NORTH
SHORE

Software firm on

RUMOR HAS it, that some-
where in Texas, there is a landfill
loaded with hundreds of thou-
sands of ET video game car-
tridges.

By MICHAEL BECKER
News Reporter

Alan K. Fetzer, president of
Taito Software Inc. in North
Vancouver, brings up the possi-
bility of such a place as an ex-
ample of how the video game
market went wrong in the mid-
1980s.

Taito Software is the North
American subsidiary of Japan's
Taito Corp., a world leader in
the coin-operated arcade games
field

Since moving into the video
game market, by supplying car-
tridge games for the Nintendo
Entertainment System and soft-
ware versions for Apple, Com-
modore, Amiga, IBM and com-
patible computers, Taito Soft-
ware has grown to post $50 mil-
lion (U.S.) sales annualiy.

North Vancouver’s relative
proximity to Japan, competitive
overhead costs and ready pool of
skilled talent were contributing
factors in Taito’s decision to base
its North American headquarters
locally.

Taito Software has come on
strong quickly by developing a
sophisticated marketing strategy.
The product, thoroughly resear-
ched games, is stringently pro-
tected by licensing agreements.

Fetzer chalks up the video
games bust of the mid-80s to a
lack of product control by Atari,
a leading game system at the
time. ‘‘The reason for the Atari
crash seems to be ...that there
was basically no control over
production of cartridges or quali-
ty of cartridges,’’ he said.
“Basically, it was open business.
You or I could decide to design
games for the Atari system. It

31 - Sunday, February 18, 1990 - North Shore News

HIGH ‘TECH

top of game | volunteers

NEWS photo Terry Peters

TAITO SOFTWARE Inc. president Alan K. Fetzer takes a turn on the joy stick. Since moving into the video
game market, by supplying cartridge games for the Nintendo Entertainment System and software versions

for personal computers, Taito Software has grown to post $50 million (U.S.) sales annually. North Van- [

couver’s proximity to Japan, competitive overhead costs and ready pool of skilled talent were contributing
factors in Taito’s decision to set up shop locally.

was not controlled by Atari.
Everybody got into the business
and there was a lot of bad quality
product.”’

Fetzer resurrects the ghost of
ET, in whose namesake approx-
imately 100 million video game
cartridges were produced. ‘‘There
was no game. It was simply one
screen with a littl ET pointing
his finger up at something. The
consumers didn’t want it,’ he
said.

On the personal computer side
of the business Taito transfers
successful coin-op arcade games
like Operation Wolf, a game in
which players ‘“‘kick some ter-
rorist tail,’’ to software format.

Fetzer describes the computer
software market as complex. A
quickly growing, yet fragmented
hardware base is served by a
crowded and competitive soft-
ware development industry.
“There are no restrictions on
computer software publishing.
It’s not an easy business to be in.
But a big hit will sell big

numbers,’’ he said.

Other Taito titles to have made
the jump from the arcade to
Nintendo cartridge to personal
computer software include Bub-
ble Bobble, Sky Shark and
Renegade.

If the recession, forecast by
some for later this year, fails to
materialize, Fetzer predicts Taito
Software will do $50- to $60-
million (U.S.) worth of business
in 1990.

The half-marketing, half-
engineering company plans to
stay on top of the game with the
release of new role-playing video
gatnes, such as Indiana Jones and
the Last Crusade, and licensing
agreements to sell Taito-
developed characters, like Bubble
Bobble’s brontosaurus buddies
Bub and Bob. Said Fetzer, ‘‘The
characters Bub and Bob are real-
ly quite adorable and would lend
themselves to being plush stuffed
animals or on lunch boxes.’
Taito knows Bub and Bob are
popular. Their game, one of

Problems of diabetics discussed

AN OPEN discussion about the
problems and concerns of diabetics
and their families will be the focus
of this month’s meeting of the
North Shore Diabetic Group.

Jean Tyson, nurse-educator at
the Diabetic Day Centre, Lions

Gate Hospital, will answer ques-
tions and concerns, as will the
diabetics attending. The problems
facing diabetics, both type I and
type II, will be discussed.
Diabetics, family members and
friends are invited to attend. The

meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m.
on Wednesday, Feb. 21 in seminar
room | at Lions Gate Hospital,
231 E. 15th St., North Vancouver.

For further information call
Heather Holt at 980-6581.

For re rsonal Injury. and
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claims will help you obtain the award your case deserves.

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Derek Cave
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Fetzer’s personal favorites, has
sold more that 760,000 Nintendo
cartridges alone.

Nintendo’s remarkable march
into the North American home
entertainment market, about $3.4
billion in sales for 1989 (eight
million game systems and $5 mil-
lion game cartridges), has been
accompanied by some backlash
from parents worried that in-
creased video time for their
children may translate into
stunted social skills.

But counters Fetzer, a parent
and Nintendo game system
owner, ‘‘Just mindless shooting
and mindless blasting are proba-
bly not the most healthy things
for kids to get involved in. What
you will find today, is that games
are really almost like novels. You
have the opportunity to control
the outcome of what happens to
the main character. But I think
parents have to get involved to
control the amount of time the
kids spend with the game
systems.”’

Now you can plan your
shopping ahead, and
save more in the

any of thi

you miss
call the Norsh Shore ‘New
Distribution Departinent.

SUNDAY WHONERORY «FORDE

Options
for

VOLUNTEERING CAN provide
you with job experience, friends
and self satisfaction. The following
is a list of some of the volunteer
opportunities on file at the North
Shore Information and Volunteer
Centre.

PETS and friends. Share
warmth and love of your pet with
a senior citizen. Sensitive caring
people with small dogs or cats are
wanted to visit one-on-one with
seniors in a private hospital. Hours
are Mexible.

SOCIABLE receptionist is
wanted to answer phones for the
Mother’s March until March 15.
Hours are flexible weekdays.

PHONE monitors are needed to
telephone users of a home
emergency response system on a
monthly basis to ensure the system
is working properly, to answer
questions and test the equipment
for the elderly. Hours are two-
hour shifts weekdays from 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m. Training provided.

COOKING or craft skills? Here
is an opportunity to lead a
workshop and teach dynamic
seniors your skills and hobbies. if
you. enjoy seniors and teaching,
this position will interest you. Ori-
entation provided. Hours are flex-
ible but Fridays preferred.

MATURE sensitive female
companion is wanted to share
walks, music and swimming with a
very friendly 25-year-old woman
who is mentally handicapped and
in a wheel chair. Hours are flexi-
ble. Orientation provided.

if you are interested in these or
any other volunteer opportunities
call Dru at 985-7138 at the North
Shore Information and Volunteer
Centre, a participating member
agency of the United Way.

* Dulwered to selected
areas only

986-1337

FIRST IN FLYERS ON THE NORTH SHORE