Image via Sega

The writing has been on the wall for years, but it is finally the end of an era in Nihon. SEGA'southward arcades have been a mainstay in the Japanese gaming world, condign recognized landmarks in districts similar Akihabara and a symbol of gaming'southward home in Japan. Though the venues have closed and opened since the pandemic started, it looks similar the end has finally come for the SEGA arcades in Nippon.

It isn't a complete surprise to people who accept been post-obit the story for the last few years. In 2022, GENDA, an amusement visitor that deals in arcade and prize machines throughout Nippon, bought a majority share in SEGA Entertainment, the subsidiary of the gaming giant that owned and operated the iconic arcades. Up until January 2022, GENDA endemic around 85.one% of the arcade and amusement company, but following a recently announced deal, they take acquired the final xiv.9%, effectively pushing SEGA from the arcade business after more than than 50 years.

Don't expect the venues to change overnight, though. It will accept several months before the deal is finalized and the name on the side of the arcades to change. By the finish of 2022, in that location won't be a towering SEGA logo floating above the streets of Tokyo for the first time since the 1960s. The arcades are expected to stay open for the immediate future.

The new venues will be called GiGO, which stands for "Go into the Gaming Oasis." It is worth noting that this doesn't impact the gaming development or publishing side of SEGA, which remains intact. Sonic is, at the time of this writing, still rubber. The deal merely affects the brick-and-mortar business of SEGA's gaming centers in Nippon.