Was Michael Jackson an avid gamer?

June 25, 2009. A 911 call was made from Holmby Hills, near Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, and by the time emergency crews arrived on the scene at 12:26, ​​Michael Jackson, known as the “KING OF POP,” had already stopped breathing and had stopped responding to cardiac arrest.

He was rushed to UCLA Hospital, where resuscitation efforts were made, but he was confirmed dead at 2:28 p.m. Michael, who dominated the global music scene and was loved by many, passed away at the young age of 55. One theory is that Michael’s cause of death was the artificial administration of the anesthetic “propofol,” and there are still many mysteries surrounding his death. This year marks the 15th anniversary of his shocking death.

There is not much to say about Michael Jackson’s work and achievements in the music scene, but what is less known is his love of video games.

In this article, we would like to introduce an episode from the development of “Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker” (※), the only game that Michael, who loved games, planned and designed in his life.

Sega and Michael Jackson’s collaboration later appeared in a video as the navigator of the large ride machine AS-1, which was introduced in 1993. Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker was also released for PC overseas.

The background to Michael and Sega’s close relationship

The development of “Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker” was based on the relationship between Sega Enterprises Co., Ltd. (now Sega Corporation) and Michael Jackson.

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It is said that he purchased large-scale immersive games such as “Virtua Racing,” “Manx TT Superbike,” and “R360” from Sega, and the relationship between the two parties developed. Whenever a new game was released, Sega would give it to Michael as a present, and when Michael came to Japan on tours such as the “Bad World Tour,” Sega would visit the Sega headquarters and amusement facilities, and the relationship continued to be good.