Yuji Naka
Programmer who co-created Sonic the Hedgehog at Sega
- Age
- 61 yrs
- Birthday in 315 days
- Works listed
- 1
- Video game
- Honours
- 0
- Awards & distinctions
- Profile views
- 6
- 0 followers
Yuji Naka is a Japanese game programmer who co-created Sonic the Hedgehog at Sega, programming its famously fast gameplay. He led Sonic Team and made Nights into Dreams and Phantasy Star Online. In 2023 he was convicted of insider trading.
Biography
Sega
Naka joined Sega in 1984 without a degree and worked on games such as Phantasy Star.
Sonic
With designer Naoto Ohshima and Hirokazu Yasuhara he created Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) for the Mega Drive/Genesis, a rival to Mario. His programming made the speed possible.
Sonic Team
As head of Sonic Team he produced Nights into Dreams (1996) and Phantasy Star Online (2000), a pioneering online console role-playing game.
Later
He left Sega in 2006 to found Prope, then worked at Square Enix. In 2023 a Tokyo court found him guilty of insider trading and gave him a suspended sentence.
Timeline
-
1965
Born in Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
-
1984
Joins Sega
-
1991
Sonic the Hedgehog
-
1996
Nights into Dreams
-
2000
Phantasy Star Online
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2006
Leaves Sega
-
2023
Insider-trading conviction
Notable works
-
1991
Sonic the Hedgehog Video game
Did you know?
-
1
He was sometimes credited as “YU2”.
-
2
Sonic was designed partly to show off the Mega Drive’s speed.
-
3
Sonic Team became one of Sega’s best-known studios.
Connections
Related people
Frequently asked
Who is Yuji Naka?
Yuji Naka is a Japanese game programmer who co-created Sonic the Hedgehog at Sega, programming its famously fast gameplay. He led Sonic Team and made Nights into Dreams and Phantasy Star Online. In 2023 he was convicted of insider trading.
How old is Yuji Naka?
Yuji Naka is 61 years old, born on 17 September 1965 in Hirakata, Osaka, Japan.
Where is Yuji Naka from?
Yuji Naka was born in Hirakata, Osaka, Japan.
What is Yuji Naka known for?
Yuji Naka is best known for Co-creating Sonic the Hedgehog (1991); leading Sonic Team; Phantasy Star Online.
References
- Yuji Naka — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Yuji Naka — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Yuji Naka (Q726119) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Yuji Naka”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Yuji Naka.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/yuji-naka
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