2017 starts with a sad stumble as the head of the most influential publishers, Masaya Nakamura, passes away. The founder of Namco, the company that brought us some of the greatest arcade hits of the 1980s with an indelible legacy.
Nakamura’s story began when he founded Nakamura Manufacturing in 1955. Eventually that company became Nakamura Amusement Machine Manufacturing Company – or Namco as it is known now, where it specialized in making carnival rides for children and midway games. The company didn’t make its mark as the pioneer of the arcade boom until Nakamura moved to purchase a Japanese subsidiary of the Atari corporation in the 1970s, which opened the door to creating new experiences in the coin-operated video game market.
From there, the company became one that many players have learned to love. Their first hit in 1979, Galxian, took the industry by storm for it being the first video game to use multicolor sprites. Then in 1980, Nakamura’s company helped realize programmer Toru Iwatani’s vision of the iconic arcade classic known as Pac-Man. A juggernaut of gameplay nirvana and pop-culture immortality that has a cherished history of entertainment, from its superior sequel the following year, Ms. Pac-Man, to its modern update Pac-Man Championship Edition and a mobile phone spin-off, Pac-Man 256. Yet, the hits kept coming with other beloved arcade games under Namco’s label such as Pole Position, Dig-Dug, and Galaga, all of which are still beloved to this day.
It’s a company whose legacy still endures to this very day. Not only did Namco survive the chaotic game market crash of the mid-80s, the company merged with the company Bandai in 2005, and has continued to help release beloved video game series to this day. These beloved franchises include the Soul Calibur fighting games, the Tales Of RPGs, and the Dark Souls games. The company reported that Nakamura died on Janurary 22.
Rest in peace, Mr. Nakamura, your legacy will not be forgotten.
