The gaming world is mourning the loss of one of its true founding figures. David Rosen, co-founder of Sega and a pioneering force behind the modern arcade industry, has passed away at the age of 95.
Rosen’s influence reaches far beyond a single company, his work helped shape the foundations of video gaming as we know it today.
Who Was David Rosen?
David Rosen was an American entrepreneur and former U.S. Air Force officer who played a crucial role in the early evolution of arcade gaming in Japan.
After moving to Japan in the 1950s, Rosen founded a company that would eventually merge with Service Games, forming what became SEGA, short for Service Games.
This merger laid the groundwork for one of the most influential gaming companies in history.
Building the Arcade Industry
A Vision Ahead of Its Time
During a period when electronic entertainment was still in its infancy, Rosen saw the potential of coin-operated amusement machines. Under his leadership, Sega became a major force in importing, developing, and distributing arcade machines across Japan.
Shaping Global Gaming Culture
Arcades became cultural hubs throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and Sega was at the center of that growth. Rosen’s business decisions helped turn arcades into social gaming spaces a concept that still influences multiplayer and competitive gaming today.
From Arcades to Consoles
While Sega later became globally recognised for home consoles and iconic franchises, those achievements were built on the arcade foundations Rosen helped establish.
From early mechanical games to electronic cabinets, Sega’s innovation-first mindset can be traced back to Rosen’s leadership and long-term vision.
A Lasting Legacy
David Rosen’s legacy lives on in every arcade cabinet, every Sega console, and every gamer who grew up with Sega titles.
He wasn’t just a businessman, he was a pioneer who helped define an entire industry before it even had a name.
At Respawn Outpost, we honour the figures who built gaming from the ground up and David Rosen stands among the most important of them all.
What was your first experience with Sega: the arcades, a console, or a specific game that stuck with you?
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