TWZ: When/Why was American Video Entertainment(AVE) formed?

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

TWZ: How many people worked there?

RF: If you include manufacturing people during major order fulfillment, around 300.

TWZ: What happened to AVE?

RF: 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.

TWZ: What happened to the never released game crossbow?

RF: Crossbow was never completed.

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

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

TWZ: 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?

RF: The MaxiVision cart was a collection of ColorDreams, AVE and AGC games. Stakk'm was in this collection but never released as a single.

TWZ: Was AVE ever sued by Nintendo?

RF: Yes.

TWZ: I know you sued them for Anti Trust or something. What was the result of that case?

RF: Settled with the results under a secrecy order.

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

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

TWZ: I know I've seen worse licensed games then AVEs. I really like Tiles of Fate. Did that originally come from an ancient chinese game?

RF: Mahjong

TWZ: What are the remains of AVE today?

RF: All of AVE was sold off or disposed of in dumpsters.

TWZ: Was there any protos or design packets or anything?

RF: Nothing remains that I am aware of.

TWZ: Do you know the names to any of the unreleased games.

RF: Robert Burns Pool

TWZ: Why was the cartridge type changed? My Mermaids of Atlantis cart is square on both ends while the others all have a diagonal angle on the one edge.

RF: All AVE carts were like Mermaids. SEI and Color Dreams carts were as you describe (I think).

TWZ: How was AVE related to SEI?

RF: 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.

TWZ: I know they both released Impossible Mission 2. And you wouldn't know anything else about SEI would you?

RF: I don't know what happened to SEI.