American Multiple Industries
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Defunct | 1983 |
| Fate | Withdrew from video game industry; rights acquired by PlayAround |
| Successor | PlayAround (rights to adult games) |
| Headquarters | United States , United States |
Key people | Stuart Kesten (president), Joel H. Martin (developer) |
| Products | Adult-themed video games for Atari 2600 |
American Multiple Industries, known commercially as Mystique, developed a series of adult-themed video games for the Atari 2600 under the label Mystique Presents Swedish Erotica. Among the titles released were Beat 'Em & Eat 'Em, Bachelor Party, and Custer's Revenge. The company was one of several that utilized explicit sexual content as a marketing strategy for their products.
History
The Swedish Erotica brand was obtained through licensing from an adult film series by Caballero Control Corporation. While the development of these games took place within the United States, their manufacturing was handled in Hong Kong.
Stuart Kesten, president of AMI, remarked, "I just don't believe adults want to shoot down rocket ships." Industry analysts observed that AMI's offerings were characterized by basic designs, rudimentary graphics, and uninspired gameplay, often imitating popular non-adult games.
Joel H. Martin was the sole developer behind all titles in the Swedish Erotica lineup, with his known work exclusively tied to AMI.
Controversy
The title Custer's Revenge generated considerable outrage due to its storyline, which featured a naked and aroused cowboy navigating obstacles to sexually assault a bound Native American woman. This content provoked strong criticism from feminist groups, anti-pornography activists, Native American communities, and video game commentators.
AMI withdrew from the video game industry shortly before the video game crash of 1983. The rights to their adult-oriented games were acquired by the PlayAround subsidiary, which continued producing explicit content in the gaming sector.
See also
- List of video games notable for negative reception
- Video game controversies
- Sexism in video gaming
- Gender representation in video games