A whole archive of CTW back issues does exist? This was something I was looking for several years ago in the search for SEGA game release dates in Europe. However, bad news, its successor MCV and other publications were "pulped" by the publisher: www.linkedin.com/posts/stuart...

The cool thing about physical media? You can include that media in the inside hardcover of a video game history book. Like when this publisher in Japan put a Sega Dreamcast compilation of Yu Suzuki's arcade games in Game Works Vol. 1 back in 2002.

I was going through notes and found an email from KOEI-TECMO that sheds some light on the 1981 arcade game "PLEIADS". The idea for the game came from TECMO founder Akihito Kakihara but the programming was outsourced. They claim it has no connection to "Phoenix" but it could have the same programmer.

If you are dissatisfied with PlayStation halting the production of physical game discs, write and address your concerns to the SONY GROUP Board of Directors. Put your thoughts into a polite and respectful one-page typed letter to the SONY Group in Japan. See image below. Spread the word. Repost.

Walking through Target this morning. Was not expecting to see Tecmo Bowl: The Board Game. 😲

Even cats love physical media. After much consideration he has chosen Y’s The Vanished Omens for the SEGA Master System as his favorite. #caturday

A 1996 SQUARE recruitment ad featuring various tidy workstations at their Tokyo Arco Tower offices. A lot of Macintosh Quadra 700's, a Quadra 800/Workgroup Server 80, Digital Celebris GL-5133-ST's, (SGI) Indigo2. Looks like someone was a fan of Fatal Fury Special and Macross 7.

I found a side-by-side 1996 Data East advertisement for their cancelled basketball game Air Walkers, which reveals their overseas marketing department renamed it Data East's B-Ball for outside Japan (as seen at their AM booth) . The ad on the right appears to be for arcade operators in South Korea.

1996: Game center in Japan, featuring Prop Cycle, Alpine Surfer, Alpine Racer (Namco), Side By Side (Taito), Exciting Boat Race (SEGA) and many SEGA Versus City candy cabs. Advertised and owned at the time by River Service Company. Monthly Coin Journal, 9/96.

The CAPCOM Matsubara Plant in Osaka - 1991/1992 making arcade boards. This CAPCOM Matsubara, Osaka plant was opened in May 1989, closed August 1995. Why the closure? CAPCOM combined both the Matsubara and Hirano plants into a larger facility in Ueno City, Mie Japan in 1994. 2/2

The former CAPCOM Hirano Plant in Osaka, opened in Feb 1992, closed Dec 1996. The CAPCOM name was still on the awning in 2010. This was also a Service Center location printed in CAPCOM SFC game manuals. This plant and the CAPCOM Matsubara Plant (see image, video in reply) are almost identical. 1/2

The old JALECO office in Tokyo, known in 1982 as Japan Leisure Company, the company opened this office on May 15th, 1982. The company would move out in 1988 but would keep this space as a service center. JALECO opened a new head office in 1988 and with it came a new JALECO logo.

Many people might recognize this. #IREM

For consumer software, IREM would open IREM Sales here at the Kyowa Nakanoshima Building (a better space to meet with clients I imagine). I'd like to know if IREM game development happened here or at the warehouse main office? In 1985 they'd move into the Okamoto Bldg until its closure in 1995. 2/2.

In 1981 IREM would downsize its main office from a high-rise office to.....a warehouse office? They stayed here until 1985. Meanwhile, Kenzo Tsujimoto, after leaving IREM would establish CAPCOM in 1983....in a warehouse office space also? I'd like to get some insight into these Osaka spaces. 1/2

How 'ya gonna do it? You're gonna PS/2 it. Jingle written and performed by Jake Holmes (remember him from the "Zack The Lego Maniac" ad?). Some may recognize actor Derek McGrath from the TV show "My Secret Identity" in this spot.

On display at the 29th Amusement Machine Show, Oct 1991 in Japan: Captain America & The Avengers and Tumble Pop at DECO/DATA EAST. Super Monaco GP at the SEGA booth. 64th Street at the JALECO booth. Technos Japan's WWF WrestleFest at the TECMO booth. Via: Game Boy (ゲームボーイ) Magazine 12/1991.

Feeling bad for this guy that lost his vintage arcade collection in a Garden Grove, CA fire caused by nearby fireworks. A TRON and Discs of TRON machine are gone among others. It looks like a TAITO Space Invaders cocktail table was spared. Story here: abc7.com/post/garden-...

Wait, I knew this looked familiar. DATA EAST USA made their own office exterior a level in this game? Good find Supcat!

I’ll be there Day 1 to unveil the names of designers and programmers behind some of the earliest, greatest arcade games from Japan. Hope to see you there! Grab tickets now for Save the Games.

I still have this........on Windows 95 with a Microsoft Sidewinder controller.

For those that remember Dream Machine arcades, here are a couple 1983 photos recently published by my local paper from the Portland (Maine) Press Herald archives. Click on the link for a photo of Stephen King signing copies of Pet Cemetary at Waldenbooks. Via: www.pressherald.com/2026/06/29/s...

The development office of HERTZ was located in an apartment in Shinjuku. When asked if they were getting enough sleep during work on Hydefos for MSX, they answered "Yes, about three hours". Were they going home? "Yes, about once every three or four days". Programmer Takahiro Yoshida is pictured.2/2

Game developer HERTZ in 1989. They developed RPG "Vay" in 1993. They were responsible for porting over Outrun, Dynamite Duke, Outrun 2019 to SEGA Genesis/MD. (Left-to-right) Keishi Yonao (music), Kenjiro Kato (graphics), Yuji Kobayashi (programmer), Tsunetomo Sugawara (graphics). (1/2).MSX FAN 89-08

MSX Fan January 1991 profile of Fukuoka based Riverhill Soft. I couldn't help but notice future CiNG president and producer Takuya Miyagawa featured working as a programmer. In addition Junji Shigematsu is featured "working on maps", he'd go on to produce OverBlood, Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre.

COMPILE development staff (1989). In the second picture is Katsuji Suenaga (planning, map design on Golvellius: Valley of Doom for SEGA Master System) and Koji Mizuta programmer on Ghostbusters for SEGA Genesis and designer/programmer of Gun-Nac for the NES. Via: MSX・FAN 1989-09.

This rather small three-floor building was KOEI's headquarters in Yokohama from 1984 to 1991. It's still owned by the company today for its various ventures. In 1991 it moved into this larger space. KOEI moved again in 1997. Merged with TECMO, the company is spread across seven offices within Japan.

1989: KOEI game production staff in Yokohama porting Nobunaga's Ambition to the MSX. The company needed space so badly it had to put its sound department in a house next to the office. Erikawa-san kept a collection of KOEI releases behind his desk. (See reply tweet). Via: MSX・FAN 1989-07 & 1988-04

ARIKA just happened to share the same Shibuya office building with Square (Squaresoft moved in September 1993, ARIKA moved in 1995). Hosoe along with former NAMCO's musicans Ayako Saso and Takayuki Aihara helped Squaresoft compose the music for Bushido Blade. ARIKA's Nishitani & Mihara below.(2/2)

The ARIKA development office in the summer of 1997, with Shinji Hosoe and his music/audio setup. ARIKA had established itself two years prior. Street Fighter EX was released to arcades. They might've just finished EX Plus α. Here's the interesting part (see reply) Via Jugemu - August 1997. (1/2)