NTDEC

{{Short description|Manufacturer of games and accessories}} {{more citations needed|date=March 2014}} {{Infobox company |name=Nintendo Electronic Co. 任天堂電子有限公司 |logo= |type=Private |industry=[[Video game industry|Video games]] |fate= Sued by [[Nintendo of America]] |founded=1983 |defunct=1993 |hq_location_city=[[Taipei]] |hq_location_country=[[Taiwan]] |products= |website= }} '''NTDEC''', whose full name is '''Nintendo Electronic Co.''' ({{zh|c=任天堂電子有限公司|p=rèn tiān táng diàn zǐ yǒu xiàn gōng sī}}), was a Taiwanese manufacturer of [[ROM cartridge|cartridges]], accessories and original [[Video game|games]] for [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] and [[Famicom]]. For both they also manufactured converters to play Famicom titles on the NES. The company was founded in 1983 (according to the Asder official website), but in the 80's its activities were and are still today unknown.

NTDEC gained notoriety in the early 1990s for their [[Copyright infringement|large-scale piracy]] of Nintendo Entertainment System games along with their unauthorized use of the Nintendo trademark. This led to the arrest of a few of their employees and the discontinuation of the NTDEC line.

==History== ===Copyright infringement=== NTDEC produced a large number of [[Copyright infringement|unlicensed]] [[video game]] copies between 1989 and 1991, which were sold in [[Asia]] and in the [[United States]] via [[mail order]]. Unusual among counterfeit [[ROM cartridge|cartridge]] manufacturers, they're often identifiable through the company logo on it and the in-game copyright notice [[ROM hacking|modified]] to read "NTDEC", as well as the rear label featuring a green {{sic|"QUALITY GUARANTY"}} stripe.

====''Nintendo of America, Inc. v. NTDEC''==== Two NTDEC employees were arrested in 1991 for the company's activities distributing cartridges in the US, and legal action was brought against the company by Nintendo shortly after for copyright infringement, as well as its use of the "Nintendo" trademark in its company name.<ref name="ap">{{cite news|url=https://apnews.com/e937b791454af092d0e6535be48ef4c9|title=Nintendo Awarded $24 Million In Suit Over Pirated Video Games|date=24 May 1993|work=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=19 March 2014}}</ref><ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE3D91631F936A15756C0A965958260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fSubjects%2fC%2fComputer%20and%20Video%20Games Companies to pay $24 Million in Nintendo piracy case] ''New York Times'', Dated May 25, 1993</ref><ref>[http://openjurist.org/51/f3d/281/nintendo-of-america-inc-v-ntdec Nintendo of America Inc v. NTDEC]</ref>

Nintendo's legal action of 1991 concluded in 1993 with Nintendo being awarded $24,059,062 plus attorneys fees of $108,829.00 and costs of $709.80, and a worldwide permanent injunction preventing NTDEC from infringing Nintendo's intellectual property rights. At this point the company ceased operations under the NTDEC name.

===Original games=== Between 1991 and 1993, NTDEC developed and published a number of original [[Video game|games]] in [[Asia]], some of which were distributed in parts of [[South America]] and [[Europe]]. Many of these were credited to '''Mega Soft''', a [[California]]-based company which was listed in ''Nintendo of America, Inc. v. NTDEC'' as their North American distribution arm.<ref name="megasoft">{{cite web|url=http://openjurist.org/51/f3d/281/nintendo-of-america-inc-v-ntdec|title=51 F3d 281 Nintendo of America Inc v. Ntdec|year=1995 |volume=F3d |issue=51 |page=281 |access-date=22 November 2014}}</ref><ref name="piracy">{{cite web|url=http://newmedia.cityu.edu.hk/cyberlaw/gp11/casestw1.html|title=Policy and Regulation IN NEW MEDIA|access-date=22 November 2014|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305064413/http://newmedia.cityu.edu.hk/cyberlaw/gp11/casestw1.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Six games previously released by them in 1991 were compiled on the ''[[Caltron 6 in 1]]'' [[multicart]] in 1992, which was distributed in the [[United States]] - since this [[ROM cartridge|cartridge]] contains only NTDEC/Mega Soft games and carries the same CN-xx ID as the previous original NTDEC games; '''Caltron''' (or Caltron Ind. Inc.) is believed to be the same company as NTDEC.

====List of titles as NTDEC==== {| class="wikitable sortable" border="1" |- ! scope="col" | No. ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Original release ! scope="col" | Notes |- | 1 || ''Pokey'' || 1989 || '''1)''' 4 minigames in 1: ''Bingo'', ''Hi-Lo Poker'', ''Puzzler'', and ''Kentucky Derby''. '''2)''' All those minigames were later included separately in ''Asder 20-in-1'', made in 1993 by '''Asder''' (NTDEC's successor). |- | 2 || ''Adam & Eve'' || 1991 || '''1)''' Game included later on ''[[Caltron 6 in 1]]'' in 1992. '''2)''' A [[Video game clone|clone]] of ''[[Balloon Fight]]''. |- | 3 || ''Bookyman'' || 1991 || '''1)''' Game included later on ''Caltron 6 in 1'' in 1992. '''2)''' A [[ROM hacking|hack]] of [[Hwang Shinwei]]'s game ''[[Crush Roller|Brush Roller]]''. |- | 4 || ''Destroyer'' || 1992 || Similar to ''[[Star Force]]''. |- | 5 || ''Go! Benny!'' || 1992 || |- | 6 || ''Super Gun'' || 1992 || |- | 7 || ''Tank'' || 1992<ref>[http://www.kaiserland77.com/wikines77/index.php/Gluk:_Los_Juegos_del_Naranjito Gluk: Los Juegos del Naranjito]</ref> || Similar to ''[[Battle City (video game)|Battle City]]''. |- | 8 || ''Fighting Hero III'' || 1993 || |- | 9 || ''Master Shooter'' || 1993 || |- | 10 || ''Chik Bik Ji Jin - Saam Gwok Ji'' || Unknown || Also known as '''''Three Kingdoms: Battle of Red Cliff (Sānguó Zhì - Chìbì Zhī Zhàn)'''''. |}

====List of titles as Mega Soft==== {| class="wikitable sortable" border="1" |- ! scope="col" | No. ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Original release ! scope="col" | Notes |- | 1 || ''Balloon Monster'' || 1991 || '''1)''' Game included later on ''[[Caltron 6 in 1]]'' in 1992. '''2)''' A [[Video game clone|clone]] of ''[[Pang (video game)|Pang]]''. |- | 2 || ''Cosmos Cop'' || 1991 || '''1)''' Game included later on ''Caltron 6 in 1'' in 1992. '''2)''' A clone of ''[[Space Harrier]]''. |- | 3 || ''Fighting Hero'' || 1991 || Similar to ''[[Street Fighter (video game)|Street Fighter]]''. |- | 4 || ''Hit Marmot'' || 1991 || |- | 5 || ''Magic Block'' || 1991 || |- | 6 || ''Magic Carpet 1001'' || 1991 || '''1)''' Game included later on ''Caltron 6 in 1'' in 1992. '''2)''' Also known as '''''Arabian Nights (Tiānfāng Yè Tán)''''' |- | 7 || ''Porter'' || 1991 || '''1)''' Game included later on ''Caltron 6 in 1'' in 1992. '''2)''' A clone of ''[[Sokoban]]''. |- | 8 || ''War in the Gulf'' || 1991 || |- | 9 || ''Sea of Dreamland'' || 1992 || |}

====List of titles as Caltron==== {| class="wikitable sortable" border="1" |- ! scope="col" | No. ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Original release ! scope="col" | Notes |- | 1 || ''[[Caltron 6 in 1]]'' || 1992 || 6 games in 1: ''Cosmos Cop'', ''Magic Carpet 1001'', ''Balloon Monster'', ''Adam & Eve'', ''Porter'', and ''Bookyman''. |- | 2 || ''Dream Fighter'' || 1992 || |- | 3 || ''Skate Boy'' || 1992 || |}

====Unreleased titles==== * ''Dragon Palace Adventure'' * ''The Pearl Turn'' * ''Caltron 9 in 1''

==Asder== {{Infobox company |name=Asder Electronic Co., Ltd 亞斯德科技有限公司 |logo= |type=Private |industry=[[Video game industry|Video games]] (1993–1994) [[Educational software]] |founded=1993 |defunct= |hq_location=3F-1, No. 22 SEC. 2 [[Keelung Road]], [[Taipei]], [[Taiwan]], R.O.C. |key_people=Kenny Hsu (Vice General Manager) |products=A.Smart and various children's electronics |fate= |website=[http://www.asder.com/ http://www.asder.com/] }}

Following the legal action of 1993, the company appears to have ceased operations under the NTDEC name. Another [[Taiwan]]ese company, '''''Asder Electronic Co., Ltd''''' ({{zh|c=亞斯德科技有限公司}}), has released educational computer systems and [[Handheld TV game|TV game]] [[Gamepad|joypads]] containing Mega Soft games, and several original [[Famicom]] games continuing NTDEC's CN-xx numbering. However, it's unknown whether this company is NTDEC with a new name, or a separate company that obtained the rights to past titles from them.

===List of games=== {| class="wikitable sortable" border="1" |- ! scope="col" | No. ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Original release ! scope="col" | Notes |- | 1 || ''Asder 20-in-1'' || 1993 || A multi-cartridge containing: all ''[[Caltron 6 in 1]]'' games, all ''Pokey'' minigames, four NTDEC/Mega Soft games, three exclusive Asder original games, and two exclusive [[ROM hacking|hacks]] ('''''Turbo Magic Carpet 1001''''' and '''''Master Shooter'''''). |- | 2 || ''Benico'' || 1993 || An original Asder game included only in ''Asder 20-in-1''. |- | 3 || ''JP Ronny'' || 1993 || An original Asder game included only in ''Asder 20-in-1''. |- | 4 || ''Top Hunter'' || 1993 || An original Asder game included only in ''Asder 20-in-1''. |- | 5 || ''Cobra Mission'' || 1994 || |- | 6 || ''Zhēn Běn - Xīyóu Jì'' || 1994 || |- | 7 || ''Asder PC-95'' || 1995 || An Asder's [[Personal computer|PC]] dumped ROM containing: all ''Caltron 6 in 1'' games, ''Hit Marmot'' by NTDEC/Mega Soft, and various educational games. |- | 8 || ''Huángdì'' || Unknown || Also known as '''''Emperor: The War (Huángdì - Zhuō Lù Zhī Zhàn)'''''. |- | 9 || ''Sānguózhì: Qúnxióng Zhēngbà'' || Unknown || Also known as '''''The Romance of Three Kingdoms: The Fight of Heroes' Pleiades'''''. |}

'''Note:''' The title '''''Master Shooter''''', included only in ''Asder 20-in-1'', is the hack of the game of the same name (listed in the same compilation as '''''Shooter: Part1''''').

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20181022080804/http://www.asder.com/ Asder] * [http://www.neswarpzone.com/caltron.html Caltron 6 in 1]

[[Category:Electronics companies of Taiwan]] [[Category:Video game development companies]] [[Category:Video game publishers]] [[Category:Defunct video game companies of Taiwan]] [[Category:Copyright infringement of software]] [[Category:Video game law]] [[Category:Video game controversies]]