Exidy

Exidy, Inc.
Company type	Private
Industry	Video games, arcade games, computer hardware
Founded	October 30, 1973; 53 years ago in Sunnyvale, California, United States
Founder	Harold Ray "Pete" Kauffman, Samuel Hawes
Defunct	1999
Headquarters	Sunnyvale, United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Harold Ray "Pete" Kauffman (President), Paul Jacobs (executive), Gene Lipkin (President, 1985)
Products	Coin-operated electro-mechanical and video gaming machines, Exidy Sorcerer home computer system

Exidy, Inc. was a U.S.-based creator and producer of coin-operated electro-mechanical and video gaming machines from 1973 until 1999. Among its well-known releases are Death Race (1976), Circus (1978), Star Fire (1978), Venture (1981), Mouse Trap (1981), Crossbow (1983), and Chiller (1986). The company also developed the Exidy Sorcerer home computer system in 1978.

History

Harold Ray “Pete” Kauffman, who previously worked at Data Disc Corporation and Ramtek Corporation, co-established Exidy alongside engineer Samuel Hawes on October 30, 1973, with the goal of entering the burgeoning electronic gaming industry. The name “Exidy” was derived from the phrase “Excellence in Dynamics.” Their initial offerings included ball-and-paddle style games such as a Pong imitation and TV Pinball (1974), later moving into electro-mechanical titles like Old Time Basketball (1975).

To grow their presence, Exidy licensed several video games to Chicago Coin; however, disagreements over finances prompted them to create original games like Death Race (1976). Although its early reception was moderate, Death Race attracted widespread attention due to its controversial violent themes, which increased sales and enhanced Exidy’s reputation. Paul Jacobs, a former Chicago Coin salesman turned executive, played a pivotal role in positioning Exidy as the third-largest arcade manufacturer by 1977.

Under engineer Howell Ivy’s guidance, Exidy embraced microprocessor technology, enabling the production of color graphics games such as Car Polo (1977) and their most successful arcade release, Circus (1978), which sold approximately 7,000 units and inspired many imitators. The company also partnered with retailer Paul Terrell to create the Sorcerer personal computer; despite limited traction in North America, it found niche audiences in Europe and Australia before being discontinued in 1981.

In 1979, Exidy expanded by acquiring Vectorbeam from Cinematronics to utilize vector graphics technology, launching titles including Tailgunner II and later Vertigo (1985). Their innovation continued with hybrid games combining maze navigation and shooting mechanics like Targ (1980) and action-adventure hybrids such as Venture (1981). Several of these games were adapted for home console platforms, broadening their product offerings.

When the coin-operated game market declined in 1982, Exidy diversified into electro-mechanical skee ball variations and bar-oriented video quiz machines. The company found renewed momentum with light gun shooters beginning with Crossbow (1983), which introduced the Exidy 440 hardware platform. Following this were releases including Cheyenne, Combat, and the contentious Chiller (1986), known for its graphic content.

In 1984, Exidy unveiled the Max-A-Flex interchangeable game kit system based on Atari 8-bit hardware featuring licensed titles from First Star Software; however, this initiative was short-lived. Throughout its existence, Exidy remained a privately held enterprise under President Kauffman’s leadership, deliberately avoiding public offerings or venture capital investments to retain full control. This approach minimized dependence on foreign licensing agreements by focusing on internal development efforts.

Facing financial difficulties led to bankruptcy proceedings in 1985; Gene Lipkin, formerly head of Atari’s coin-op division, was appointed president. A planned acquisition by Sega did not materialize, after which Lipkin departed to establish Sega Enterprises USA. During this period, several key personnel including Howell Ivy and Ken Nicholson exited the company.

Exidy’s last traditional arcade release was Who Dunit in 1988. Subsequently, the firm shifted its emphasis toward video poker devices and electro-mechanical redemption games. Kauffman continued at the helm until voluntary closure in 1999.

Following the company’s shutdown, Mean Hamster Software secured licenses for Exidy’s game catalog in 2006 and later launched versions such as an iPhone port of Crossbow in 2010. In 2015, CollectorVision Games registered the defunct trademark. Prior to his passing in 2015, Pete Kauffman worked alongside MAME developers to distribute ROM images of numerous Exidy titles for non-commercial use.

Arcade titles

Title	Launch Year	Details
TV Pinball	1975	Obtained under license from Ramtek; featured a cocktail cabinet version named Table Pinball.
Table Foosballer	1975	Licensed from Ramtek.
Alley Rally	1975
Destruction Derby	1975
Old Time Basketball	1975	Mechanical basketball-themed arcade game.
Death Race	April 1, 1976	Initially referred to as Death Race 98 during its development phase.
Robot Bowl	1977
Score	1977
Super Death Chase	1977
Circus	1977
Car Polo	1977
Attack	1977
Football	1978
Rip Cord	1979
Side Trak	1979
Crash	1979
Fire One!	1979
Star Fire	1979
Bandido	January 1980	Originally created by Nintendo in 1979 under the name Sheriff.
Tail Gunner 2	1980	Acquired from Cinematronics.
Spectar	1980
Targ	1980
Mouse Trap	1981
Venture	1981
Pepper II	1982
Victory	1982	'Victor Banana' upgrade kit was also available.
Hard Hat	1982	Released in limited quantities.
Fax	1983
'Whirly Bucket' and 'Tidal Wave'	1983	Presented innovative variations on the Skee-Ball format, featuring curved ball trajectories and interactive puppet elements.

|- | Crossbow

|1983 |
|-
| Cheyenne
|1984 |
|-
| Catch-22
|1985 |
|-
| Combat
|1985 |
|-
| Crackshot
|1985 |
|-
| Vertigo
|1985 |
Released on a limited basis |
|-
| Top Gunner
|1986 |
|-
| Top Secret
|1986 |
Initially named '0077'; renamed to prevent copyright conflicts; included additional stages and steering wheel controls. |
|-
| Clay Pigeon
|1986 |
|-
| Chiller
|1986 |
|-
| Hit 'n Miss
|1987 |
|-
| Who Dunit
|1988 |
|-
| Showdown
|1988 |
Poker-themed arcade game |
|-
| Yukon
|1989 |
Gambling poker variant |
|-
| Twister
|1989 |
Another adaptation of the Skee-Ball concept. |
|-
| Turbo Ticket
|1996 |
Game focused on ticket collection. |

|-}

Games by First Star Software

In 1984, the Max-A-Flex arcade platform featured the following licensed titles:

Prototypes That Were Never Released

Kreepy Krawlers (1979)
UFO's (1980)
Teeter Torture (1982)
Snapper (1982)
Critter (1995, mechanical gun-based game)
Hot Shot (1995, mechanical gun-based game)
Troll (1995, mechanical gun-based game)

External links

Download free Exidy arcade ROMs via MAME
The Dot Eaters Article covering the history of Death Race and Exidy