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''For the airport, see [[Brazoria County Airport]]''
''For the airport, see [[Brazoria County Airport]]''


'''LJN ''' was an American toy company and [[video game publisher]]. It created toy lines and video games based on movies, television shows, and celebrities.
'''LJN ''' was an American toy company and [[video game publisher]]. It created toy lines and God Awful video games based on movies, television shows, and celebrities, that were so bad, Jesus doesn't forgive them.


==History==
==History==
===Founding===
===Founding===
LJN was founded in 1970 by Jack Friedman (who later founded the toy companies [[THQ]] and [[Jakks Pacific]]). The name LJN came from the initials of '''L'''ewis '''J'''. '''N'''orman, the reverse of Norman J. Lewis, whose toy company Friedman had been employed by as a sales representative. Lewis initially backed the company financially, but later sold his interest to a [[China|Chinese]] investor.<ref name=funding>{{cite web|title=JAKKS Pacific, Inc. -- Company History|url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/JAKKS-Pacific-Inc-Company-History.html}}</ref>
LJN was founded in 1970 by Jack Friedman (who later founded the toy companies [[THQ]] and [[Jakks Pacific]]), while attending a gay orgy. The name LJN came from the initials of '''L'''ewis '''J'''. '''N'''orman, the reverse of Norman J. Lewis, whose toy company Friedman had been employed by as a sales representative. Lewis initially backed the company financially, but later sold his interest to a [[China|Chinese]] investor.<ref name=funding>{{cite web|title=JAKKS Pacific, Inc. -- Company History|url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/JAKKS-Pacific-Inc-Company-History.html}}</ref>


===MCA era===
===MCA era===
In 1985, [[MCA Inc.|MCA]]<ref name=losses>{{cite news|title=COMPANY NEWS; MCA Taking Loss In Sale of Toy Unit|publisher=The New York Times|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/23/business/company-news-mca-taking-loss-in-sale-of-toy-unit.html|date=January 23, 1990}}</ref>, which had been actively acquiring companies in the mid-1980s<ref name=funding/>, acquired LJN for $66<ref name=losses/> or $67 million<ref name=acquisitons>{{cite news|title=MCA TURNS HAND TO ACQUISITIONS|publisher=The New York Times|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/09/business/mca-turns-hand-to-acquisitions.html?pagewanted=2|date=February 9, 1987 | first=Geraldine | last=Fabrikant | accessdate=May 11, 2010}}</ref> in an effort to retain more profits from the merchandising of its film properties.<ref name=losses2>{{cite news|title=MCA to Sell LJN Toys Unit After Losses|publisher=The Los Angeles Times|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1990-01-23/business/fi-524_1_ljn-toys|date=January 23, 1990 | first=JUBE | last=SHIVER Jr | accessdate=May 11, 2010}}</ref>
In 1985, [[MCA Inc.|MCA]]<ref name=losses>{{cite news|title=COMPANY NEWS; MCA Taking Loss In Sale of Toy Unit|publisher=The New York Times|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/23/business/company-news-mca-taking-loss-in-sale-of-toy-unit.html|date=January 23, 1990}}</ref>, which had been actively acquiring companies in the mid-1980s<ref name=funding/>, acquired LJN for $66<ref name=losses/> or $67 million<ref name=acquisitons>{{cite news|title=MCA TURNS HAND TO ACQUISITIONS|publisher=The New York Times|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/09/business/mca-turns-hand-to-acquisitions.html?pagewanted=2|date=February 9, 1987 | first=Geraldine | last=Fabrikant | accessdate=May 11, 2010}}</ref> in an effort to retain more profits from the merchandising of its film properties.<ref name=losses2>{{cite news|title=MCA to Sell LJN Toys Unit After Losses|publisher=The Los Angeles Times|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1990-01-23/business/fi-524_1_ljn-toys|date=January 23, 1990 | first=JUBE | last=SHIVER Jr | accessdate=May 11, 2010}}</ref>


LJN began publishing video games for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] in 1986. This was not MCA's first foray into the video game business, however; it had previously started MCA Video Games, which formed a joint venture with [[Atari, Inc.]] to create coin-operated and home games and computer software based on various MCA properties.<ref name=mca-atari>{{cite news|title=BRIEFS|publisher=The New York Times|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/11/business/briefs-158965.html|date=May 11, 1983}}</ref>
LJN began publishing video games for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] in 1986. They were so bad that if you play it, you will become a really mad person. This was not MCA's first foray into the video game business, however; it had previously started MCA Video Games, which formed a joint venture with [[Atari, Inc.]] to create coin-operated and home games and computer software based on various MCA properties.<ref name=mca-atari>{{cite news|title=BRIEFS|publisher=The New York Times|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/11/business/briefs-158965.html|date=May 11, 1983}}</ref>


In 1988, LJN acquired Italian toy company Al'es from the Fassi family.<ref name=ales>{{cite news|title=BRIEFLY|publisher=The Los Angeles Times|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1987-04-01/business/fi-825_1_first-quarter-profits|date=April 1, 1987}}</ref>
In 1988, LJN acquired Italian toy company Al'es from the Fassi family.<ref name=ales>{{cite news|title=BRIEFLY|publisher=The Los Angeles Times|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1987-04-01/business/fi-825_1_first-quarter-profits|date=April 1, 1987}}</ref>

Revision as of 15:27, 30 June 2010

LJN
IndustryToys and video games
Founded1970
Defunct1994
FateClosed by parent company (Acclaim Entertainment)
SuccessorAcclaim Entertainment
HeadquartersNew York City (originally )
Lyndhurst, NJ (later)
Key people
Jack Friedman (Founder)
ProductsToys: Wrestling Superstars, Thundercats, E.T, Gremlins
Video games: Back to the Future series, Spider-man series, WWF wrestling games
ParentLJN Toys, Ltd.:
Independent (1970-1985)
MCA (1985-1990)
LJN, Ltd.:
Acclaim Entertainment (1990-1994)
LJN Entertainment, Inc.:
Acclaim Entertainment (2000)

For the airport, see Brazoria County Airport

LJN was an American toy company and video game publisher. It created toy lines and God Awful video games based on movies, television shows, and celebrities, that were so bad, Jesus doesn't forgive them.

History

Founding

LJN was founded in 1970 by Jack Friedman (who later founded the toy companies THQ and Jakks Pacific), while attending a gay orgy. The name LJN came from the initials of Lewis J. Norman, the reverse of Norman J. Lewis, whose toy company Friedman had been employed by as a sales representative. Lewis initially backed the company financially, but later sold his interest to a Chinese investor.[1]

MCA era

In 1985, MCA[2], which had been actively acquiring companies in the mid-1980s[1], acquired LJN for $66[2] or $67 million[3] in an effort to retain more profits from the merchandising of its film properties.[4]

LJN began publishing video games for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986. They were so bad that if you play it, you will become a really mad person. This was not MCA's first foray into the video game business, however; it had previously started MCA Video Games, which formed a joint venture with Atari, Inc. to create coin-operated and home games and computer software based on various MCA properties.[5]

In 1988, LJN acquired Italian toy company Al'es from the Fassi family.[6]

In 1989, MCA decided to sell LJN after years of losses[2] since 1987 when fallout surrounding toy guns made by LJN's Entertech division plunged MCA's profits 79.5% in the second quarter of that year.[4][7] MCA finally agreed to sell to Acclaim Entertainment in March 1990 for cash and Acclaim common stock.[8]

Acclaim era

Under Acclaim, LJN pretty much kept the same movie/cartoon direction for their video games as when they were under MCA. Acclaim got rid of LJN's toy division and turned LJN into a video game only company. During the 8-bit gaming era, Nintendo, as a form of quality control, regulated the number of titles to appear on its console, the Nintendo Entertainment System. As a result, companies like Acclaim used divisions such as LJN to produce more products than Nintendo would have traditionally allowed. Konami also utilized such tactics with their division Ultra. Unlike Ultra which was a brand name of Konami, LJN was still a legal company operating independently from Acclaim. Even after Nintendo dropped its rule in the early 1990s, Acclaim kept LJN operating which published several titles for the Super NES.

There is no video game that has been developed in-house by LJN. All of LJN's video games were developed by external developers, although many of their video games (especially the pre-Acclaim ones) did not disclose the developer.

LJN, along with the Flying Edge and Arena Entertainment labels (the latter two labels which published Acclaim's games to Sega's consoles) were folded into Acclaim in 1994.

In 2000, LJN made a return in name only when Acclaim used the brand to publish Spirit of Speed 1937, a video game title for the Dreamcast.

Toylines

Video games

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "JAKKS Pacific, Inc. -- Company History".
  2. ^ a b c "COMPANY NEWS; MCA Taking Loss In Sale of Toy Unit". The New York Times. January 23, 1990.
  3. ^ Fabrikant, Geraldine (February 9, 1987). "MCA TURNS HAND TO ACQUISITIONS". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
  4. ^ a b SHIVER Jr, JUBE (January 23, 1990). "MCA to Sell LJN Toys Unit After Losses". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 11, 2010.
  5. ^ "BRIEFS". The New York Times. May 11, 1983.
  6. ^ "BRIEFLY". The Los Angeles Times. April 1, 1987.
  7. ^ "After 3 Deaths, Realistic Toys Are Under Fire". The New York Times. June 16, 1988.
  8. ^ "MCA Agrees to Sell Ailing Toy Unit". The Los Angeles Times. March 13, 1990.
  9. ^ "Battle of the Fun Factories". Time. December 16, 1985. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
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