Kazuhiko “Kay” Nishi (born February 10, 1956 in Kobe, Japan) is a pioneer of personal computers and the creator of MSX.
Nishi attended Waseda University but dropped out to help found the first Japanese computer magazine, I/O. Shortly thereafter he launched ASCII magazine and, in 1978, ASCII Corporation, which began by making a rough translation from English to Japanese of the game Wizardry. He wanted to lead the personal computer market, but ASCII Corporation didn’t have enough capital to develop personal computers. He knew Microsoft BASIC was becoming the industry standard in North America, and conceived selling it to Japanese companies. At 1978 National Computer Conference, he met and got along with Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
Nishi’s relationship with Bill Gates helped ASCII Corporation to grow. MSX, a new personal computer format, was jointly developed by Microsoft and ASCII Corporation for the Japanese market. But Nishi and Gates fell out, the partnership was dissolved in 1986, and Microsoft set up its own Japanese software subsidiary.
Nishi is the president of MSX Association, a private organization originating from an assembly of people with affinity with the MSX standard, and is currently developing a continuation of the MSX standard in the form of MSX0 and MSX3.
Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/nishikazuhiko
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