<s>
Midway	O
's	O
franchises	O
included	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
,	O
Rampage	B-Application
,	O
Spy	B-Application
Hunter	I-Application
,	O
NBA	B-Application
Jam	I-Application
,	O
Cruis'n	B-Application
,	O
and	O
NFL	B-Application
Blitz	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Midway	O
also	O
acquired	O
the	O
rights	O
to	O
video	O
games	O
that	O
were	O
originally	O
developed	O
by	O
Williams	O
Electronics	O
and	O
Atari	O
Games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Defender	B-Application
,	O
Joust	B-Application
,	O
Robotron	B-Application
2084	I-Application
,	O
Gauntlet	B-Device
,	O
and	O
the	O
Rush	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
company	O
scored	O
its	O
first	O
mainstream	O
hit	O
with	O
the	O
U.S.	O
distribution	O
of	O
Space	B-Application
Invaders	I-Application
in	O
1978	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bally	O
then	O
merged	O
its	O
pinball	B-Application
division	O
into	O
Midway	O
in	O
1982	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
Midway	O
's	O
breakthrough	O
success	O
came	O
in	O
1978	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
licensing	O
and	O
distribution	O
of	O
Taito	O
's	O
seminal	O
arcade	O
game	O
Space	B-Application
Invaders	I-Application
in	O
America	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
followed	O
by	O
Midway	O
's	O
licensing	O
and	O
distributing	O
the	O
U.S.	O
version	O
of	O
Namco	O
's	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
in	O
1980	O
,	O
and	O
its	O
sequel	O
,	O
Ms.	B-Application
Pac-Man	I-Application
,	O
in	O
1982	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Co	O
.	O
after	O
Bally	O
merged	O
its	O
pinball	B-Application
division	O
with	O
Midway	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Three	O
games	O
released	O
that	O
year	O
,	O
including	O
Satan	B-Application
's	I-Application
Hollow	I-Application
,	O
were	O
the	O
first	O
to	O
feature	O
the	O
Bally/Midway	O
brand	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1983	O
,	O
Bally	O
Midway	O
acquired	O
arcade	O
manufacturing	O
assets	O
of	O
Sega	O
Electronics	O
from	O
Gulf	O
and	O
Western	O
Industries	O
,	O
and	O
through	O
the	O
purchase	O
also	O
gained	O
distribution	O
rights	O
to	O
arcade	O
games	O
developed	O
by	O
Sega	O
Enterprises	O
,	O
Ltd	O
.	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
for	O
two	O
years	O
which	O
included	O
titles	O
such	O
as	O
Astron	B-Application
Belt	I-Application
,	O
Flicky	B-Application
,	O
Future	O
Spy	O
,	O
and	O
Up	B-Application
'	I-Application
N	I-Application
Down	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bally	O
Midway	O
was	O
purchased	O
in	O
1988	O
by	O
the	O
arcade	O
and	O
pinball	B-Application
game	O
company	O
Williams	O
Electronics	O
Games	O
through	O
its	O
holding	O
company	O
WMS	O
Industries	O
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
and	O
its	O
name	O
was	O
changed	O
back	O
to	O
Midway	O
Manufacturing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
WMS	O
retained	O
many	O
R&D	O
employees	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
Midway	O
,	O
only	O
two	O
game	O
designers	O
were	O
retained	O
:	O
Rampage	B-Application
designers	O
Brian	O
Colin	O
and	O
Jeff	O
Nauman	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
WMS	O
obtained	O
the	O
right	O
from	O
Bally	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
"	O
Bally	O
"	O
brand	O
for	O
its	O
pinball	B-Application
games	O
since	O
Bally	O
had	O
completely	O
left	O
the	O
arcade/pinball	O
industry	O
to	O
concentrate	O
on	O
casinos	O
and	O
slot	O
machines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Under	O
WMS	O
ownership	O
,	O
Midway	O
initially	O
continued	O
to	O
produce	O
arcade	O
games	O
under	O
the	O
Bally/Midway	O
label	O
,	O
while	O
producing	O
pinball	B-Application
machines	O
under	O
the	O
"	O
Bally	O
"	O
brand	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1992	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
The	O
Addams	O
Family	O
machine	O
became	O
the	O
best	O
selling	O
pinball	B-Application
game	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
,	O
WMS	O
purchased	O
Time	O
Warner	O
Interactive	O
,	O
which	O
included	O
Atari	O
Games	O
,	O
originally	O
a	O
part	O
of	O
Atari	O
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
Also	O
in	O
1996	O
,	O
Midway	O
changed	O
its	O
original	O
corporate	O
name	O
,	O
Midway	O
Manufacturing	O
,	O
to	O
Midway	O
Games	O
Inc.	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
its	O
entrance	O
in	O
the	O
home	B-Device
console	I-Device
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
facilitated	O
by	O
WMS	O
transferring	O
its	O
former	O
home	B-Device
console	I-Device
division	O
,	O
Williams	O
Entertainment	O
,	O
Inc.	O
,	O
to	O
Midway	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
,	O
WMS	O
made	O
a	O
public	O
offering	O
of	O
Midway	O
stock	O
and	O
,	O
at	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
,	O
WMS	O
transferred	O
its	O
video	O
game	O
copyrights	O
and	O
trademarks	O
,	O
including	O
Defender	B-Application
,	O
Robotron	B-Application
:	I-Application
2084	I-Application
and	O
Joust	B-Application
,	O
to	O
Midway	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1999	O
,	O
Midway	O
left	O
the	O
pinball	B-Application
industry	O
(	O
it	O
had	O
earlier	O
transferred	O
most	O
of	O
its	O
pinball	B-Application
assets	O
to	O
WMS	O
in	O
1996	O
in	O
exchange	O
for	O
video	O
game	O
assets	O
of	O
WMS	O
)	O
and	O
changed	O
the	O
name	O
of	O
its	O
Atari	O
Games	O
subsidiary	O
to	O
Midway	O
Games	O
West	O
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
to	O
avoid	O
confusion	O
with	O
Atari	O
Interactive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
2007	O
,	O
Midway	O
Games	O
was	O
engaged	O
in	O
a	O
legal	O
battle	O
with	O
Mindshadow	O
Entertainment	O
for	O
the	O
Psi-Ops	B-Device
video	O
game	O
rights	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Midway	O
's	O
CEO	O
,	O
David	O
Zucker	O
,	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
Unreal	B-Application
Tournament	I-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
and	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
growing	O
success	O
in	O
mass-market	O
games	O
,	O
were	O
setting	O
it	O
up	O
for	O
a	O
"	O
significant	O
2008	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
this	O
time	O
,	O
Midway	O
just	O
released	O
TNA	B-Application
Impact	I-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
and	O
Blitz	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
League	I-Application
II	I-Application
around	O
September/October	O
2008	O
,	O
under	O
the	O
Midway	O
Studios	O
Los	O
Angeles	O
office	O
(	O
before	O
its	O
closure	O
)	O
and	O
the	O
San	O
Diego	O
branch	O
(	O
Midway	O
Studios	O
San	O
Diego/Midway	O
Home	O
Entertainment	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Midway	O
's	O
last	O
title	O
,	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
vs.	I-Application
DC	I-Application
Universe	I-Application
,	O
released	O
around	O
this	O
time	O
,	O
in	O
November	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Midway	O
announced	O
on	O
May	O
21	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
that	O
it	O
had	O
received	O
a	O
takeover	O
bid	O
from	O
Warner	O
Bros	O
.	O
Interactive	O
Entertainment	O
(	O
now	O
Warner	O
Bros	O
.	O
Games	O
)	O
,	O
valued	O
at	O
more	O
than	O
$33	O
million	O
,	O
to	O
acquire	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
assets	O
,	O
including	O
Midway	O
's	O
Chicago	O
and	O
Seattle	O
studios	O
and	O
rights	O
to	O
the	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
and	O
Wheelman	B-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Midway	O
had	O
previously	O
worked	O
with	O
Warner	O
Bros	O
.	O
on	O
several	O
games	O
including	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
vs.	I-Application
DC	I-Application
Universe	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
July	O
1	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
the	O
bankruptcy	O
court	O
approved	O
the	O
sale	O
of	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
assets	O
to	O
Warner	O
Bros	O
.	O
subject	O
to	O
the	O
intellectual	O
property	O
claims	O
of	O
a	O
third	O
party	O
,	O
Threshold	O
Entertainment	O
,	O
which	O
produced	O
two	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
films	O
and	O
some	O
other	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
entertainment	O
properties	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Midway	O
Chicago	O
studio	O
,	O
responsible	O
for	O
the	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
series	O
and	O
other	O
games	O
,	O
became	O
part	O
of	O
Warner	O
Bros	O
.	O
and	O
was	O
later	O
rebranded	O
NetherRealm	O
Studios	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tradewest	O
was	O
then	O
acquired	O
by	O
WMS	O
Industries	O
in	O
1994	O
to	O
enter	O
the	O
home	B-Device
console	I-Device
market	O
;	O
previously	O
home	O
adaptations	O
of	O
Midway	O
games	O
were	O
published	O
under	O
license	O
by	O
Acclaim	O
Entertainment	O
or	O
others	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Midway	O
Home	O
Entertainment	O
published	O
and	O
marketed	O
all	O
Midway	O
video	O
games	O
made	O
for	O
home	B-Device
consoles	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
had	O
developed	O
Blitz	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
League	I-Application
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
and	O
Stranglehold	B-Application
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
and	O
PC	B-Device
,	O
and	O
continued	O
overseeing	O
the	O
Mortal	B-Application
Kombat	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Midway	O
Studios	O
San	O
Diego	O
,	O
a	O
successor	O
to	O
the	O
Leland	O
Corporation	O
,	O
was	O
located	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
building	O
as	O
Midway	O
Home	O
Entertainment	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
studio	O
to	O
develop	O
video	O
games	O
for	O
home	B-Device
consoles	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Midway	O
Studios	O
San	O
Diego	O
developed	O
Gauntlet	B-Application
:	I-Application
Seven	I-Application
Sorrows	I-Application
and	O
was	O
given	O
the	O
task	O
of	O
completing	O
the	O
game	O
Rise	B-Application
and	I-Application
Fall	I-Application
:	I-Application
Civilizations	I-Application
at	I-Application
War	I-Application
,	O
which	O
had	O
been	O
started	O
by	O
Stainless	O
Steel	O
Studios	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
studio	O
has	O
worked	O
on	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Ready	B-Application
2	I-Application
Rumble	I-Application
Boxing	I-Application
,	O
Ready	B-Application
2	I-Application
Rumble	I-Application
Boxing	I-Application
:	I-Application
Round	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
The	O
Cruis'n	B-Application
series	O
,	O
TNA	O
Impact	O
!,	O
and	O
Blitz	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
League	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
