Mystique (company)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mystique was the name of a company that produced a number of pornographic video games for the Atari 2600, such as Beat 'Em and Eat 'Em, Bachelor Party and the below mentioned Custer's Revenge. It was one of several video game companies that tried to use sex to sell its games. Mystique was an offshoot of Caballero Control Corporation, who produced pornographic films, and American Multiple Industries. The company's games were sold under the "Swedish Erotica" banner, although they were programmed in the United States, and manufactured in Hong Kong.
According to industry watchers and critics, Mystique's game designs were generally simple, with crude graphics and unexceptional gameplay. The games caused the 2600's image to suffer. Atari sued Mystique over such games, but lost the suit in court.
Mystique's game Custer's Revenge gained particular notoriety for its plot. In the game, the player controls the character of "Custer," a naked man sporting a cowboy hat and a visible erection, obviously inspired by George Armstrong Custer. Custer has to overcome various obstacles in order to have sex with a crudely depicted, large-breasted Native American woman who is tied to a post. The game prompted complaints from a number of groups - women's rights, anti-pornography, Native American, and video game critics all made complaints. Custer's Revenge has been described by some video game collectors and historians as one of the worst home video games ever made.[1] [2]
Mystique went out of business during the video game crash of 1983. The rights to Mystique's games were sold to Playaround spin-off company, which continued the pornographic game line for a while.
