Most people have played a Sega game, but what is Sega short for?

Sega is short for Service Games. The name came from the company’s early business supplying coin-operated amusement machines and games to American military bases in Japan after World War II.

The company began in 1940 as Standard Games in Honolulu, where it provided coin-operated machines. In 1951, its founders moved operations to Japan and established Service Games of Japan. The name was shortened to Sega, formed from the first parts of “Service” and “Games.”

Sega initially focused on arcade equipment rather than home consoles. It became known for importing and manufacturing jukeboxes, slot machines, and arcade games before developing its own major video-game successes. Titles such as Space Harrier, Out Run, and Virtua Fighter helped make Sega a global arcade powerhouse.

Sega later became one of Nintendo’s strongest rivals in the home-console market. The Sega Genesis, called the Mega Drive outside North America, competed with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System during the 1990s. Although Sega eventually stopped making consoles, it continues to publish and develop games, including the Sonic the Hedgehog series.