Tengen: Atari Games vs. Nintendo

In the late 80's, Tengen (a subsidiary of Atari Games) decided to challenge Nintendo over their strict policies on 3rd party licensing. How? By suing them and releasing unlicensed video games. Learn the history behind it all.

CHAPTERS
00:00 - Introduction
00:57 - Part 1: Origin of Heaven
07:49 - Part 2: The Rabbit
12:42 - Part 3: The Tiger
18:44 - Part 4: Impact

Follow Gaming Historian:

[GamingHistorian]

This is, personally, my favorite video I have ever done. It took about a month to make, but it was worth it. Hope you enjoy!

[wondermomo]

Well done Norman. As you know, I worked at both Nintendo and Atari Games during many of the years this epic battle took place. Listening to your recount of the events had me feel like it happened yesterday. 

I’m glad that you presented Hide not only as a Nintendo “villain”, but as someone brave enough to challenge the stranglehold that Nintendo had on the console industry. What he did took major cajones. At the time, I personally questioned the judgment of taking on Nintendo. I knew what Howard Lincoln was capable of.

Events like this have shaped the industry into what it is today. The history of this great industry has to be documented accurately. It’s not just fun and games. As you know, several popular books are littered with inaccuracies and omissions over events and people. You’re right about Tetris being a story for another time. I look forward to that one.

And last but not least, I am equally impressed (like other viewers) in the production quality of this video. Once I started watching, I got a cup of coffee and buckled in through its entirety. I’ve gone back to look at certain pictures, read the newspaper clippings, hanging on your every word. Your voice over's, tone and timing has the precision of Ken Burns. But delivered with your own style. 

Excellent work Norman.

[boodro]

Judge
"You guys will not interfere with each others customers"
Nintendo & Atari
"But we want to"
Judge
"Well, ok"

[neoasura]

Crazy, I remember renting these Tengen games at the video store many times in the late 80s. I just figured they were trying to be cool looking with the black cartridges. I didn't know anything as a kid at the time.

[Matthewsavant]

In the days of “Hey YouTube, it’s your boy” Your delivery and tone is refreshing and professional. It’s nice to actually enjoy watching stuff like this again while I learn about the stuff I love

They should have called their own chip the 10gen

[bageltoo]

I love how unbiased your content is. It's just the simple story with only the facts

[Bladeslingersgamepreserve]

I always heard a story that Rare managed to beat the lockout chip fair and square but rather than produce unliscenced games, they instead used their findings to just create an NES dev kit and then submitted the games to Nintendo for approval. Nintendo gave them freedom to produce as many games as they wanted to, either because they were impressed or because they feared Rare would share their secrets with the world.

[Zeroroute]

Had no clue that's where the name "Namco" came from

[timcrouch]

There is another extremely important lawsuit in the video game industry that I think would make a great video: Capcom vs. Data East, over Data East's "Fighter's History" game. It is quickly being forgotten, so it may be hard to dig up info on it. But it essentially provided the precedent that video games include scenes a faire, which lead to the video game industry being able to almost copy other games exactly, provided they changed protectable names.

[hurdyb]

I have been a gamer for almost 35 years of my soon to be 40 year old life. This video was informative. Great job!

[SenelsChannel]

R.I.P. Masaya Nakamura
December 24, 1925 - January 22, 2017

[DrHotelMario]

This story would make a damn good movie. This is some Wallstreet level shit lol

[erichhudson]

This is one of the best documentaries I've seen. Excellent explanations from every point of view. Legal, commercial, customer, etc. We'll done!

[NSFSponsor]

Atari was on that real spy shit back then. Finessed Nintendo out that chip.

[bradnimbus]

I wish I could express how impressed I am with your production value. I'm not exaggerating when I say that this could easily stand along side any biography I've seen in years. You have a real talent homie! 

You can have all of my likes.

[altrock]

After burner by tengen. A sega game made by atari on nintendo crazy.

[ChrisLeeW]

Nintendo having a problem with supplying? Can't make enough products to meet demand? Now where have I heard that before...

[CartoonHangout]

Dang, that should be turned into a movie.

[stuporspoon]

I doubt anyone has the answer for me, but I'll throw it out into the cosmos:

When the attorneys concocted the scheme to obtain the chip's copyrighted blueprint, they knew that the chip had to be the subject of a lawsuit that they had a claim in in order for that particular document to become available to them. Why did they choose to lie and say that they were defendants against Nintendo in a non-existent lawsuit?

It just confused me because it sounds like they could have gotten it without getting themselves into trouble: File the lawsuit, obtain the blueprint in discovery or whatever, and go from there. Hell, apparently, they could have done both of those things on the same day, since the copyright office was willing to take people at face value instead of independently verifying their claims. Why didn't they take this route? Were they worried about being blocked or going through protracted delay during discovery? Did Atari's lawyers think that the company did not have a valid claim to the material?