‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ co-creator Yuji Naka arrested on suspicion of insider trading
Sonic the Hedgehog: Episode IV – The Great Escape co-creator Yuji Naka was arrested on Friday along with three of his colleagues at a hotel in Tokyo.
Naka was arrested on suspicion of insider trading and accused of leaking information related to the game to a company that was selling a software program that allows consumers to copy games and share them online.
Naka’s arrest came as part of a four-month investigation, authorities said.
Naka’s four-month probe began in March on suspicion that he was leaking documents and information related to Sonic the Hedgehog: Episode IV – The Great Escape.
Police said they discovered an internal document that contained information on how consumers can create their own game demos. It was signed by Naka and several employees of Sega, which owns the company that produced the game.
“Sonic the Hedgehog” is one of the most successful video game franchises of all time, with more than 250 million copies sold worldwide. Naka’s work on the role-playing game series first appeared in 1993 in a four-episode video game series that followed Sonic and Tails as they traverse planets and collect gems in a search for the Master Emerald.
The game was followed by three sequels featuring new characters, including Sonic’s nephews Knuckles and Knuckles the Echidna.
Naka’s involvement in the title was not limited to Sega’s efforts on the production of Sonic the Hedgehog: Episode IV – The Great Escape, as he was also involved in “Knuckles the Echidna” and “Wipeout: Heat the isEnabled.”
Yuji Naka (right) at the premiere of Sonic the Hedgehog: Episode III – The Shadow Falls in Osaka, Japan last March. (Photo: Yuki Ota/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)
Naka, who was previously married for more than 30 years, became a father for the first time in 2013.
“Yuji Naka will be placed in a police cell once he is released. He will be questioned regarding his alleged motive of leaking confidential documents and