SeGa is short for Service Games. Japanese initials include the next vowel sound when written. A lot of the arcade and videogame scene in Japan was Servicemen importing stuff so other servicemen could have stuff from home. Jukeboxes, games, speaker systems, and more arrived in random Japanese bars. It proved lucrative with the Japanese themselves and grew from there.
SeGa was the king of arcades in Japan for a long time. Old electro mechanical stuff was their pride and joy. The arcade cabinet started from the idea of the moveable EM machines. SeGa designed that idea.
Arcades and gambling often go hand in hand. The various organizations often worked together or were straight up from gambling companies. SeGa, Konami, Capcom and others all have a Gaming division, a console department, and an arcade department.
Sadly, a lot of that history can't be fully told. SeGa had no problems using mob tactics to get what they wanted. It was easier to say which companies didn't do that. Anyone interviewed often went by anonymous sources or wouldn't name who threatened them directly.
The 90's console wars were on the backs of the arcade wars, and SeGa was king in arcades. I still love their more modern games. Rosen was just a guy who got out of the service and started a company he probably had been running unofficially beforehand.
Yeah, Sega I heard isn't doing well these days. I think I even heard that Atlus is one of the only things keeping them in business (and Metaphor Re Fantazio seems to be their newest money maker), but I feel I should take those words with a grain of salt.
The president of SeGa Amusements recently passed away, and companies like Wahlap have definitely stepped into the arcade market. Gambling and gacha games are doing well enough. At one point SeGa had a theme design and building company. They worked with Universal to create GameWorks. There were semi theme park areas even as recent as 2019 in Japan.
We tend to look at consoles only and don't realize how big the market actually is. But even then, SeGa is not up to its glorious self.
A lot of the arcade and videogame scene in Japan was Servicemen importing stuff so other servicemen could have stuff from home. Jukeboxes, games, speaker systems, and more arrived in random Japanese bars. It proved lucrative with the Japanese themselves and grew from there.
Is this line suggesting that the origins of Japan's arcade culture was from imported electronics brought to the island to amuse US troops occupying there?
Stuff like pinball machines and electro-mechanical shooting galleries? Those old EM machines are so fascinating when you get to see what's inside them.
And more. They dominated the late sixties and early 70's to become the big name in arcade. The company even made a semi standardized box with viewer so games could be right next to each other. This was early JAMMA stuff. In Japan, SeGa was king of the arcade.
SeGa is short for Service Games. Japanese initials include the next vowel sound when written. A lot of the arcade and videogame scene in Japan was Servicemen importing stuff so other servicemen could have stuff from home. Jukeboxes, games, speaker systems, and more arrived in random Japanese bars. It proved lucrative with the Japanese themselves and grew from there.
SeGa was the king of arcades in Japan for a long time. Old electro mechanical stuff was their pride and joy. The arcade cabinet started from the idea of the moveable EM machines. SeGa designed that idea.
Arcades and gambling often go hand in hand. The various organizations often worked together or were straight up from gambling companies. SeGa, Konami, Capcom and others all have a Gaming division, a console department, and an arcade department.
Sadly, a lot of that history can't be fully told. SeGa had no problems using mob tactics to get what they wanted. It was easier to say which companies didn't do that. Anyone interviewed often went by anonymous sources or wouldn't name who threatened them directly.
The 90's console wars were on the backs of the arcade wars, and SeGa was king in arcades. I still love their more modern games. Rosen was just a guy who got out of the service and started a company he probably had been running unofficially beforehand.
We owe him and his company a lot.
That's interesting to know!
Yeah, Sega I heard isn't doing well these days. I think I even heard that Atlus is one of the only things keeping them in business (and Metaphor Re Fantazio seems to be their newest money maker), but I feel I should take those words with a grain of salt.
The president of SeGa Amusements recently passed away, and companies like Wahlap have definitely stepped into the arcade market. Gambling and gacha games are doing well enough. At one point SeGa had a theme design and building company. They worked with Universal to create GameWorks. There were semi theme park areas even as recent as 2019 in Japan.
We tend to look at consoles only and don't realize how big the market actually is. But even then, SeGa is not up to its glorious self.
Is this line suggesting that the origins of Japan's arcade culture was from imported electronics brought to the island to amuse US troops occupying there?
Yes, yes it does.
Stuff like pinball machines and electro-mechanical shooting galleries? Those old EM machines are so fascinating when you get to see what's inside them.
It's like a mad scientist experiment inside of them.
SeGa created stuff like
https://www.arcade-history.com/?n=helicopter&page=detail&id=14344
https://www.arcade-history.com/?n=grand-prix&page=detail&id=14483
And more. They dominated the late sixties and early 70's to become the big name in arcade. The company even made a semi standardized box with viewer so games could be right next to each other. This was early JAMMA stuff. In Japan, SeGa was king of the arcade.