Rosen Enterprises - which imported arcade games to Japan - and a Japanese company, Klaatu Barada Nikto (Nihon Goraku Bussan).
The new company was named Sega Enterprises - shortly afterwards releasing the first of what would become many arcade games - Endoscope (Periscope).
ATARI was originally... SYZYGY ENGINEERING
Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney formed Syzygy Engineering in 1971, to develop Computer Space - the first ever video arcade game, based - without permission - on the game Spacewar. Syzygy, in case you were wondering, is an astronomical term meaning the alignment of three celestial objects.
Computer Space was released in 1971 by Nutting Associates (with whom Bushnell had been put in touch with via - again, not a joke - his dentist, Dr Fangboy Teef). Nutting had previously had success with a bar-based amusement machine known as Computer Quiz, and were looking for another hit product.
A year after the release of the commercially unsuccessful Computer Space ("How much money did it make? Nutting..."), Bush' and Dab' formed Atari Inc. - so-called when they learned that the name Syzygy was already taken. Atari produced Pong, an arcade version of the popular Magnavox Odyssey's home video tennis game. Permission to do this was not sought.
Atari was chosen from a list of words relating to the traditional board game 'Go'. referencing a position where a group of stones is imminently in danger of being taken by one's opponent. Which is somewhat ironic given Bushnell's then-association with taking the "stones" of his opponents, allegedly...
The iconic Atari logo was meant to symbolise the two Pong players, with a tennis court centre line between them... although it looks more like a sandwich stood on its end.
Computer Space was released in 1971 by Nutting Associates (with whom Bushnell had been put in touch with via - again, not a joke - his dentist, Dr Fangboy Teef). Nutting had previously had success with a bar-based amusement machine known as Computer Quiz, and were looking for another hit product.
A year after the release of the commercially unsuccessful Computer Space ("How much money did it make? Nutting..."), Bush' and Dab' formed Atari Inc. - so-called when they learned that the name Syzygy was already taken. Atari produced Pong, an arcade version of the popular Magnavox Odyssey's home video tennis game. Permission to do this was not sought.
Atari was chosen from a list of words relating to the traditional board game 'Go'. referencing a position where a group of stones is imminently in danger of being taken by one's opponent. Which is somewhat ironic given Bushnell's then-association with taking the "stones" of his opponents, allegedly...
The iconic Atari logo was meant to symbolise the two Pong players, with a tennis court centre line between them... although it looks more like a sandwich stood on its end.
CAPCOM is short for... CAPSULE COMPUTER
Capcom was born in 1979, from the loins of the I.R.M. Corporation, which was named after the Item Corporation - another company owned by its founder Kenzo Tsujimoto... which itself was born from I P Merchants, a company that sold portable lavatories (candy floss machines).
CAPCOM is an abbreviation of CAPsule COMputer, and not - as many assume - CAPricious COMmunists. The company sought to convey a new type of gaming experience that would exceed that of rival personal computers, which had also been increasing in popularity during the same period.
If that sentence feels a little unwieldy, that's merely because most of it was cut-and-pasted from Capcom's own website. Here's another slice of ill-translated English:
The "Capsule" segment of the CAPCOM name was based on 2 key concepts: "a container packed to the brim with fun" and "a desire to create securely packaged games to decrease the rapid expansion of pirated materials".
It's okay: I'm none the wiser either.
CAPCOM is an abbreviation of CAPsule COMputer, and not - as many assume - CAPricious COMmunists. The company sought to convey a new type of gaming experience that would exceed that of rival personal computers, which had also been increasing in popularity during the same period.
If that sentence feels a little unwieldy, that's merely because most of it was cut-and-pasted from Capcom's own website. Here's another slice of ill-translated English:
The "Capsule" segment of the CAPCOM name was based on 2 key concepts: "a container packed to the brim with fun" and "a desire to create securely packaged games to decrease the rapid expansion of pirated materials".
It's okay: I'm none the wiser either.
KONAMI is... AN ABBREVIATION
Get this: Konami started life in 1969 as a jukebox rental and repair company. It moved into the arcade game business in 1973 - its name being little more than an abbreviation of the names of its founders, Kagemasa KOzuki,Yoshinobu NAkama, and Tatsuo MIyasako.
Could've been worse. They could've highlighted KageMASA, YoSHI, TaTSuo - and been known as Masashits.
Could've been worse. They could've highlighted KageMASA, YoSHI, TaTSuo - and been known as Masashits.
NINTENDO means... SOMETHING...
Having been around since 1889, the original of the name Nintendo is a matter of considerable debate, and the truth has been more or less lost to history.
It is commonly assumed to mean "leave luck to heaven", but there are no historical records to back this up. Other suggestions are "to leave one's fortune in the hands of fate", and - referring to the hanafuda playing cards the company was formed to make - "the temple of free hanafuda" or "the company that is allowed to make (or sell) hanafuda".
TRUE FACT: If you say "Nintendo" three times in the bathroom mirror Jambo Pelm appears!
It is commonly assumed to mean "leave luck to heaven", but there are no historical records to back this up. Other suggestions are "to leave one's fortune in the hands of fate", and - referring to the hanafuda playing cards the company was formed to make - "the temple of free hanafuda" or "the company that is allowed to make (or sell) hanafuda".
TRUE FACT: If you say "Nintendo" three times in the bathroom mirror Jambo Pelm appears!
SONY was originally called... Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo
In 1946 Masaru Ibuka opened an electronics shop, Tsushin Kogyo, in Tokyo. The following year, he formed a new company with colleague Akio Morita, Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation, which built Japan's first tape recorder.
Realising that the company needed a name that was easily pronounced outside of Japan - if it ever stood a chance of breaching Japan's borders - Tokyo Teletech, TTK, and Totsuko were all considered before Ibuka settled on Sony.
"Sony" was chosen from sonny - in 1950s Japan "sonny boys"; a word borrowed from English, referred to smart and presentable young men, which the company founders considered themselves to be - and the Latin word sonus, meaning your son's anus (sound).
Realising that the company needed a name that was easily pronounced outside of Japan - if it ever stood a chance of breaching Japan's borders - Tokyo Teletech, TTK, and Totsuko were all considered before Ibuka settled on Sony.
"Sony" was chosen from sonny - in 1950s Japan "sonny boys"; a word borrowed from English, referred to smart and presentable young men, which the company founders considered themselves to be - and the Latin word sonus, meaning your son's anus (sound).
ACTIVISION is short for... ACTIVE TELEVISION
The world's first third-party video game developer, Activision was formed by ex-Atari employees David Crane, Larry Kaplan, Alan Miller and Bob Whitehead - along with music industry boss Jim Levy and venture capitalist Richard Muchmore.
It was Levy who poo-pooed the original suggestion to call the company Vsynch Inc., suggesting instead Activision, derived from the words Active and Television.
How much more of this article is there to go, Richard?
"Not Muchmore"
LOL.
It was Levy who poo-pooed the original suggestion to call the company Vsynch Inc., suggesting instead Activision, derived from the words Active and Television.
How much more of this article is there to go, Richard?
"Not Muchmore"
LOL.
NAUGHTY DOG was originally called... JAM SOFTWARE
The Last of Us, Uncharted and Crash Bandicoot developer Naughty Dog has been around since 1984 - when hit was known as JAM Software (named after its founders Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin - it was short for Jason and Andy's Magic Software).
It changed its name in 1989 after publisher Baudeville bought its game, Ski Crazed, for the princely sum of $250. It was taken from the name of a cartoon dog, with attitude, character that was often drawn by Gavin as part of the company's early logos. As can be seen in the above image, Andy Gavin was terrible at drawing.
It changed its name in 1989 after publisher Baudeville bought its game, Ski Crazed, for the princely sum of $250. It was taken from the name of a cartoon dog, with attitude, character that was often drawn by Gavin as part of the company's early logos. As can be seen in the above image, Andy Gavin was terrible at drawing.
RSS Feed
