Williams Entertainment

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Williams Entertainment
Founded: 1994
Defunct: 1996
T-series code: T-97
Merged into: Midway Games (1996)

For the older company that became WMS Industries, see Williams Electronics Games

Williams Entertainment has an awkward backstory. It is essentially the continuation of Tradewest, acquired by WMS Industries in 1994.

It worked in parallel with Midway Games for a period (also owned by WMS Industries at the time), but should not be confused with other "Williams"-branded ventures. Before becoming WMS Industries, a company known as Williams Electronics created a variety of video games in the early 1980s (notably games such as Defender and Joust) - Williams Entertainment is a different company, though had access to those intellectual properties.

WMS Industries bought Time Warner Interactive (along with Atari Games) in 1996. Both those companies and Williams Entertainment were merged into Midway Games at this time.

Williams Entertainment acted mainly as a publisher for Midway's arcade titles (which until this point were being brought over to Sega systems by Arena and then Acclaim). After the merger it would be renamed Midway Home Entertainment and keep up with North American publishing duties, though would move away from the development of games.

Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits (also known as Midway Presents Arcade's Greatest Hits) managed to be published by both Williams Entertainment and Midway.

Softography

Mega Drive

• Troy Aikman NFL Football (1994)
• Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)
• Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1996)
• Williams Arcade's Greatest Hits (1996)
• Ivan Stewart's Super Off Road Baja 1000 (unreleased)

Game Gear

• The Getaway: High Speed II (unreleased)

Mega-CD

• Ivan Stewart's Super Off Road Baja 1000 (unreleased)

32X

• Return Fire (unreleased)

Saturn

• Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1996)
• Return Fire (unreleased)