David Rosen, the co-founder of Sega, one of the most pivotal gaming companies of all time, has died at the age of 95. Rosen’s family confirmed that he died on Christmas Day from natural causes. Sega is one of gaming’s most beloved companies out there, having been in the game for six decades. The Japanese gaming giant was a prominent force in the arcade business, creating and supplying some highly successful arcade cabinets before eventually entering the console space to war with the likes of Nintendo.
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Sega would go on to create one of gaming’s most iconic characters of all time in the form of Sonic, who is still only growing in popularity thanks to new games, TV shows, and blockbuster films. Although there were some pitfalls, such as Sega ultimately exiting the console space, the company has managed to survive and remain an essential part of the gaming industry.
David Rosen’s Sega Legacy
A lot of this wouldn’t have been possible without David Rosen, a name you may not be familiar with or a face you may have never seen before. However, he was an instrumental piece of Sega. Rosen served in the United States Air Force from 1948 – 1952 and was stationed in Japan during the Korean War, which is where he would remain after his time in the service. He founded a business there known as Rosen Enterprises where he sold Japanese art to Americans, eventually exporting coin-operated amusement machines to the United States as arcades began to rise in popularity in Japan.
Eventually, he would merge his company with another known as Service Games and form Sega, placing Rosen in charge as CEO and managing director. The company would grow as it began to release various arcade cabinets, including Periscope, which was created under Rosen’s direction. As time went on, Sega would grow and find new ways to succeed. Rosen, however, moved back to the United States and found a new home in Los Angeles.
Although the business was located in Japan, Rosen was able to help expand the company to the United States. David Rosen ultimately helped set up Sega of America and stayed with the company until he retired in 1996. Rosen was a key piece of the puzzle for Sega’s success, spending 30 years with the company and seeing it through some of its most pivotal eras and creations. He led the charge on the arcade cabinets, the expansion into console gaming, and the bringing of Sega’s operations to America. He also would’ve been there during the rise of Sega’s iconic blue hero, Sonic the Hedgehog, amongst other important IPs.
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