Yu Suzuki

Sega's leading game producer and creator of Shenmue. Born on Jun 10th, of 1958. Born and raised in Iwate prefecture. Majored in Electronic Science at Okayama University of Science. Joined Sega Enterprises in 1983. The extraordinary talents of Yu Suzuki as a game creator are widely known throughout the world, but his talents extend beyond that of Electronic Entertainment. He has a deep and profound love of music and art. Taught by his father to appreciate art and music from his young childhood, Yu Suzuki has profound knowledge and insight into these fields, and even spent his days in junior high school studying calligraphy and illustrations. He joined Sega as a programmer and a producer, and in his second year he created the first in the world simulation arcade game, "Hang On". After "Hang On", as a pioneer of simulation games, he released many hit titles such as "Out Run". He also set eyes on the high potentials of CG board in the forefront of technology at the time. In 1993, he created a global sensation with the release of "Virtua Fighter", a 3d computer graphics fighting game. This Virtua Fighter series was highly recognized by the Smithsonian Institution, as an application which made great contribution to the society in the field of Art and Entertainment, and for the first time ever in Japanese Game Industry, became a part of the Smithsonian Institution's Permanent Research Collection on Information Technology Innovation, and is now kept perpetually at the Smithsonian's National Museumof American History in Washington D.C. He vitalized games both culturally, and technologically, and is a meritorious man in the Amusement Industry. His latest achievement is The Academy of Interactive Arts and Science's (AIAS, for short) prestigious Hall of Fame Award. The Hall of Fame Award, a "Lifetime Achievement".