Former Rare director Joel Hochberg has passed away

We are saddened to report that former Rare director Joel Hochberg has passed away at the age of 87. According to the Miami Herald, he passed peacefully and is survived by his wife, two children, and two grandchildren.

Born in 1935, Hochberg got his foot in the gaming industry with the coin-op arcade business. In 1986, he joined up with Rare, overseeing its business operations alongside original founders Tim and Chris Stamper. He was also the president of Rare Coin-It Inc., a sister company of Rare which focused solely on arcade machines.

Hochberg was given special thanks in multiple Rare games on Nintendo platforms, including Donkey Kong Country, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, and GoldenEye 007. He left a great impact on the gaming industry and will surely be missed. See below for condolences shared via Twitter from Rare Ltd and founder Tim Stamper.