Centuri

Centuri was founded in 1980 in Hialeah, Florida, when Ed Miller, a former president of Taito of America, and his partner Bill Olliges acquired Allied Leisure, Inc., a coin-operated amusement manufacturer established in 1967. Renamed Centuri, the company quickly became one of the leading American arcade suppliers during the early golden age of video games, known more for its ability to license popular games from international developers than for in-house development.

A key part of Centuri's business model was acquiring U.S. rights to successful foreign titles. Its most notable success was *Phoenix* (1980), licensed from Amstar Electronics, a fixed shooter known for its mothership boss battle and one of the first arcade games to feature a musical score. The company also licensed *Vanguard*, a multidirectional scrolling shooter from SNK that introduced the concept of energy depletion over time, as well as *Route 16*, *Challenger*, and several other titles, primarily from Japanese developers like Konami. Centuri's strong lineup led Atari to sign a 1982 distribution deal to bring its games to home systems.

At its height, Centuri ranked among the top six coin-op video suppliers in the United States, an impressive achievement for a company that relied on imported titles rather than original development. However, its dependence on licensed products left it vulnerable when the 1983–84 arcade crash reduced market demand and the availability of new hits. Konami, one of its primary suppliers, eventually took a controlling stake, and by 1985, the Centuri brand was phased out, ending its short but influential run as a major force in arcade game imports.