 The duo had intended to name the company after themselves as "Grindleman Industries," but an employee of the Delaware Secretary of State's office misheard the name over the phone, so the company was incorporated as Gremlin instead.In 1973, Gremlin became a manufacturer of coin-operated wall games with their first game "Play Ball" (1973).Gremlin joined the video game industry in 1976 by releasing its first video arcade game entitled "Blockade" (1976).