The Warp Zone :
When/why was American Video(AVE) formed?

Richard Frick :
AVE was formed in early 1990 to sell compatible video games to the NES using a patented technology developer by Macronix, a ROM manufacturer.

The Warp Zone :
How many people worked there?

Richard Frick :
If you include manufacturing people during major order fufillment, around 300.

The Warp Zone :
What happened to AVE?

Richard Frick :
The NES sales quickly decreased as the GENESIS and Super Nintendo were released. Due to the chance of incompatibility of our games, we had to shut the business down.

The Warp Zone :
What happened to the never released game Crossbow?

Richard Frick :
Crossbow was never complete.

The Warp Zone :
Was AVE and American Game Carts Inc. related somehow? I know they both released Wally Bear.

Richard Frick :
I origally ran what became American Game Carts. I had Chiller developed. AVE purchased the rights to AGC and ultimately released Wally Bear.

The Warp Zone :
Wasn't there a Maxivision cart and a cart called Stakk'm advertised in the back of the Mermaids of Atlantis instructions? What ever happened to these?

Richard Frick :
The Maxivision cart was a collection of Color Dreams, AVE, and AGC games. Stakk'm was in this collection but never released as a single.

The Warp Zone :
Was AVE ever sued by Nintendo?

Richard Frick :
Yes.

The Warp Zone :
I know AVE sued Nintendo for Anti Trust. What was the result of that case?

Richard Frick :
Settled with the results under a secrecy order.

The Warp Zone :
AVE's games were by far the best unlicensed games for the Nintendo. Did AVE have a thing about good quality?

Richard Frick :
Yes, we absolutely wanted to sell good value games. We rejected many games we felt were of poor quality.

The Warp Zone :
I really liked Tiles of Fate. Did that originally come from an ancient chinese game?

Richard Frick :
Mahjong

The Warp Zone :
What remains of AVE today?

Richard Frick :
All of AVE was solf off or disposed of in dumpsters.

The Warp Zone :
Was there any protots or design packets or anything?

Richard Frick :
Nothing remains that I am aware of.

The Warp Zone :
Do you know the names of any of the unreleased games?

Richard Frick :
Robert Burns Pool

The Warp Zone :
How was AVE related to SEI?

Richard Frick :
SEI contracted with Macronix to build Impossible Mission. Due to a licensing problem, SEI could never sell Impossible Mission and AVE ultimately settled with Epyx and released the game.