Sega
Notable Games
Company History
Sega Corporation traces its origins to 1940 when American businessmen Irving Bromberg and James Humpert founded Standard Games in Honolulu, Hawaii, providing coin-operated amusement machines to military bases. The company relocated to Tokyo in 1951 as Service Games (SE-GA). In 1965, it merged with Rosen Enterprises (founded by David Rosen) to form Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Sega became a dominant force in arcade gaming through the 1970s-90s, creating iconic cabinets and pioneering 3D graphics with Model 1, Model 2, and Model 3 arcade boards. In the home console market, Sega produced the Master System, Genesis/Mega Drive, Saturn, and Dreamcast. The Genesis era (1988-1994) represented Sega's peak, with Sonic the Hedgehog becoming their mascot and cultural icon.
After the Dreamcast's commercial failure in 2001, Sega exited the hardware business to become a third-party software publisher. The company was acquired by Sammy Corporation in 2004, forming Sega Sammy Holdings. Sega continues developing games including Sonic, Yakuza/Like a Dragon, Persona (via Atlus), and Total War.
Behind the Scenes
Sega's development culture was shaped by its arcade heritage — games needed to grab attention immediately and keep players feeding coins. This "arcade DNA" influenced all their console games, creating experiences that prioritized immediate fun, flashy presentation, and pick-up-and-play accessibility.
The famous rivalry with Nintendo during the 16-bit era pushed both companies to creative heights. Sega of America's Tom Kalinske championed aggressive, in-your-face marketing that positioned Sega as the "cool" alternative. The internal tension between Sega of Japan and Sega of America, while ultimately damaging to the company, produced some of gaming's most memorable moments.
Sega's AM (Amusement Machine) development divisions — particularly AM2 (led by Yu Suzuki, creator of Virtua Fighter, OutRun, and Shenmue) and Sonic Team (led by Yuji Naka) — operated as semi-independent studios, fostering creative competition and innovation.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
• 1994
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
• 1992
Daytona USA
• 1995
Initial D
• 1998
Sonic Classic Collection
• 2010
After Burner II
• 1987
Sonic Boom
• 1994
Sega Rally Championship - Twin/DX
• 1995
Alex Kidd in Miracle World
• 1986
Golden Axe
• 1989
Fix-It Felix Jr.
• 2012
Altered Beast
• 1988
About Sega
Sega is an active game development company founded on June 3, 1960 and headquartered in .
Known for creating iconic titles such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Virtua Fighter, Shenmue and more, Sega has left an indelible mark on the video game industry.