Universal Entertainment
`Universal Entertainment Corporation[a], formerly known as
`Aruze Corporation (Japanese: アルゼ株式会社, Hepburn: Aruze
`Kabushiki-gaisha), is a Japanese manufacturer of pachinko, slot
`machines, arcade games and other gaming products, and a publisher
`of video games. Aruze possesses licenses to both manufacture and
`distribute casino machines in the American states of Nevada,
`Mississippi and New Jersey. The company's corporate headquarters
`are in Tokyo. Aruze is also the licence holder of the video game
`franchise Shadow Hearts. Up until February 18, 2012, the company
`owned approximately 21% of Wynn Resorts. On November 1, 2009
`Aruze Corporation changed its name to Universal Entertainment
`Corporation due to financial crisis of 2007–2008.
`
`Contents
`Universal
`Relationship with SNK
`Notable games released by Universal
`List of games published by Aruze
`Notes
`References
`External links
`
`Universal
`
`Universal Lease Co., Ltd was established in December 1969. It later
`changed its name to Universal Ltd in Japan and Universal USA in
`America. Universal Distributing Company opened as a U.S.
`subsidiary to sell video games direct to operators. Universal's greatest
`hit game was "Mr. Do!" in 1982, which spawned three sequels in the
`eventual Mr. Do series: "Mr. Do's Castle," "Mr. Do's Wild Ride" and
`"Do Run Run." Other games include the hugely influential platform
`game Space Panic (1980) and the maze game Lady Bug (1981).
`Cashing-in on the success of laserdisc video games, Universal
`released Super Don Quix-ote in 1984, on a new standardized laserdisc
`video game system they called the Universal System 1. A new game
`was planned every six months for the Universal System 1, including
`an unreleased laserdisc adventure game based on Mr. Do!, but the
`company stopped producing arcade games in 1985, and Super Don
`Quix-ote ended up being the only game released for the system.
`Universal Distributing of Nevada (UDN) was established to begin
`selling Universal's first slot machines direct to the gaming industry. In
`
`Universal Entertainment
`Corporation
`
`Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan
`Native name 株式会社ユニバー
`
`Kabushiki-gaisha
`Yunibāsaru
`Entāteimmento
`
`Universal Lease
`Co., Ltd.
`Universal Ltd.
`Aruze Corporation
`
`Public
`
`Pachinko
`Video game
`December 2, 1969
`
`Romanized
`name
`
`Formerly
`
`Type
`Industry
`
`Founded
`Founder
`Kazuo Okada
`Headquarters Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan
`Area served Worldwide
`Key people
`Jun Fujimoto
`President
`
`Patent Owner, Bot M8 LLC - Ex. 2008, p. 1
`
`サルエンターテイ
`ンメント
`

`

`January 2005, the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of
`Aruze. Aruze Corporation changed its company name to Universal
`Entertainment Corporation effective November 1, 2009.
`
`Products
`
`Relationship with SNK
`
`Pachinko
`Pachislot
`Slot machines
`Video games
`¥124 billion
`988[1] (2019)
`
`Revenue
`Number of
`employees
`Website
`
`In 2000, Aruze bought out SNK Corporation, maker of the Neo-Geo.
`In exchange for the use of SNK's popular characters on their
`pachinko and slot machines, and a few games for the Neo-Geo,
`Aruze promised financial backing for the failing SNK. Instead Aruze
`instituted a program to liquidate SNK's assets and cut costs. This
`included licensing out popular IP to other companies (Metal Slug
`series, The King of Fighters series, Sengoku series), closing underperforming divisions, discontinuing
`distribution outside Japan, ending support for the Neo Geo arcade platform and selling off warehoused
`inventory. By 2001 it was clear to many SNK's employees that Aruze was not planning to preserve SNK and
`was simply going to let the company implode after liquidating most of its useful assets. So Eikichi Kawasaki
`and many other executives from SNK left to form Playmore in August 2001. Over this period many rank and
`file employees left to join other arcade developers or form their own companies.
`
`www.universal-777
`.com/en/ (http://ww
`w.universal-777.co
`m/en/)
`
`In October 2001, Aruze allowed SNK to file for bankruptcy and all of its assets went up for bidding.
`Kawasaki's Playmore stepped in and bought up most of the auctioned assets and set itself up to re-enter the
`video game market as the successor to SNK. Playmore also acquired some of the companies formed by ex-
`SNK employees, namely Brezzasoft and Noise Factory, to jumpstart development of more titles for the Neo
`Geo arcade system. Playmore quickly went about re-establishing themselves in the market; they opened new
`branches in North America and Europe, announced development of new titles for the Neo Geo arcade system,
`started developing games for console and portable systems for the first time in years and re-established
`distribution channels to sell inventory for the Neo Geo home and pocket systems. To further establish
`themselves as a reborn SNK they officially changed their name to SNK Playmore in 2003.
`
`In October 2002, Aruze was sued by SNK Playmore founder Eikichi Kawasaki for copyright infringement
`over SNK's intellectual properties, claiming their use was unauthorized by Playmore. In January 2004, a
`preliminary decision was handed down by the Osaka District Court favoring SNK Playmore and was awarded
`5.64 billion yen (USD $57,627,468) in damages.
`
`Notable games released by Universal
`Cosmic Alien (1979)
`Space Panic (1980)
`Lady Bug (1981)
`Mr. Do! (1982)
`Mr. Do's Castle aka Mr. Do vs Unicorns (1983)
`Mr. Do's Wild Ride (1984)
`Do! Run Run (1984)
`Jumping Jack (1984)
`Super Don Quix-ote (1984)
`
`List of games published by Aruze
`
`Patent Owner, Bot M8 LLC - Ex. 2008, p. 2
`
`

`

`Title
`
`First release
`
`Developer(s)
`
`Console
`
`Pachi-Slot Aruze Oukoku
`
`June 3, 1999
`
`Pachi-Slot Aruze Oukoku Pocket: Hanabi
`
`October 21, 1999
`
`Aruze
`
`Aruze
`
`Pachi-Slot Aruze Oukoku 2
`
`November 25, 1999
`
`Aruze
`
`Azteca
`
`February 10, 2000
`
`Pachi-Slot Aruze Oukoku 3
`
`July 19, 2000
`
`Pachi-Slot Aruze Oukoku Porcano 2
`
`July 20, 2000
`
`Aruze
`
`Aruze
`
`Pachisuro Aruze Oogoku Ohanabi
`
`December 14, 2000
`
`Aruze
`
`Pachi-Slot Aruze Oukoku 4
`
`December 14, 2000
`
`Aruze
`
`Pachi-Slot Aruze Oukoku Pocket: DH2
`
`January 15, 2001
`
`Pachi-Slot Aruze Oukoku 5
`
`Pachi-Slot Aruze Oukoku 6
`
`Pachi-Slot Aruze Oukoku 7
`Shadow Hearts
`Shadow Hearts: Covenant
`
`Hanabi Hyakkei Advance
`
`November 15, 2001
`
`December 13, 2001
`
`August 8, 2002
`
`November 6, 2003
`
`February 19, 2004
`
`July 29, 2004
`
`Don-Chan Puzzle: Hanabi de Don! Advance
`
`July 29, 2004
`
`Aleck Bordon Adventure: Tower & Shaft
`Advance
`
`Cool 104 Joker & Setline
`
`November 26, 2004
`
`December 2, 2004
`
`Type Tunes - Chase the Music!
`
`2005
`
`Guts da!! Mori no Ishimatsu
`Shadow Hearts: From the New World
`
`Pachi-Slot Aruze Oukoku 8
`
`Aoi Don: Hanabi no Kiwami & Hanabi no
`Takumi
`
`Pachinko Aruze Oukoku
`
`The Splizer
`
`March 31, 2005
`
`July 28, 2005
`
`Cancelled
`
`2010
`
`Cancelled
`
`Cancelled
`
`Aruze
`
`Aruze
`
`Aruze
`
`Aruze
`Sacnoth
`Nautilus
`
`Nautilus
`
`Aruze
`
`PlayStation
`
`NeoGeo Pocket
`Color
`
`PlayStation
`
`NeoGeo Pocket
`Color
`
`PlayStation
`
`NeoGeo Pocket
`Color
`
`NeoGeo Pocket
`Color
`
`PlayStation
`
`NeoGeo Pocket
`Color
`
`PlayStation
`
`PlayStation 2
`
`PlayStation 2
`
`PlayStation 2
`
`PlayStation 2
`
`Game Boy Advance
`
`Game Boy Advance
`
`Game Boy Advance
`
`DS
`
`Arcade
`
`PlayStation 2
`
`PlayStation 2
`
`PlayStation 2
`
`Commseed
`
`DS
`
`PlayStation
`
`PlayStation 2
`
`Notes
`a. Japanese: 株式会社ユニバーサルエンターテインメント Hepburn: Kabushiki-gaisha
`Yunibāsaru Entāteimmento
`
`References
`1. https://www.universal-777.com/en/company/
`
`Patent Owner, Bot M8 LLC - Ex. 2008, p. 3
`
`

`

`External links
`Official website (http://www.universal-777.com/en/)
`
`Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Universal_Entertainment&oldid=976017915"
`
`This page was last edited on 31 August 2020, at 18:35 (UTC).
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`Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
`
`Patent Owner, Bot M8 LLC - Ex. 2008, p. 4
`
`