Entex Industries
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Toys and electronic games |
| Founded | 1970 |
| Founder | G.A. (Tony) Clowes, Nicholas Carlozzi |
| Defunct | Early 1980s |
| Fate | Ceased operations due to competition from video game consoles and computer games |
| Headquarters | Compton , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Nick Underhill (joined after founding) |
| Products | Model kits, Loc Blocs, handheld and tabletop electronic games, Gameroom Tele-Pong console, Select-A-Game system, Adventure Vision system |
Entex Industries, Inc. was a United States-based manufacturer specializing in toys and electronic games, with its operations centered in Compton, California. The company was most active throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Background
Established in 1970 by G.A. (Tony) Clowes and Nicholas Carlozzi, with Nick Underhill joining subsequently, Entex maintained its headquarters at 303 West Artesia Blvd in Compton. The brand name "Entex" derived from the initials of Nicholas and Tony (NTX), pronounced as "Entex"; Underhill's initial was not included since he became part of the team after the name's creation. The corporate emblem displayed a bullseye reminiscent of the RAF style, featuring a smiling face at its center. By the year 1980, Entex had surpassed $100 million in sales. Nonetheless, the company ceased operations in the early 1980s due to escalating rivalry from video game consoles and computer games, which quickly gained popularity over electronic games among consumers.
Products
Starting with model kits and Lego-style interlocking bricks called Loc Blocs, Entex eventually concentrated on producing handheld and tabletop electronic gaming devices. Their offerings were known for being "premium quality" and "high-end", aimed at discerning customers under the tagline "Games for the discriminating player". Numerous Entex titles were rebranded and licensed for distribution outside of the United States.
Conventional Electronic Games
Entex developed electronic games utilizing LCD, LED, and VFD technologies, including titles such as 3-D Grand Prix, Blast It, Defender, and Pac Man 2. In 1976, they introduced the Gameroom Tele-Pong, a dedicated home video game console.
Programmable Electronic Games
In an effort to rival video game consoles, Entex released two cartridge-based tabletop electronic gaming systems between 1981 and 1982: Select-A-Game and Adventure Vision. Today, both the Adventure Vision system and its cartridges are highly prized by collectors.