[dfxm12]

Yeah, there's no weight to this.

Midway started in the 60s. They weren't competing with Japanese companies back then. American arcades were filled with American pinball machines, Computer Space or Pong. Japanese games like Space Invaders and Pac Man wouldn't take off until the late 70s.

In addition to the airport being a source for the name, in the 40s, the Chicago Bears were nicknamed "Monsters of the Midway" and there is also a park known as "the Midway" in Chicago.