Goro Hasegawa (game designer) explained

Goro Hasegawa (19 October 1932 – 20 June 2016) was a Japanese game designer known for creating the board game Othello.

Biography

Born in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, Hasegawa created the strategy game Othello around 1949 while a high school student in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture.^{[1] [2]} Hasegawa was an enthusiast of the traditional game Go, and he developed a prototype of Othello using Go stones and milk-bottle tops.^[1] The distinctive black and white discs were inspired by Go pieces.^[1] He named this new game "Othello", a name inspired by the Shakespearean play.^{[1] [2]}

After graduating, Hasegawa worked for a medical company.^{[1] [2]} In 1973, he successfully pitched the game to Japanese toy company Tsukuda Corporation, which mass-produced it.^{[1] [2] [3]} The game became popular in Japan, and Hasegawa facilitated its growth by organizing tournaments and serving as head of the national Othello association.^{[1] [2]}

At his death, Hasegawa resided in Kashiwa, Japan.^[4] During his lifetime, he authored several books on Othello strategy.^{[1] [5]}

Notes and References

1. Web site: Slotnik . Daniel E. . June 25, 2016 . Goro Hasegawa, Creator of Othello Board Game, Dies at 83 . November 24, 2023 . .
2. Web site: Kikuchi . Daisuke . June 23, 2016 . Goro Hasegawa, inventor of board game Othello, dies at 83 . November 24, 2023 . The Japan Times.
3. Web site: November 9, 2004 . Board champion keeps one move ahead . November 24, 2023 . Coventry Live.
4. Web site: Kageyama . Yuri . June 27, 2016 . Goro Hasegawa created the popular Othello board game . November 24, 2023 . .
5. Web site: 2016-06-23 . Goro Hasegawa, who helped invent the Othello board game, dies at 83 . November 24, 2023 . The Washington Post.