Shark Jaws: “Exciting Underwater Video Terror”

Atari sets the bait for a lawsuit: shark JAWS

After they release Tank under the Kee label in 1974, on Sept. 25th, 1975 Atari produces another game under a pseudonymous company name, this one called Shark Jaws. The first game featuring animated characters, its electronic guts are converted Tank hardware. It is also manufacturer Horror Games’ first and last outing, a company created by Atari to avoid any possible legal hassles over the game from the producers of its obvious inspiration: Universal Studio’s 1975 smash-hit movie Jaws. Even flyers sent out to prospective buyers prod them to “cash in on the popularity, interest and profits associated with sharks”. What’s a few maimed swimmers between profit margins, right? The ability to eliminate any affiliation between the two isn’t helped by the fact that the cabinet artwork features the word shark in tiny letters with JAWS looming large next to it. In the game, the player controls a SCUBA diver trying to spear a small fish swimming around the screen. On his tail is a bigger fish to fry, a shark intent on finishing him off. Bushnell and Atari swim through the bloodied waters of copyright infringement unscathed: Universal doesn’t bite.

Shark Jaws is one of a few arcade games riding the wake of Spielberg’s fishy fiend, including Shark by U.S. Billiards, Maneater by PSE, Blue Shark by Midway, and Shark Attack by Pacific Novelty. Games by Apollo, a producer of video games for Atari’s later home game machine the VCS, comes under the steely gaze of Universal Pictures’ lawyers in 1982. The cartridge maker is persuaded to change the name of one of their products, Lochjaw.  Company president Pat Roper isn’t happy about the forced change, insisting that the original title does not infringe on Universal’s Jaws properties, but feels it is just easier to avoid litigation and rename the game to Shark Attack. Universal fails to protest the new name, apparently not attracted by such chum.

Cabinet for shark JAWS

Screenshot from Shark JAWS

Logo for Horror Games

Video Terror! Flyer for PSE’s Maneater!

Some other Jaws games: Jaws for the NES by Escape and LJN Toys, 1987

Some other Jaws games: Jaws, for the ZX Spectrum 1989

Some other Jaws games: Jaws, by Starsoft and Box Office, C64 version 1989

Some other Jaws games: CD for Jaws Unleashed, PC version 2006