Japanese toy and game software maker Bandai Namco announced that company founder and senior adviser Masaya Nakamura died January 22 at the age of 92. The statement from the company did not reveal a cause of death.
Nakamura founded Namco in 1955. The company started out with two electrically-operated wooden rocking horses at the top of a department store in Yokohama.
In the 1970s, the company branched out to video game software development, producing some of the most popular games in the then-fledgling market, including Galaxian, Galaga and Dig Dug. However, it was 1980’s breakout arcade hit Pac-Man that cemented the company’s legacy in popular culture worldwide.
Nakamura was surprised by Pac-Man’s sudden popularity, noting in a 1983 interview that “I never thought it would be this big.” The game has been played an estimated 10 billion times since its debut 36 years ago. Pac-Man machines are included in the collections of several museums.
While he himself was not a game designer, Nakamura was said to have tested his products intensively. A 23-hour playing session was not uncommon for the executive. Nakamura led Namco until he stepped down to take a more ceremonial advisory role in 2002.
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