Engineer who designed all of the Sega consoles dies aged 77: Gaming world pays tribute to ‘legendary figure’
Sega fans are mourning the loss of a ‘truly great’ engineer who was the mastermind of the next generation of gaming consoles.
According to the news of Japanese media Beep 21, Hideki Sato, former president of Sega and designer of iconic consoles, died at the age of 77.
Sato joined the gaming company in 1971 and rose through the ranks before becoming vice president between 2001 and 2003.
Sato was responsible for the creation of Sega’s arcade and home console hardware, as well as the research and development team.
Products released under his supervision included the SG-1000, Sega Master System, Sega Mega Drive, Sega Saturn and Sega Dreamcast.
Sato also designed the SC-3000 computer as well as the Sega System 1.
By the time he left the company in 2008, the gaming landscape had changed, and Sega was transitioning from being a hardware manufacturer to publishing games for rival platforms such as Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Paying tribute to Sato, Beep 21 said on X: “Hideki Sato, known as the father of Sega hardware, passed away yesterday.
Sega fans mourn the loss of a ‘truly great’ engineer who remains the mastermind of the next generation of gaming consoles
Among the most popular gaming systems created was the Sega Mega Drive, which introduced a generation to arcade-style games in living rooms, including Sonic the Hedgehog.
‘He was a truly great man who fascinated the history of Japanese video games and Sega fans around the world.
‘I believe the excitement and spirit of defiance of that period will remain in the memories of many fans forever.
‘We sincerely pray for the peace of his soul.’
Among the most popular gaming systems created were:The Sega Mega Drive was a game that introduced a generation to arcade-style games in living rooms, including the original Sonic the Hedgehog.
It was first released in Japan in October 1988 and in America and Europe the following year.
Sales of Sega’s console peaked in the mid-90s before the arrival of the first PlayStation, which created a new standard for video games.
It was later discontinued but has been reintroduced in recent years thanks to increasing nostalgia for retro products.
In its heyday, Sega sold more than 100 million home consoles, and the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive sold approximately 43 million units worldwide.
