Masaya Nakamura, who pioneered game arcades and founded the video game company behind the smash-hit Pac-Man, has died at 91.
Nakamura founded gaming company Namco — part of what today is known as Bandai Namco — in 1955. His Jan. 22 death was confirmed a week later on Bandai Namco’s website on Monday.
After starting with two mechanical horse rides on a rooftop, Namco went on to pioneer amusement parks and game arcades, the Associated Press reports. The company released the coin-operated game Pac-Man, designed by Namco engineer Toru Iwatani, in 1980.
The game expanded into consoles before being merchandised into a television series, a film and various theme parks. The international hit is estimated to have been played more than 10 billion times.
Nakamura, who became known as the “Father of Pac-Man,” was inducted into the International Video Game Hall of Fame in 2010, and was an honorary advisor at Bandai Namco until his death.
The Leadership Brief. Conversations with the most influential leaders in business and tech.
