 In the mid-1980s, the first signs of market crisis took the modelling industry in a new direction characterized by an increasingly high level in quality of the moulds (mainly the use of emerging technology CAD/CAM); this, combined with advent of the first video games and electronic media quickly shifted the attention of young people.The combination of financing pressures and maintenance of ESCI's impressive catalogue required substantial investments that led to the entrance of a new partner who could give new life to the company.In 1987, the three partners gave a majority stake in the company to Ertl, the American distributor of ESCI kits at the time.