The gaming industry lost one of its greatest pioneers on 22 January 2017, as Namco founder and Pacman creator, Masaya Nakamura passed away at the age of 91. Bandai Namco Entertainment announced the news of his passing to the public just recently.

Nakamura founded the Nakamura Amusement Machine Manufacturing Company or “Namco” back in 1955. He started out kiddie rides and analog-style arcade games with several of them becoming successful. Of course, Pacman, which is loved the world over, is his most successful work. Nakamura’s other successful games include classics like Galaxian, Galaga, Pole Position, and Xevious.

His company would later merge with Bandai to form Bandai Namco, becoming one of Japan’s biggest entertainment companies. The company not only develops video games like Tekken and iDOLM@STER, but also does animation through subsidiaries like Sunrise, and manufactures figures and plastic models such as SH FiguArts and GunPla.

We send his family our deepest condolences in this time of grief.