SNK

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Originally a hardware and software company founded in 1978, SNK quickly found a home in the creation of arcade game systems. Business really took off when SNK was able to introduce an arcade cabinet that allowed operators to set up multiple games for play in one unit. The cost savings for arcade operators made the decision to buy from SNK an no-brainer.

SNK didn't create their own in-home console until 1991 choosing instead to keep their focus on arcade systems and the licensing and porting of SNK games to existing video game systems made by Atari, Commodore and Nintendo. This choice allowed them to breeze through the gaming crash of 1983.

Along comes a time when SNK, decides to draw on their experience as a leader in arcade systems, to create an in-home console capable of doing what no other video console had done. SNK's first video game system, the Neo Geo AES, was designed to duplicate the sights, sounds and sensations experienced when playing an arcade unit. The hardware required to create such an experience was costly and resulted in a very high priced end product. ($599 USD at launch with games costing $200-$250 each.)

SNK made no apologies for the price stating that their system was in a different league than the NES and other popular consoles. They did try later to release a second console, the Neo Geo CD, that could overcome the price objections of the AES. Unfortunately it was too slow and became a total flop in the U.S. SNK's also created a handheld system to take on Nintendo's Game Boy but the Neo Geo Pocket and its successor, the Neo Geo Pocket Color were no match for the Game Boy and the Game Boy Color.

After being sold to Aruze in 2000 SNK went under in 2001 and was brought back to life by SNK's original founder as Playmore that same year. Playmore was able to get the rights to SNK's intellectual property and changed its name to SNK Playmore two years later. SNK Playmore currently makes new games as well as ports of its classic games for release on existing video game platforms.