ROYAL ELECTRONICS VAN NUYS

Video game distributor Royal Electronics finds value in what is old. While the Van Nuys-based company appreciates the prime, AAA game titles that publishers such as Activision, Sony, Sega and THQ Inc. create, it distinguishes itself from other distributors by purchasing closeout titles and older games that are not in high demand. If there are 5,000 copies of a non-selling game, Royal will buy up the stock, said CEO Sean Rad. “We cater to people who are looking for things that don’t exist anymore,” Rad said. At E3, Royal doesn’t have a flashy booth like many of the exhibitors. Rad and his staff had a single table tucked away in the South Hall, alongside other distributors and small companies serving the video game industry. Rad said the company attends the annual trade show mostly to connect with its international customers. “They can put a face and voice to who they have been dealing with all these years,” he added. Royal has been in business for more than 20 years. The company provides hardware and accessories for console systems, including the most current versions and discontinued ones such as the Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation Portable. When it comes to the games, Royal buys up the rights to the older titles when it can and then republishes them. Some examples of older games Royal distributes include the original version of “Metal Gear Solid,” which debuted in 1998, and a version of the “Frogger” arcade game for the Nintendo 3DS.