Canadian publisher Throwback Entertainment has announced that it has appointed former Capcom president George Nakayama as the company's new chief operating officer, where he will be responsible for Throwback’s global sales, marketing, partnerships and distribution activities.
Nakayama's appointment comes three months following
the appointment of twenty-five year industry veteran David Siller (
Aero the Acro-Bat) as Throwback's vice president of development, where he oversees the development of original intellectual properties, as well as those properties
purchased by the company. Throwback currently owns a number of properties previously owned by Acclaim Entertainment, such as
Vexx and
Extreme-G Racing.
A thirty year industry veteran, Nakayama is perhaps most recognized for his 12 years spent as the president of Capcom U.S.A., during which he played a key role in energizing the arcade industry in North America by introducing the first set of coin-op conversion kits, a process that allowed operators to change the PC board and art work on a cabinet while keeping the same unit.
Nakayama also oversaw the introduction of a number of Capcom's most recognized brands, such as
Street Fighter II,
Final Fight, and
Ghosts ‘n Goblins.
“More than ever, the game industry requires strong management, knowledge and business acumen, and we believe Mr. Nakayama will provide an abundance of all those qualities to Throwback,” said Thomas Maduri, CEO of Throwback Entertainment. “Having the experience of growing a business from $0 in sales in its first year, to over $280 million in his final year, Mr. Nakayama helped establish Capcom in North America. Now, we look to him to help do the same for Throwback.”
