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Asia

Japanese arcade pioneer, 'Father of Pac-Man' has died

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    This June 3, 1997 photo shows Masaya Nakamura, known as the “Father of Pac-Man," in Tokyo. Nakamura who founded the Japanese video game company behind the hit creature-gobbling game, and pioneered arcade games and amusement parks, has died on Jan. 22, 2017, according to the company Bandai Namco. He was 91. (Kyodo News via AP) (The Associated Press)

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    FILE - In this Aug. 12, 2015, file photo, a woman walks past a three-meter (nine-foot)-tall Pac-Man made of Lego bricks, in Tokyo's Shinjuku area. Masaya Nakamura, the "Father of Pac-Man" who founded the Japanese video game company behind the hit creature-gobbling game, has died on Jan. 22, 2017, at age 91, the company Bandai Namco said. (AP Photo/Ken Aragaki, File) (The Associated Press)

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    FILE - In this Oct. 5, 2004, file photo, Jake Gautney, 12, of Chappaqua, N.Y., tries a Ms. Pac-Man game at the Toy Industry Association holiday preview in New York. Masaya Nakamura, the "Father of Pac-Man" who founded the Japanese video game company behind the hit creature-gobbling game, died on Jan. 22, 2017. He was 91. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) (The Associated Press)

TOKYO – The Japanese games company Bandai Namco says Masaya Nakamura, the "Father of Pac-Man" who founded the Japanese video game company behind the hit creature-gobbling game, has died at age 91.

Nakamura, who died on Jan. 22, held an honorary position at Bandai Namco, formed in 2005 from a merger of two game companies. He founded Namco in 1955. Its beginnings were humble — just two mechanical horses on the rooftop of a department store.

Pac-Man, designed by video game maker Toru Iwatani, went on sale in 1980. Guinness World Record has named it the world's most successful coin-operated arcade game.

Bandai Namco reported Nakamura's death Monday, but would not comment on the cause of his death or other personal details, citing his family's wishes.