Video games recently lost a titan in David Rosen, one of Sega's co-founders with a presence in the industry since 1957. He passed away on December 25, 2025, at the age of 95, and the house of Sonic the Hedgehog has paid tribute to a man integral to the company’s existence. "We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of David Rosen, one of the founders of Sega, and a true pioneer in the video game industry," Sega posts on Twitter. "Sega would like to offer its condolences to the family, friends and acquaintances of Mr. Rosen, and we will always remember his contributions to our company." Rosen had quite the life and career, joining the US Air Force when he was 18, eventually becoming stationed in Japan during the Korean War. In 1954, he started his own business there, Rosen Enterprises, that dealt in artwork and photography before pivoting toward these new-fangled coin-operated entertainment machines in the late '50s. PS5 architect Mark Cerny says an intense Nintendo rivalry turned Sega into a "sweatshop" when he worked there: "Three people. Three months. That's a game" Former Sega of America boss says leaving the console market was "traumatic" and "difficult": "We were in the eye of the storm of the PlayStation 2" Team Ninja, Smash Bros' Masahiro Sakurai, and "rival" Tekken boss Katsuhiro Harada pay tribute to iconic Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of David Rosen, one of the founders of SEGA, and a true pioneer in the video game industry. SEGA would like to offer its condolences to the family, friends and acquaintances of Mr. Rosen, and we will always remember his contributions… pic.twitter.com/an5KHMBzY8January 7, 2026 We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of David Rosen, one of the founders of SEGA, and a true pioneer in the video game industry. SEGA would like to offer its condolences to the family, friends and acquaintances of Mr. Rosen, and we will always remember his contributions… pic.twitter.com/an5KHMBzY8January 7, 2026 We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of David Rosen, one of the founders of SEGA, and a true pioneer in the video game industry. SEGA would like to offer its condolences to the family, friends and acquaintances of Mr. Rosen, and we will always remember his contributions… pic.twitter.com/an5KHMBzY8January 7, 2026 The growth of Rosen Enterprises led to a merger with Nihon Goraku Bussan, to become Sega, with Rosen himself as CEO and managing director. At this point, the outfit handled numerous kinds of games and gizmos, including pinball and jukeboxes, to much continued prosperity. In the '80s, when home consoles started taking chunks out of the arcade’s earnings, Sega decided to make household systems, giving us the Master System, and the Blue Blur, who would become a pop culture icon. Rosen remained integral to Sega's operations through to the mid-'90s, helping set up Sega of America, where he was chairman, before retiring from that position and his role as president at Sega of Japan in 1996. It's hard to imagine this medium being what it is today without Rosen. Beyond how much enjoyment he got to see from everyone loving Sega's games, he got to witness Sonic take over Hollywood, a guarantee that his legacy will continue for generations to come. PS5 architect Mark Cerny says an intense Nintendo rivalry turned Sega into a "sweatshop" when he worked there: "Three people. Three months. That's a game"