The removal of the large hedgehog company signs marks the end of an era for video games in Japan.
In January of this same year, Sega Sammy announced the sale of its arcade divisionpassing into the hands of Genda GiGO, following having acquired 85.1% of the shares of Sega Entertainment in 2020, the SEGA division that managed its game centers in Japan. GiGO had purchased the remaining 14.9% of the shares of Sega Sammyleaving her out of the arcade market.
This has meant the end of an era for SEGA, who opened their first entertainment rooms in the late 1960s, reaching almost 1,000 rooms across the country during the 1990s. More than 50 years of history that end with the removal of the company’s legendary banners on the huge red buildings of Tokyo’s Akihabara, which were part of popular culture.
Genda President Hisashi Kataoka has shared the look of buildings with the new GiGO signs. Social media has also been filled with photos of Japanese fans capturing the moment the popular banners were taken down. These have been collected by VGCwho have confirmed that the replacement occurred during friday night.
These buildings lived some of the most emotional moments last year following the closure of Sega Ikebukuro Gigo, one of the most emblematic buildings in Japan, open for more than 28 years. During the closure, a poster was displayed thanks to the fanswho congregated at the gates of the popular entertainment center.
SEGA has been honoring its golden age of the arcade with its most iconic arcade, the Sega Astro Citywhich following a classic version in horizontal screen layout, will receive its portrait display modelwith a collection of games full of classics shoot ’em up What Truxton, Terra Cresta or Gunbird.
More regarding: SEGA, Arcade, Japan and Akihabara.
