Sega Logo

Sega is one of the top Japanese videogame publishers. They are known as creators of Sonic and producers of Total War. Formerly, they’ve been the top publisher, in perpetual contest with Nintendo. But though Nintendo returned their crown after years of stagnation, Sega did not. They are still a big deal, but people don’t expect much now.

Meaning and History

Sega started in 1940 as a manufacturer of slot machines back in Japan. They’ve been at it for several decades until eventually entering the world of game consoles in 1982. They’ve timed this entry quite well, which made them amongst the first big producers of game-oriented hardware and games.

1945 – 1956

The first logo appeared in 1945. It featured the word ‘Service Games’ – of which ‘Sega’ is technically an abbreviation. Back then, they were still making slot machines, and this emblem was mostly featured on the side of the machines as well, as they didn’t make games for them.

Hence, the logo was very simplistic and plain. It was a black company name, and letters were as if handwritten.

1956 – 1975

In 1954, the company was renamed to Sega, and the first logo bearing this variation of their name surfaced in 1956. It was a combination of red uppercase letters. They looked very Gothic – i.e. full of fluidity, angles and disproportioned thinness.

1975 – 1982

In 1975, Sega adopted its classic design. The letters were now shorted and burlier, each of them consisting of several blue parts as if constructed out of spares. It was probably supposed to resemble cabling or electronics, but one can’t be sure. All the letters were very soft, fluid and they positively lacked any angles.

1982 – today

In 1982, the company changed the coloring to a slightly darker hue, as well as repositioned some ‘cables’ inside the letters. Other than that, the design remained the same and stayed with the company for decades to come.

Emblem and Symbol

The usual coloring for the last designs is blue, but they often changed it to suit the environment. For instance, the iconic Dreamcast console had a small grayish logo painted on the front of its exterior. Alternatively, in some cases it was repainted white, black and other colors.