In Search of... Turbo Technologies!

[motdelbuort]

So supposedly TTi was based out of Los Angeles. But does anybody know the old address for their office? I live in LA, and I thought it would be fun to go check out the building, and the area, maybe take some pictures.

It would be cool if it became a kind of Mecca for gamers to pay their respects, leave something behind, etc. Kind of like Jim Morrison's grave, except for Turbo Grafx gamers 

[CrackTiger]

Although I loved the TurboGrafx-16/Duo, I was not a fan of TTI. They were the real life Feka.

[ParanoiaDragon]

I was friend's with their secretary Eun Lopez.  She used to send me games n' stuff, but, I deffinitly don't have any of the packages around anymore(so I don't remember the address), & I wasn't driving at the time(around end of 92-93 is when I befriended her) so I never went there, though I always wanted to.  I wish she could've gotten me some of the unreleased stuff, but even that was before CDR's(or atleast, before the majority of people had CDR's).  I just can't think of anything I have with their old address. 

BTW BT, TTI really was not in charge of anything, I can confirm that, Hudson of Japan was calling all the shots

[TurbografxKid]

BTW BT, TTI really was not in charge of anything, I can confirm that, Hudson of Japan was calling all the shots

I can comfirm that, because I presently work for a Japanese company. That is how they work their businesses. They keep a tight control and micro manage everything. from the top of the business all the way down to the bottom small jobs.

[NecroPhile]

I just can't think of anything I have with their old address.

How can you forget (or not have) any of the games released under the TTi banner? 


Turbo Technologies, Inc.
6701 Center Drive West, Suite 500
Los Angeles, CA  90045

I pulled this off the back cover of the manual for Loom, but it can be found on the manual, box, and/or case of just about any of the latter titles. 

[Arkhan Asylum]

I just can't think of anything I have with their old address.

How can you forget (or not have) any of the games released under the TTi banner? 


Turbo Technologies, Inc.
6701 Center Drive West, Suite 500
Los Angeles, CA  90045

I pulled this off the back cover of the manual for Loom, but it can be found on the manual, box, and/or case of just about any of the latter titles. 

time to take a drive down to center drive!

[NecroPhile]

time to take a drive down to center drive!

I'll have to settle for a virtual drive:

/ttih.png

TTi was in a nicer looking building than I expected, considering the rinkydink way everything was handled on this side o' the pond.  I figured it'd look a bit more like a van down by the river.

[CrackTiger]

BTW BT, TTI really was not in charge of anything, I can confirm that, Hudson of Japan was calling all the shots

So Johnny Turbo was Hudson's idea? Why did they advertise every major PCE game under the sun as coming for Turbo but never released them?

Hudson might've made the final call on big decisions, but people within TTI did all kinds of messed up things. Worshiping them like this would be same as running around Bernie Stolar's front yard flapping my arms wearing a cut-out Panzer Dragoon Azel mask. Because I love the Saturn (2D, RPGs, etc) so much.

They actually employed a guy who went around promoting Lords of Thunder as the world's first "HVDS", meanwhile this game launched on FEKA's console so many years earlier.

[motdelbuort]

Thanks for the responses! I don't have access to my game cases right now, but I completely forgot the address was on those. I want to go check out that building when I get some free time, probably in December.

In my own search, I also came up with the address for the publisher of Duo World and Turbo Play:

 L.F.P. Inc. (owned of course by "turbo-hound" Larry Flynt, heehee. I've seen this building.)
                9171 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 300
                Beverly Hills, CA 90210
                310-858-7100


And the address of Turbo Zone Direct:

Turbo Zone Direct
                13348 Beach Ave
                Marina del Rey, CA  90292


Apparently Hudson Soft USA is in San Francisco, but I might be up that way for the holidays as part of my Turbo Grafx Reality Tour (TM):

Hudson Soft USA, Inc
400 Oyster Point Blvd., Suite 515.
San Francisco, CA 94080.

[NecroPhile]

Apparently Hudson Soft USA is in San Francisco, but I might be up that way for the holidays as part of my Turbo Grafx Reality Tour (TM):

I demand that 'Flat Stanley' style pictures of paper cut-outs of Zonk, Bonk, or whoever be made at each stop of your tour.  If you don't, I might cry. 

[SignOfZeta]

BTW BT, TTI really was not in charge of anything, I can confirm that, Hudson of Japan was calling all the shots

Worshiping them like this would be same as running around Bernie Stolar's front yard flapping my arms wearing a cut-out Panzer Dragoon Azel mask. Because I love the Saturn (2D, RPGs, etc) so much.

I agree totally...but this sentiment won't reach many TG-16 fans who pay $200 for US releases, etc. Its like the Japan side never even existed to them, yet that's where everything came from...except for Night Creatures and Johnny Turbo, anyway. A lot of US collectors seem to think of JP releases as bootlegs, and the PCE as a different system than the TG-16. They've got their own little mythos these people. Its weird, but they like it.

[ParanoiaDragon]

BTW BT, TTI really was not in charge of anything, I can confirm that, Hudson of Japan was calling all the shots

So Johnny Turbo was Hudson's idea? Why did they advertise every major PCE game under the sun as coming for Turbo but never released them?

Hudson might've made the final call on big decisions, but people within TTI did all kinds of messed up things. Worshiping them like this would be same as running around Bernie Stolar's front yard flapping my arms wearing a cut-out Panzer Dragoon Azel mask. Because I love the Saturn (2D, RPGs, etc) so much.

They actually employed a guy who went around promoting Lords of Thunder as the world's first "HVDS", meanwhile this game launched on FEKA's console so many years earlier.

I'm sure you're right, I never thought about it that way.  Which also makes me wonder why I never thought to ask her about Johnny Turbo.  I haven't talked to her in...um over a decade, I have no idea where she is.  Years ago, someone at TZD told me he heard she cheated on her husband & left him, so, who knows where she is now

[esteban]

So Johnny Turbo was Hudson's idea? Why did they advertise every major PCE game under the sun as coming for Turbo but never released them?

Hudson might've made the final call on big decisions, but people within TTI did all kinds of messed up things. Worshiping them like this would be same as running around Bernie Stolar's front yard flapping my arms wearing a cut-out Panzer Dragoon Azel mask. Because I love the Saturn (2D, RPGs, etc) so much.

They actually employed a guy who went around promoting Lords of Thunder as the world's first "HVDS", meanwhile this game launched on FEKA's console so many years earlier.

B_T, I think you're a bit too negative with your critique of TTi. First, for the record, I don't think they did a great job. However, given the obstacles they faced, I don't think it is fair to attribute the Duo's success (or lack thereof) to silly things like Johnny Turbo.

1. Johnny Turbo had no consequence on the Duo's or TTi's fate. It was hilarious, but no one paid any attention to it back in the day. The whole horizontal-vertical shootemup thing is hilarious as well, but inconsequential. Brandstetter went on to manage Sega CD projects.
2. Duo's / TTi's fate was rooted in the fact that they were David against not one but two Goliath's: Nintendo and Sega. No $$$ for marketing, paltry 3rd party support, severe lack of titles in popular genres at the time (beat-em-ups, sports, vs. fighting, etc.).
3. I submit the following argument: even if we could erase every mistake TTi made, and replace each with a wiser decision, the Duo would have ended up fighting the same losing battle. I concede that they might have lasted a bit longer, or profited a bit more, with a handful of better games in the NA library... but the end result would, essentially, not differ significantly than the story we know all too well.

B_T, you know I respect your thoughts , I just wanted to play devil's advocate.

[SignOfZeta]

It took me a long time to realize it, but I came to the same conclusion. The Duo excelled at precisely the sort of games that most Americans had no interest in at that time. Of course now people eat up RPGs with spoons, but while I would have really enjoyed more translated text-heavy stuff (as well as SFII, Drac X, etc) I don't think it would have worked financially. The RPG/anime boom was still 8 or 9 years away and the PCE had no Yoshi's Island, no Sonic, no EA Sports, not even a Toejam and Earl. This is probably because almost all development in Japan had switched to galget titles and RPGs with the PCE not having a selection of cutting edge platformers in several years. While people on this forum can fool themselves into thinking that Bonk 3 or Madden CD could go toe to toe with what the SNES/Gen had, its a bit harder to fool tens of millions of customers who don't have any sort of brand loyalty and just see the Duo as a system that costs more than double what a SNES/Gen costs.

Now at that time the Duo was *exactly* what I wanted, but that was a different time and my tastes were uncommon. In 1994, when the Duo was basically gone and even the PCE was trickling out, I went to the first Otakon. It was held in a puny hotel in Stage College, PA, and less than 500 people were there. The game room consisted of the US version of Ranma 1/2 Hard Battle running in a SNES. Now that con has to turn people away at something like 26,000, and the game room is the size of a small department store. Now a system like the Duo could survive. Now paying $300 for a machine that's been out for years is normal. Now RPGs and weird shit like Camera Boy and Toilet Kids could actually move copies. It really couldn't back then.

[CrackTiger]

So Johnny Turbo was Hudson's idea? Why did they advertise every major PCE game under the sun as coming for Turbo but never released them?

Hudson might've made the final call on big decisions, but people within TTI did all kinds of messed up things. Worshiping them like this would be same as running around Bernie Stolar's front yard flapping my arms wearing a cut-out Panzer Dragoon Azel mask. Because I love the Saturn (2D, RPGs, etc) so much.

They actually employed a guy who went around promoting Lords of Thunder as the world's first "HVDS", meanwhile this game launched on FEKA's console so many years earlier.

B_T, I think you're a bit too negative with your critique of TTi. First, for the record, I don't think they did a great job. However, given the obstacles they faced, I don't think it is fair to attribute the Duo's success (or lack thereof) to silly things like Johnny Turbo.

1. Johnny Turbo had no consequence on the Duo's or TTi's fate. It was hilarious, but no one paid any attention to it back in the day. The whole horizontal-vertical shootemup thing is hilarious as well, but inconsequential. Brandstetter went on to manage Sega CD projects.
2. Duo's / TTi's fate was rooted in the fact that they were David against not one but two Goliath's: Nintendo and Sega. No $$$ for marketing, paltry 3rd party support, severe lack of titles in popular genres at the time (beat-em-ups, sports, vs. fighting, etc.).
3. I submit the following argument: even if we could erase every mistake TTi made, and replace each with a wiser decision, the Duo would have ended up fighting the same losing battle. I concede that they might have lasted a bit longer, or profited a bit more, with a handful of better games in the NA library... but the end result would, essentially, not differ significantly than the story we know all too well.

B_T, you know I respect your thoughts , I just wanted to play devil's advocate.

I just made a couple quick comments during the minute here and there I had access to the internet, but I was also playing devil's advocate. You just made my point, TTi didn't make the Duo, the Duo made TTi. What contribution they had is more noteworthy for missed opportunities or bad decisions... even if it wouldn't have made a difference anyways.

I understand how some people might've been casual Turbo players back in the day or got into it in recent years and see the various intrusive TTi logos shamelessly plastered across the covers of Turbo games and think that they're to the Turbo what Sega and Nintendo are to the Genesis and SNES. But they're not, not even close.

When TTi was announced it got lumped into the excitement over the launch of the Super CD and Duo line and I was very hopeful. Even though things moved along slowly, I allowed myself to get hooked in even further as they continued to list and show at game shows and on release lists more and more crazy PC Engine games that they knew they had no hope or intention of ever bringing over. At the moment I can't even remember all the disappointments that continued to erode the TTi name, but I clearly remember the feelings I had from the beginning through to the end. Technically Red Frog is the current evolution of TTi. Just because they're officially the latest recipient of the hot potato, I don't worship them either.

I love Sega and the Master System, but I've never considered Tonka HQ to be a mecca for the SMS.

I don't hate TTi, they're an interesting part of Turbo history and I have many great memories of them. I'm also not the type of person who feels the need to journey to the graves of people I heard of but never met and leaves things at.

[esteban]

When TTi was announced it got lumped into the excitement over the launch of the Super CD and Duo line and I was very hopeful. Even though things moved along slowly, I allowed myself to get hooked in even further as they continued to list and show at game shows and on release lists more and more crazy PC Engine games that they knew they had no hope or intention of ever bringing over. At the moment I can't even remember all the disappointments that continued to erode the TTi name, but I clearly remember the feelings I had from the beginning through to the end.

I hear ya, I was right there with you.

Except I kinda gave up on them early (in the beginning of the TurboDuo) when they wouldn't take my money for a System Card 3.01 (I called up weekly, asking to buy the goddamn thing).

All those fantastic SCD games... but I couldn't play them on my TG-CD.

[JoshTurboTrollX]

I had some of those flyers from TZD at TurboFest 2008, but forgot them there and Keranu snatched them up for me.  I hope I can get those back at next years MGC....

Anyway, if I remember correctly I think they were stationed in Van Nuys, CA...

maybe

[ParanoiaDragon]

Yeah, I think you're right, I seem to recall Van Nuys as TZD's place of residence   Actually, that's like a 20 minute drive for me, but I never saw any point to driving by there.

[NecroPhile]

Anyway, if I remember correctly I think they were stationed in Van Nuys, CA...

Their mailing address in early adverts was:

P.O. Box 57347
Van Nuys, CA 91413

while the physical address was:

5916 Lemona Avenue
Van Nuys, CA 91411

and sometime in 2002 the mailing address changed to:

P.O. Box 1590
Agoura Hills, CA 91376-1590
(which is also the current address listed for ampie.com)

For what it's worth (i.e. - not a single thin dime), Stephen's current address appears to be in Calabasas.  Ain't the interwebz grand?

[MotherGunner]

In my own search, I also came up with the address for the publisher of Duo World and Turbo Play:

 L.F.P. Inc. (owned of course by "turbo-hound" Larry Flynt, heehee. I've seen this building.)
                9171 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 300
                Beverly Hills, CA 90210
                310-858-7100

Sorry for the necro-bump but I decided to take a Google Maps tour today and noticed this address was the same as VG&CE!  I had no idea!

https://archives.tg-16.com/VGCE/VGCE_1990_07.pdf

[esteban]

They shared more than a building.

This necropost has motivated me to post an interview I did with Chris Bieniek.

coming to DoxPhile in 2017!

I forgot about that!

I have to see if he updated his website, too.

[esteban]

Back on topic:

I just re-read this thread; it was fun.

For more of the story...

https://archives.tg-16.com/duo_world_0003.htm

...The demise of TTi and the transition to tzd .com


Self-promotion brought to you by DoxPhile

[BigusSchmuck]

Hmm, sounds like its that time again to dig through my old EGMS and scan Johnny Turbo in all his glory!

[Alt-Nintega]

everything is always better in Cali

[BigusSchmuck]

One thing I did notice on my Turbo Zone Direct flyers there were different addresses, I wonder what that was all about? Multiple warehouses? Or they just moved to a different warehouse?

[esteban]

One thing I did notice on my Turbo Zone Direct flyers there were different addresses, I wonder what that was all about? Multiple warehouses? Or they just moved to a different warehouse?

I think they moved... I wonder if it was ever mentioned on the archived website pages? I never noticed any mention of this...although, later, there might have been emails mentioning this change...