Williams Entertainment Inc.

1946:

• The company is founded as Williams Manufacturing Company in Chicago, Illinois.

1958:

• The company also becomes known as Williams Electronic Manufacturing Company.

1967:

• The company name is changed to Williams Electronics, Inc.

1985:

• The company changes its name to WMS Industries, Inc.

Jul 10, 1988:

• Williams Electronic Games Inc. purchases the coin-operated amusement game manufacturing business Bally Midway Manufacturing Co., Inc.

1992:

• Bally Entertainment Incorporated sells the rights to the Bally name to WMS Industries for pinball machines.

1994:

• WMS Industries acquires Tradewest and renames it Williams Entertainment Inc.

1996:

• Williams Electronic Games purchases Time-Warner Interactive Inc, including Atari Games.
• In the Fall of 1996, Williams Home Entertainment merged all of its labels (WMS, Bally, Midway, Williams) into the new developer/publisher name Midway Home Entertainment for the home gaming market.

Apr 01, 1998:

• Midway Games Inc. spins off from WMS Industries; change in company status to independently-owned by shareholders. WMS keeps Atari Games division.

Oct 25, 1999:

• WMS Industries shuts down all pinball operations and the Atari Games division. The company leaves the pinball industry to focus on slot machine development as WMS Gaming Inc.