GameTek

{{Short description|American video game publisher}}

{{Distinguish|Gamtec}}

File:GameTek logo.png]]

GameTek was an American video game publisher based in North Miami Beach, Florida,{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UAgEAAAAMBAJ|title=Billboard|date=1994-06-11|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|language=en}} known for publishing video game adaptations of game shows in the late 1980s and early 1990s. GameTek was a trade name for IJE, the owner of electronic publishing rights to Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.{{cite web|url=http://www.thegameisafootarcade.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Hollywood-Squares-Game-Manual.pdf|title=Hollywood Squares Game Manual|website=thegameisafootarcade.com|date=February 2017|access-date=20 May 2023}} Originally, IJE licensed these titles to ShareData of Chandler, Arizona; however, when IJE saw ShareData's success with the titles, IJE decided to publish the titles themselves, resulting in the founding of GameTek.{{Cite web |title=Nes Book Master PDF {{!}} PDF {{!}} Video Game Consoles {{!}} Nintendo |url=https://www.scribd.com/document/359520735/nes-book-master-pdf |access-date=2023-05-04 |website=Scribd |language=en}}

After establishing distribution for the game show titles, GameTek expanded by licensing European titles for the North American market, including Frontier: Elite II and The Humans. In 1991, they attempted to launch the InfoGenius Systems franchise for the Game Boy.{{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/Nintendo_Power_Issue001-Issue127|title=Nintendo Power|accessdate=20 May 2023|via=Internet Archive}} In 1994, the company made a deal to purchase game developer Malibu Interactive from Malibu Comics and renamed to Padded Cell Studios.{{Cite news |date=May 24, 2001 |title=Michael Heilemann Joins Fox Interactive |url=https://www.dmnnewswire.com/press-releases/michael-heilemann-joins-fox-interactive/ |archive-url= |archive-date= |work=DMN Newswire}}

In 1996, GameTek scaled down its publishing activities, turning most of that aspect of its business over to Philips.{{cite magazine|last=Svensson|first=Christian |title=Small Publishers Feel Pinch|magazine=Next Generation|issue=23 |publisher=Imagine Media |date=November 1996|page=26}} GameTek filed for bankruptcy in December 1997,{{cite web|first=Harley|last=Jebens|url=http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_12/04_gametek/index.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19980119060758/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_12/04_gametek/index.html|title=GameTek Files for Chapter 11 Protection|website=GameSpot|archivedate=January 19, 1998|date=December 4, 1997|accessdate=August 17, 2022}}{{cite magazine |title=Tidbits... |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |issue=103|publisher=Ziff Davis|date=February 1998|page=26}} citing development delays and disappointing sales,{{cite magazine |title=Unhappy Holidays |magazine=Next Generation |issue=38|publisher=Imagine Media |date=February 1998|page=26}} and went out of business in July 1998. Most of the company's assets were acquired by Take-Two Interactive in 1997.{{cite web |title=Report from the Securities and Exchange Commission |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/946581/0000891554-98-000123.txt |access-date=24 March 2025}}