Working at Sega of America during its heyday offered a chance to see a company on the rise. From the birth of a certain blue hedgehog to the introduction of a CD add-on, there was always something Sega-related in the news. One of the people responsible for ensuring that the company was always in the limelight was Al Nilsen, former head of Sega’s marketing division. During his tenure, he oversaw the birth of Sonic, the creation of Sega Visions, and the much beloved Sega Scream. Sega-16 recently chatted with Mr. Nilsen and got the goods on a bunch of 16-bit morsels of news.

When Ken Balthaser arrived at Sega, the Genesis had yet to be launched. As the company frantically geared up for its second stab at the American market, he quickly had to adjust to his new role as Head of Product Development, a role he held until 1995. During his tenure, he oversaw the releases of such controversial games as Fantasia, Buster Douglas “Knockout” Boxing, and Joe Montana II: Sports Talk Football.

Shortly after the Genesis launched in 1989, Sega experienced a shift in leadership. Michael Katz was its new president and quickly acted to make the young console a major player in the gaming market by taking on Nintendo in advertising and ensuring some big names for its sports line. His efforts set the groundwork for Sega’s future success, though he hardly receives the credit he deserves. Sega-16 had an interesting little Q&A session with Mr. Katz earlier this week, and he had a lot to say about how the company was run during that exciting time in its history.