Editing Data East

{{short description|Japanese video game and electronics company}}
{{Infobox company
|name = Data East Corporation
|native_name = データイースト株式会社
|native_name_lang = ja
|romanized_name = Dēta Īsuto kabushiki gaisha
|logo = Data East Logo clean.svg
|type = [[Privately held company|Private]] [[Kabushiki gaisha|KK]]
|fate = [[Bankruptcy]]
|founder = Tetsuo Fukuda
|foundation = April 20, 1976: 48 years ago<ref name="Company profile">{{cite web|url=http://www.dataeast-corp.co.jp/company/gaiyo.htm |title=会社概要 |author=Data East Corporation |date=15 April 2001 |work=archive.org |access-date=23 February 2017 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010415120713/http://www.dataeast-corp.co.jp/company/gaiyo.htm |archive-date=15 April 2001 }}</ref>
|defunct = June 25, 2003: 21 years ago
|location = [[Suginami]], [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]]
|industry = [[Video game]]s, [[engineering]]
|num_employees = 
|key_people = 
|products = [[List of games released by Data East]]
|equity = {{yen|282.5 million}} (April 2001)<ref name="Company profile"/>
|equity_year = 
|subsid = Data East USA, inc.<br />Data East Pinball inc.
|successor = [[G-Mode]]
|homepage = [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.dataeast-corp.co.jp/index_e.html dataeast-corp.co.jp/index_e.html]
}}

{{nihongo|'''Data East Corporation'''|データイースト株式会社|Dēta Īsuto kabushiki gaisha}}, also abbreviated as '''DECO''', was a [[Japanese video game]], [[pinball]] and [[electronic engineering]] company. The company was in operation from 1976 to 2003, and released 150 video game titles.<ref name="Company overview">{{cite web |author=Data East Corporation |date=10 January 2001 |title=開発部ホームページ |url=http://www.dataeast-corp.co.jp/dev/devinfo.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010110182700/http://www.dataeast-corp.co.jp/dev/devinfo.htm |archive-date=10 January 2001 |access-date=23 February 2017 |work=Archive.org}}</ref> At one time, the company had annual sales of 20 billion yen in the United States alone but eventually went bankrupt.<ref name="March 30, 2017"/> The American subsidiary, Data East USA, was headquartered in [[San Jose, California]].<ref>Compute, Volume 12, Issues 1-5. Small System Services, 1990. [https://books.google.com/books?id=R5QoAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Data+East+USA%22&dq=%22Data+East+USA%22&cd=1 52]. Retrieved from [[Google Books]] on May 17, 2010.</ref><!-- different cities of the [[Silicon Valley]] throughout the time.--> Its main headquarters were located in [[Suginami]], [[Tokyo]].<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20021208065722/http://www.dataeast-corp.co.jp/company/index.htm データイースト]." Data East. December 8, 2002. Retrieved on October 20, 2009.</ref>

The majority of Data East's video games, its trademark and logo, are owned today by the mobile gaming company [[G-Mode]], a subsidiary of [[Marvelous (company)|Marvelous]]. A small number of Data East video games are owned by other companies, notably [[Paon DP]].

==History==
Data East was founded on April 20, 1976, by Tokai University alumnus Tetsuo Fukuda.<ref name="Company profile"/><ref name="Sankeiviz">{{Cite web | url=http://www.sankeibiz.jp/business/news/140206/bsl1402060503005-n2.htm |title = 【挑む】ウリミナ・福田哲夫会長 医療訓練ソフト開発、ウェブ版で低価格に|date = 6 February 2014}}</ref> Data East developed and released in July 1977 its first arcade game ''Jack Lot'', a [[medal game]] based on [[Blackjack]] for business use.<ref name="license2">{{cite web |url=http://www.dataeast-corp.co.jp/dev/license/license2.htm#70 |title=ライセンス一覧表 |website=www.dataeast-corp.co.jp |publisher=Data East Corporation|access-date=11 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010423042028/http://www.dataeast-corp.co.jp/dev/license/license2.htm#70 |archive-date=23 April 2001 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=November 1977 issue|magazine=[[:ja:ゲームマシン|Game Machine]] |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/f/f6/TheGameMachine_JP_1977-11-15.pdf#page=4|page=4|date=November 15, 1977}}</ref> This was followed in January 1978 by ''Super Break'' which was its first actual video game. More than 15 arcade games were released by Data East in the 1970s.<ref name="license2"/>

Data East established its U.S. division in June 1979.<ref name="GM286">{{cite magazine|title=Overseas Readers Column: Data East Celebrated Its 10th Anniversary|magazine=[[:ja:ゲームマシン|Game Machine]]|issue=286|publisher=[[:ja:アミューズメント通信社|Amusement Press, Inc.]]|date=1 July 1986|page=26|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19860701p.pdf#page=14}}</ref> In 1980, Data East published ''[[Astro Fighter]]'' which became its first major [[arcade game]] title.<ref name="Arcade flyers">{{cite web|url=http://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=flyer&db=videodb&id=4546&image=4|title=The Arcade Flyer Archive - Video Game Flyers: Data East USA, Inc., Data East (DECO)|publisher=Data East USA Inc.|date=1983|work=arcade-museum.com|access-date=23 February 2017}}</ref> While making games, Data East released a series of interchangeable systems compatible with its arcade games, notably the [[DECO Cassette System]] which soon became infamous among users due to technical problems. Data East dropped the DECO Cassette by 1985.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atariprotos.com/deco/deco.htm|title=DECO Cassette System|work=Atari Protos|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060512142257/http://www.atariprotos.com/deco/deco.htm|archive-date=May 12, 2006}}</ref> It was the first interchangeable [[arcade system board]], developed in 1979 and released in 1980, inspiring later [[arcade conversion]] systems such as [[Sega]]'s [[List of Sega arcade system boards|Convert-a-Game]] in 1981<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Adlum |first=Eddie |title=The Replay Years: Reflections from Eddie Adlum |magazine=RePlay |date=November 1985 |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=134-175 (160-3) |url=https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-11-issue-no.-2-november-1985-600DPI/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2011%2C%20Issue%20No.%202%20-%20November%201985/page/162/mode/2up}}</ref> and the [[Nintendo VS. System]] in 1984.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The Replay Years: Video Systems |magazine=RePlay |date=November 1985 |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=128, 130 |url=https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-11-issue-no.-2-november-1985-600DPI/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2011%2C%20Issue%20No.%202%20-%20November%201985/page/128}}</ref> Data East abandoned the DECO Cassette System in favor of dedicated [[arcade cabinet]]s, bringing Data East greater success over the next several years, starting with the hit title ''[[BurgerTime]]'' (1982).<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Adlum |first=Eddie |title=The Replay Years: Reflections from Eddie Adlum |magazine=RePlay |date=November 1985 |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=134-175 (170-1) |url=https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-11-issue-no.-2-november-1985-600DPI/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2011%2C%20Issue%20No.%202%20-%20November%201985/page/170/mode/2up}}</ref>

In 1981, three staff members of Data East founded [[Technōs Japan]], who then supported Data East for a while before becoming completely independent.

In 1983, the company moved its headquarters to a new building in [[Ogikubo]], [[Suginami]], where it stayed for the remaining of its lifespan.<ref name="history">{{cite web |author=Data East Corporation |date=15 April 2001 |publisher=Data East Corporation|title=沿革 |url=http://www.dataeast-corp.co.jp/company/enkaku.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010415114245/http://www.dataeast-corp.co.jp/company/enkaku.htm |archive-date=15 April 2001 |access-date=23 February 2017 |work=archive.org}}</ref> In March 1985, Data East Europe was established in [[London]].<ref name="GM286"/> Data East continued to release [[arcade video game]]s over the next 15 years following the [[video game crash of 1983]].

Data East distributed three major arcade hits in North America between 1984 and 1985: the [[fighting game]] ''[[Karate Champ]]'' (1984), the [[beat 'em up]] title ''[[Kung-Fu Master (video game)|Kung-Fu Master]]'' (1984), and the [[run and gun video game]] ''[[Commando (video game)|Commando]]'' (1985). These three titles catapulted Data East to the forefront of the [[amusement arcade]] industry in the mid-1980s.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=John Barone To Data East |magazine=[[Cash Box]] |date=July 13, 1985 |page=41 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/a/a8/CashBox_US_1985-07-13.pdf#page=41}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Data East: Dedicated Videos Make Dollars & Sense for Operators |magazine=RePlay |date=November 1985 |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=108, 110–1 |url=https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-11-issue-no.-2-november-1985-600DPI/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2011%2C%20Issue%20No.%202%20-%20November%201985/page/108}}</ref> ''Karate Champ'', ''Kung-Fu Master'' and ''Commando'' were the top three highest-grossing [[1985 in video games|arcade games of 1985]] in the United States.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=1985 Operator Survey: This Poll Says Go Gettum! |magazine=RePlay |date=November 1985 |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=91-102 (93-4) |url=https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-11-issue-no.-2-november-1985-600DPI/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2011%2C%20Issue%20No.%202%20-%20November%201985/page/93}}</ref> ''Karate Champ'' was the first successful fighting game, and one of the most influential to modern fighting game standards. Some of Data East's other most famous coin-op arcade games from its 1980s heyday include ''[[Heavy Barrel]]'', ''[[Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja]]'', ''[[Sly Spy]]'', ''[[RoboCop (1988 video game)|RoboCop]]'', ''[[Bump 'n' Jump]]'', ''[[Trio The Punch – Never Forget Me...]]'', ''[[Karnov]]'' and ''[[Chelnov|Atomic Runner Chelnov]]''.

Data East also purchased licenses to manufacture and sell arcade games created by other companies. Some of its licensed games included ''[[Kid Niki: Radical Ninja]]'', ''[[Kung-Fu Master (video game)|Kung Fu Master]]'' and ''[[Vigilante (game)|Vigilante]]'', all licensed from [[Irem]], and ''[[Commando (video game)|Commando]]'', licensed from [[Capcom]]. It had a brief stint as a [[Neo Geo (system)|Neo Geo]] arcade licensee in the mid-1990s, starting with ''[[Spinmaster]]'' and co-published with [[SNK]].

Following its arcade success, Data East made a successful entry in the [[home computer game]] market with a 1985 port of ''Karate Champ'', which became the first home computer game to sell more than 500,000 copies in the United States by January 1989.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Petska-Juliussen |first1=Karen |last2=Juliussen |first2=Egil |title=The Computer Industry Almanac 1990 |date=1990 |publisher=Brady |isbn=978-0-13-154122-1 |location=New York |pages=3.10–11 |url=https://archive.org/details/computerindustry00kare/page/n265/mode/2up}}</ref><ref name="megahits">{{cite journal | author=Worley, Joyce | title=Mega Hits: The Best of the Best | journal=[[Video Games & Computer Entertainment]] | issue=11 | date=December 1989 | url=https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_Computer_Entertainment_Issue_11_December_1989 | pages=130–132, 137, 138 }}</ref> It became the subject of the litigation ''[[Data East USA, Inc. v. Epyx, Inc.]]'', in which Data East alleged that the computer game ''[[International Karate]]'' (1985), published by [[Epyx]], infringed the copyright of ''Karate Champ''.

Data East entered the [[video game console]] market in 1986 with the release of ''[[B-Wings]]'' for the [[Famicom]].{{efn|''B-Wings'' was the first console game published by Data East itself. But the company had previously self-developed ports for the Famicom that were sold by [[Namco]], namely ''[[BurgerTime]]'' and ''[[Tag Team Pro Wrestling]]''.}}<ref name="Company overview"/> In North America, the subsidiary Data East USA was the first licensee announced for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]]<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Nintendo Announces Licensing |magazine=[[Computer Entertainer]]|volume=5 |issue=4 |date=July 1986 |page=12 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/6/60/ComputerEntertainer_US_Vol.5_04.pdf#page=12}}</ref> and consequently was one of the four original third-party publishers to release games for the console in late 1986.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Nintendo Announces Licensing |magazine=Computer Entertainer|volume=5 |issue=7 |date=October 1986 |page=12 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/2/23/ComputerEntertainer_US_Vol.5_07.pdf#page=12}}</ref> In Japan, Data East would become a licensee for several home systems over the years, notably the Famicom (1986), [[PC Engine]] (1988), [[Game Boy]] (1990), [[Mega Drive]] (1991), [[Super NES]] (1991), [[Neo Geo (system)|Neo Geo]] (1993), [[Sega Saturn]] (1995), [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] (1996), [[WonderSwan]] (1999) and [[NeoGeo Pocket Color]] (1999).<ref name="history"/> Several of Data East's video games series, such as ''[[Tantei Jingūji Saburō]]'', ''[[Glory of Hercules]]'' and ''[[Metal Max]]'', were created specifically for home consoles.<ref name="Company overview"/> Data East had a good relationship with [[Ocean Software]] to publish titles for the American market throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, even before Ocean started its own American arm led by Data East boss Ray Musci.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=July 8, 1990 |title=Warming |page=41 |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |url=http://pdf.textfiles.com/zines/CGW/1990_07_08_issue73.pdf |access-date=September 24, 2023}}</ref>

Data East also made [[pinball]] machines from 1987 through 1994, and included innovations such as the first pinball to have [[stereophonic sound|stereo]] sound (''Laser War''), the first usage of a small [[dot-matrix display]] in ''[[Checkpoint (pinball)|Checkpoint]]'' along with the first usage of a big DMD (192x64) in ''[[Maverick (pinball)|Maverick]]''. In designing pinball machines they showed a strong preference for using high-profile (but expensive) licensed properties, rather than creating totally original machines, which did not help the financial difficulties the company began experiencing from 1990 on. Some of the properties that Data East licensed for its pinball machines included ''[[Guns N' Roses (pinball)|Guns N' Roses]]'', ''[[Star Wars (pinball)|Star Wars]]'', ''[[Back to the Future (pinball)|Back to the Future]]'', ''Batman'', ''RoboCop'', ''[[The Simpsons (pinball)|The Simpsons]]'', and ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (pinball)|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]''. Data East is the only company that manufactured custom pinball games (e.g., for [[Aaron Spelling]], the movie ''[[Richie Rich (film)|Richie Rich]]'', or [[Michael Jordan]]), though these were basically mods of existing or soon to be released pinball machines (e.g., ''[[Lethal Weapon 3 (pinball)|Lethal Weapon 3]]''). The pinball division was created in 1985 by purchasing the pinball division of [[Stern (game company)|Stern Electronics]] and its factory and assets. Amidst plummeting sales across the entire pinball market, Data East chose to exit the pinball business and sold the factory to [[Sega]] in 1994. At the time of the buyout by Sega, Data East Pinball was the world's second-largest pinball manufacturer, holding 25 percent of the market.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Sega Buys Game Development, Pinball Groups|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=65|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=December 1994|page=284}}</ref> Although all of Data East's pinball games were developed in the United States, several were released in Japan by the parent company.<ref name="license2"/>

Although video games represented the majority of the company's revenue, Data East had always been involved in engineering. Outside of video games, Data East produced image transmission equipment, data communication adapters for satellite phones from [[NTT DoCoMo]], and developed [[electrocardiogram]] equipment for ambulances. According to the company's website, its Datafax product, released in 1983, was the world's first portable fax machine.<ref>{{cite web |author=Data East Corporation |date=20 April 2001 |title=動画伝送海外版１ |url=http://www.dataeast-corp.co.jp/jouhou/cont/motion_picture_transmission.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010420152205/http://www.dataeast-corp.co.jp/jouhou/cont/motion_picture_transmission.html |archive-date=20 April 2001 |access-date=23 February 2017 |work=Archive.org}}</ref>

By the end of the 1990s, the company's American division, Data East USA, was liquidated. No official announcement of this was made; instead, calls to Data East USA's offices were greeted with a prerecorded message from marketing manager Jay Malpas stating that the company had closed its doors before Christmas 1996.<ref name=GP102>{{cite magazine |title=Data East Goes South?|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=102|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]] |date=March 1997|page=24}}</ref> Its final releases were ''[[Defcon 5 (1995 video game)|Defcon 5]]'' and ''[[Creature Shock|Creature Shock: Special Edition]]''.<ref name=GP102/> The Japanese parent company itself announced its departure from the arcade industry entirely on December 4, 1997<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Data East Cuts Back Its Coin-Op Div.|magazine=[[:ja:ゲームマシン|Game Machine]]|issue=556|publisher=[[:ja:アミューズメント通信社|Amusement Press, Inc.]]|date=1 January 1998|page=38|lang=ja|url=https://onitama.tv/gamemachine/pdf/19980101p.pdf#page=20}}</ref> and had accumulated a debt estimated at 3.3 billion yen. Data East filed for reorganization in 1999 and stopped making video games altogether.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dataeast-corp.co.jp/cont/comment1.htm |title=和議開始申立について |website=www.dataeast-corp.co.jp |access-date=11 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000511005312/http://www.dataeast-corp.co.jp/cont/comment1.htm |archive-date=11 May 2000 }}</ref><ref name=GSbankrupt>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/data-east-goes-bankrupt/1100-6071057/|title=Data East Goes Bankrupt|date=July 7, 2003|work=[[GameSpot]]|access-date=23 February 2017}}</ref> All customer support pertaining to video games was halted in March 2000.<ref>{{cite web |author=Data East Corporation |date=13 June 2002 |title=ユーザーサポートについて |url=http://www.dataeast-corp.co.jp/dev/support.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020613005635/http://www.dataeast-corp.co.jp/dev/support.htm |archive-date=13 June 2002 |access-date=23 February 2017 |work=Archive.org}}</ref> For the following three years, Data East sold [[negative ion]] generators,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ampress |url=http://www.ampress.co.jp/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181111192003/http://ampress.co.jp/ |archive-date=2018-11-11 |access-date=2018-11-30}}</ref> continued to develop compatible devices for NTT DoCoMo phones and licensed some of its old video games to other companies. Nonetheless, the company's restructuring efforts were not enough to put back the financial problems brought by the 1990s. Consequently, in April 2003, Data East filed for [[bankruptcy]] and was finally declared bankrupt by a Tokyo district court on June 25, 2003. The news was released to the public two weeks later, on July 8.<ref name=GSbankrupt/>

Most of Data East's video game library was acquired in February 2004 by [[G-Mode]], a Japanese mobile gaming company that is now owned by [[Marvelous (company)|Marvelous]].<ref name="findarticles.com">Smith, David. "G-Mode Buys Up Data East Catalog", [[1UP.com]]. February 2004. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_zd1up/is_200402/ai_ziff118189]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2015/03/13/marvelous-acquires-joe-mac-data-east-library-g-mode-acquisition/|title=Marvelous Acquires Joe & Mac and Data East Library Through G-mode Acquisition|work=Siliconera|date=13 March 2015 }}</ref> G-Mode also owns the Data East trademark.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://trademarks.justia.com/owners/g-mode-corporation-3460148/ |title = G-Mode Corporation Trademarks :: Justia Trademarks}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://paon-dp.com/news_2017-12-01/ | publisher = [[Paon DP]]| title=株式会社パオン・ディーピー}}</ref> However, some games are owned by [[Paon DP]] instead of G-Mode, notably ''[[Karnov]]'',<ref name="Volume 2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.team-e.co.jp/sp/data_east2/|title = データイースト レトロゲームミュージック コレクション2}}</ref> ''[[Chelnov]]'',<ref name="Chelnov">{{cite web| url=http://vc.sega.jp/vc_chelnov/| title=チェルノブ: Wii(R) バーチャルコンソール メガドライブ 公式サイト|access-date=2 June 2008|date=September 11, 2007|publisher=SEGA of Japan}}</ref><ref name="Volume 2"/> ''[[Windjammers (video game)|Windjammers]]'',<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.vc-neogeo.d4e.co.jp/title_neogeo/flyingpowerdisc/index.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110717133325/http://www.vc-neogeo.d4e.co.jp/title_neogeo/flyingpowerdisc/index.html|archive-date = 2011-07-17|title = ネオジオ バーチャルコンソール ラインナップ / NEOGEO Virtual Console Lineup}}</ref> the ''[[Glory of Heracles (series)|Glory of Heracles]]'' series<ref name="VC ヘラクレスの栄光IV 神々の贈り物">{{cite web | url= https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/vc_he4/ | title= VC ヘラクレスの栄光IV 神々の贈り物 | publisher= [[Nintendo]] | language=ja | access-date=2008-08-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/yekj/ |script-title=ja:ヘラクレスの栄光 ～魂の証明～|access-date=31 July 2008 |publisher= [[Nintendo]] |language=ja}}</ref> and the ''[[Vapor Trail: Hyper Offence Formation|Kuuga]]'' trilogy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.team-e.co.jp/sp/data_east/|publisher =TEAM Entertainment. Inc.|title = データイースト レトロゲームミュージック コレクション}}</ref> Likewise, the rights to the series ''[[Metal Max (series)|Metal Max]]'' and ''[[Jake Hunter]]'' currently are the properties of [[Kadokawa Corporation|Kadokawa Games]] and [[Arc System Works]], respectively.<ref name="metalmax.info">{{Cite web | url=http://metalmax.info/ | title=Metal Max Portal Site メタルマックス ポータルサイト}}</ref><ref name="siliconera.com">{{cite web|title=Arc System Works Picks Up The Jake Hunter And Theresia Series|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2017/02/06/arc-system-works-picks-jake-hunter-theresia-series/|website=Siliconera|date=6 February 2017|access-date=6 February 2017}}</ref> The ''[[List of RoboCop video games|RoboCop]]'' titles related to Data East were acquired by [[D4 Enterprise]] in September 2010.<ref name="D4 Enterprise Co., Ltd">{{cite web|url=http://www.d4e.co.jp/company|title=株式会社Ｄ４エンタープライズ » 会社概要 |website=[[D4 Enterprise]] |access-date=23 February 2017}}</ref><ref name="d4e.co.jp">{{Cite web | url=http://www.d4e.co.jp/lights_cat/data-east |title = 株式会社Ｄ４エンタープライズ » データイースト}}</ref> The other properties of Data East were transferred to the asset management company of the Fukuda family.<ref name="n23079">{{Cite web|url=http://www.courts.go.jp/hanrei/pdf/AE2F4AAABF73E300492570E50023A942.pdf|title=東京地方裁判所 平成15年(ワ)第23079号 損害賠償請求事件}}</ref> The latter sued Nintendo twice during the 2000s for [[patent infringement]], but both cases were dismissed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.courts.go.jp/hanrei/pdf/20060929110516.pdf|title=知的財産高等裁判所 平成18年(ネ)第10007号 損害賠償請求控訴事件}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.courts.go.jp/hanrei/pdf/20080829163640.pdf|title=東京地方裁判所民事 平成19年（ワ）第32196号 不当利得返還請求事件}}</ref> Data East's former building in Ogikubo, which was located in an area largely residential, was demolished around 2014 and replaced by an apartment or condominium construction.<ref>{{Google maps|url=https://www.google.com/maps/@35.703976,139.6156434,3a,75y,144.46h,104.82t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sDc9Lyq5eQx7wmZ0mmOQ6ow!2e0!5s20130601T000000!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu |title=Picture of former headquarters|access-date=26 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ne.jp/asahi/bag/home/info/index_old.html | title=旧トップページ }}</ref> Founder Tetsuo Fukuda was still active in 2017 as president of a medical company he established in December 2015 at the age of 76.<ref name="March 30, 2017">{{Cite web |date=March 30, 2017 |url=http://xn--cckybe8eycudwf.com/item/detail/item_id/6094/|script-title=ja:メトロネット株式会社 代表取締役社長 福田 哲夫 氏 |script-website=ja:シニアジャンプ}}</ref> 

===Products===
: ''For a list of video and pinball games released by Data East, see [[List of games released by Data East]].''

==See also==
{{Portal|Tokyo|Companies|Video games}}
*[[List of games released by Data East]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040517021508/http://www.neomega.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2110 Neomega forums] posting on Data East's closure, July 8
* {{cite web|title=Data East Negative Ion Generator|url=http://www.ampress.co.jp/backnumber/bn2003.07.15.htm|work=AMpress|access-date=10 April 2013}}

==Note==
{{notelist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.dataeast-corp.co.jp Official website] (archives) 
*[https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.dataeastgames.com G-Mode's Data East webpage] (or [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://tst.dataeastgames.com/ alternate website)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050313114249/http://emustatus.rainemu.com/deep/ DEEP: The Data East Emustatus Project]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20091026235425/http://geocities.com/gardnerbm/ The Data East Pinball Archive] ([http://www.oocities.org/gardnerbm/ Oocities Mirror])

{{Data East}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Defunct video game companies of Japan]]
[[Category:Japanese companies established in 1976]]
[[Category:Video game companies established in 1976]]
[[Category:Video game companies disestablished in 2003]]
[[Category:Companies that have filed for bankruptcy in Japan]]
[[Category:Pinball manufacturers]]
[[Category:Video game development companies]]
[[Category:Japanese companies disestablished in 2003]]