SETA Corporation[a] was a Japanese computer gaming company, founded on October 1, 1985, and dissolved on February 9, 2009.[1] SETA was headquartered in Kōtō, Tokyo,[2] with a branch in Las Vegas, Nevada.[3]
SETA developed and published games for consoles such as the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It produced games primarily in Japan, but also in North America, focusing on golf and puzzles. SETA is commonly recognized for developing a variety of custom hardware to enhance games for Nintendo consoles, including enhancement chips, a modem, and a bio sensor. It created development tools for Nintendo's consoles.[4] SETA also developed the Aleck 64 arcade system, based on the Nintendo 64 console.[5] Additionally, SETA assisted in the production of the SSV arcade system, collaborating with Sammy and Visco.
In 1999, Aruze became the parent company.[6] SETA withdrew from the game business in 2004 after releasing Legend of Golfer on the GameCube. The company announced its closure in December 2008 due to Japan's declining economic conditions.[1] SETA officially closed on January 23, 2009, with Aruze absorbing the company's assets. It was subsequently liquidated at the Tokyo District Court on May 25, 2009.
Subsidiaries
Former subsidiaries
UD Technology Inc (ユーディテック・ジャパン株式会社): On December 20, 2003, UD Technology Inc announced its merger with SETA Corporation, effective April 1, 2004.[7] The merged entity became the headquarters for SETA Corporation's Unified Communication business.[8]
IKUSABUNE Co., Ltd. (株式会社企画デザイン工房戦船): Merged into SETA Corporation and became the headquarters for SETA Corporation's Image Contents business on April 1, 2004.[9]
The Aleck 64 is an arcade system board based on the Nintendo 64, designed by SETA in cooperation with Nintendo, and sold exclusively in Japan from 1998 to 2003.[19] It essentially consists of a Nintendo 64 board retrofitted with sound capabilities that were standard for arcade games of the time.[20] Nintendo and SETA began working on their agreement for the board in 1996, aiming to replicate the business model that Namco and Sony Computer Entertainment had established with the Namco System 11, facilitating conversions of arcade games.[21]
