newsbytes@clarinet.com (02/04/90)
TOKYO, JAPAN, 1990 JAN 31 (NB) -- Several wholesale toy and game distributors are under investigation in Japan for allegedly forcing their customers to buy unpopular game software in order to get the latest, hottest new games and game machines. Japan's Fair Trade Commission's investigation of six wholesale stores revealed that retailers were forced to purchase unpopular software cartridges for the Nintendo Famicon game machine in order to get a supply of Gameboys, hand-held game machines, and the coming Dragon Quest IV game. In a case which violates Japan's Antimonopoly law, Article 19, investigators say that last December, a wholesale store in Tokyo sent a facsimile message to retail stores telling them to buy 229 unpopular game cartridges to get 100 packages of Dragon Quest IV. In another incident, a wholesaler in Osaka is said to have ordered its retail stores to buy 50 unpopular game packages to get 10 Gameboy units. Game software maker Enix is scheduled to release Dragon Quest IV on February 11th. Priced at 8,500 yen ($59), the game is expected to be a mega-hit with game-hungry Japanese consumers; sales of 1.3 million units are predicted for the first day of sale. Wholesale distributors are said to be exploiting not only the expected popularity of Dragon Quest IV, but of Gameboy, the hand-held portable version of Nintendo's popular Famicon game system, known as Nintendo Entertainment System in the U.S., of which the public can't get enough. Gameboy first appeared in Japan in April of last year at the price of 12,500 yen ($86). Gameboys numbering 1,480,000 units sold in Japan and 1,140,000 units sold in the U.S. through the end of 1989. It's currently very difficult to obtain even one as Nintendo has failed to meet market demand. Dragon Quest III was involved in a previous scandal involving tie-in sales. The Fair Trade Commission issued a warning and the problem was under discussion even in the Diet. Enix consequently banned tie-in sales to wholesale stores since the end of last year. Nintendo late last year also sent letters to wholesalers requesting they refrain from selling games only in bundles. (Ken Takahashi/19900201)