Hideki Sato, the 'Father of Sega Hardware,' Passes Away Aged 75

Hideki Sato, nicknamed the “father of Sega hardware,” passed distant connected February 13. Joining Sega successful 1971, helium worked connected the plan of each Sega consoles, including the Sega Saturn and Dreamcast. The quality was breached by Japanese crippled mag Beep21 implicit the play connected its X relationship successful some Japanese and English. According to Japanese quality media specified arsenic 4Gamer, helium was 75.

An electrical engineering graduate, Hideki Sato began his vocation processing machines for amusement arcades, which included Sega’s archetypal video crippled arcade machine, a Pong clone called Pong Tron (1973). A decennary later, Sato would beryllium helming Sega’s R&D department, wherever and his squad designed each location console made by the Japanese institution from the SG-1000 (1983) done to the Dreamcast (1998). Sato served arsenic Sega’s President from 2001 to 2003 (the company’s last caput earlier the Sega-Sammy merger / takeover), and near the institution successful 2008 aft serving arsenic a committee member.

In its tribute to Sato, Sega’s authoritative X / Twitter relationship said: “We are profoundly saddened to larn of the passing of Hideki Sato, who served arsenic President of Sega from 2001 to 2003. Sega would similar to connection its condolences to his household and friends. Starting his vocation with the improvement of arcade machines, Mr. Sato was instrumental successful the improvement of iconic location consoles, including the SG-1000, SC-3000, Mega Drive/Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn, and Dreamcast. His enactment helped laic the instauration of Sega, and his contributions had a important and lasting interaction connected the full gaming industry. We volition ever retrieve his contributions to our company, and each of america astatine Sega widen our deepest condolences arsenic we grant his memory.”

We are profoundly saddened to larn of the passing of Hideki Sato, who served arsenic President of SEGA from 2001 to 2003. SEGA would similar to connection its condolences to his household and friends. Starting his vocation with the improvement of arcade machines, Mr. Sato was instrumental successful the… pic.twitter.com/rxOZJ1o3Kt

Tributes poured successful for Hideki Sato from Japanese crippled journalists, crippled developers, and Sega fans. Japanese tech writer Ittousai recalled telling Sato earlier an interrogation astir however arsenic a kid helium would prevention up his pouch wealth to bargain the latest Sega console, successful the hopes that “this clip we volition win” the console war. “A genuinely refreshing grin lit up his full face, and helium said ‘we didn’t win!,’ and shook my manus similar a comrade-in-arms — a blessed representation for this Sega fan.”

Ittousai noted that sometimes the code of Sato’s comments astir immoderate of Sega’s bumpy console launches could dependable acold and detached erstwhile written successful print. Soundbites astir the company's deficiency of mentation (incidents similar the disastrous astonishment motorboat of the Sega Saturn successful the U.S.), for example, mislaid the warmth and self-deprecating wit successful which they were delivered. “Yet, the mode helium spoke astir his life’s enactment with specified joyousness and passionateness — including that clip erstwhile the Sega Genesis was concisely connected apical successful North America (albeit with strict assertions that it was ‘only successful that clip and place’) near a dazzling content connected maine arsenic a professional.”

Japanese crippled designer, localizer and shaper Roppyaku Tsurumi, who started retired his vocation astatine Sega (where helium designed and produced Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker for the Sega Mega Drive and Master System), recalled that “it was Hideki who got maine a occupation astatine Sega.” He recounted that arsenic a student, helium went to Sega to study connected System 24. “We were chatting excitedly astir hardware, and Mr Sato (who was caput of that part astatine the time) instantly called idiosyncratic implicit from HR and I was offered a job. He was a hearty and straight-forward bully guy.”

As good arsenic Sonic, Sega consoles brought arcade hits and innovative first-party bid similar Virtua Fighter, Phantasy Star, Shenmue, Space Channel 5 and Jet Set Radio into homes. What was your favourite Sega console?

Photo by Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images.

Verity Townsend is simply a Japan-based freelance writer who antecedently served arsenic editor, contributor and translator for the crippled quality tract Automaton West. She has besides written astir Japanese civilization and movies for assorted publications.