Sega co-founder David Rosen dies aged 95

The Guardian - World NewsEN 4 min read 100% complete by Keith StuartJanuary 5, 2026 at 06:19 PM

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long article 4 min

David Rosen, co-founder of Sega, died at age 95. A US Air Force pilot stationed in Japan during the Korean War, Rosen stayed and founded Rosen Enterprises in 1954, importing photo booths and later pinball tables. In 1965, Rosen merged his company with Nihon Goraku Bussan, forming Sega. Sega innovated in the arcade sector, transitioning from importing to designing its own games, including electromechanical games like Periscope and Killer Shark. Rosen's leadership included recruiting Hayao Nakayama, who became president of Sega Japan during its peak from 1983 to 1998. Rosen remained a director of Sega until 1996, overseeing the company's growth and the success of the Mega Drive console.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Konami 30% Taito 30% Namco 30% Capcom ×240% Korean War 50% Hayao Nakayama ×260% United States 60% Sega of America 70% Japan ×280% David Rosen ×590% Sega ×795%

Keywords

sega 100% david rosen 100% arcade game industry 90% video game business 80% coin-operated machines 70% arcade games 70% mega drive 60% hayao nakayama 50% sega of america 50% japan 40%

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Positive

Score: 0.30

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Source

The Guardian - World News

Classification Confidence

90%

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Japan

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis.

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sega david rosen arcade game industry video game business coin-operated machines arcade games mega drive hayao nakayama sega of america japan

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