Segasa
From Sega Retro
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Segasa | ||
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Founded: 1968-03-25 | ||
Defunct: 2005? | ||
Headquarters:
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Segasa (originally founded as Sega S.A.) was a Spanish amusement company established on March 25, 1968, by Sega Enterprises, Ltd.-related shareholders. It produced coin-operated amusement machines and pinball tables, which were the only coin-op equipment legally produced in Spain at the time.
Contents
History
Segasa was founded by Martin Bromley[2] and Burt Siegel[3] in 1968 as a means of producing arcade machines for the Spanish market. Despite sharing a similar name and being associated with Sega executives, Segasa is not thought to have ever been a subsidiary[4] of Sega in Japan or the US, but is thought to have manufactured and distributed Sega's products, with Japanese designs but with parts sourced from Europe. It also exported its own games, which may have been distributed by Sega in other regions.
In Franco's Spain, gambling games ("type B" games) were not permitted, meaning Segasa could not benefit from Sega's history of slot machines and other gambling products. This law was overturned in 1977 during Spain's transition to democracy.
In the mid-1970s, likely in conjunction with Sega changing its corporate logo, Segasa began trading as Sonic (years before the invention of Sega's mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog), sometimes under the full title of Segasa d.b.a. Sonic (doing business as). It was during this time that Segasa signed distribution deals with other US and Japanese firms (such as Williams, Atari, Inc.[5] and even Nintendo[5]), bringing further titles to Spain. Seeburg would acquire a 50% stake in Segasa in 1973.
Segasa was also one of the few active video game companies operating in Spain that went out of its way to obtain official licensing agreements[5]. At the time, it was more common to see unauthorised bootleg arcade boards, and for many years these grey markets competed directly with Segasa. Initially attempts were made to localise games for a Spanish audience, though many later games were left as originally intended.
During the 1980s Segasa introduced the "Video Sonic" concept - a standardised arcade cabinet with interchangable parts, allowing new arcade games to be hooked up without needless extra cost. By the 1990s virtually all game Spanish game production had ceased, with Segasa's main business being the importing and rebranding of arcade games for these Video Sonic cabinets.
In 1994 Segasa became wholly owned by Spanish shareholders. As the decade drew to a close and more elaborate arcade cabinets were becoming more commonplace, Segasa moved into the gambling sector before closing its doors around 2005.
Softography
Electro-mechanical arcade
Pinball
Imported
- Astro-Flite (Strato-Flite; Williams)
- Baby Doll (Satin Doll; Williams)
- Big Ben (Williams)
- Casbah (Darling/Jubilee; Williams)
- Gulfstream (Williams)
- High Ace (Dealer's Choice/Lucky Ace; Williams)
- Lucky Ace (Williams)
- Spanish Eyes (Super Filte/Strato-Flite; Williams)
- Star-Flite (Williams)
- Storm (Flash; Williams)
- Travel Time (Williams)
- Triple Action (Williams)
Arcade
Imported
- Dragon Ninja
- Dragon's Lair
- The End
- Exerion
- Frog Cross
- Future Spy
- Gang Hunter
- Gauntlet
- Gauntlet II
- Ghosts'n Goblins
- The Glob
- Golden Axe
- Great Gurianos
- Hang-On
- Head On
- Hogan's Alley
- Hyper Sports
- Ikari Warriors
- Indiana Jones
- Jungle King
- Karate Champ
- Kung Fu Master
- Le Mans 2
- Le Mans 24
- Lunar Lander
- The Main Event
- Marble Madness
- Mechanized Attack
- Mega-Tech System
- Missile Command
- The Monster
- Moon Cresta
- NBA Basket Mate
- Off Road
- Olympic
- Operation Wolf
- Pac-Man
- Paperboy
- Phoenix
- Ping Pong II
- Play Sonic 4
- PlayChoice 10
- Pole Position
- Pole Position II
- Power Drift
- Pro Monaco GP
- Punch-Out!!
- Qix
- Space Invaders
- Space King
- Space Mission Scramble
- Space Wars
- Star Force
- Star Rider
- Star Wars
- Street Fighter
- Super Breakout
- Super Bug
- Super Contra
- Super Punch Out!!
- Super Sprint
- Virtua Fighter
- Vs. Super Mario Bros.
- World Cup
Photo gallery
Logos
References
- ↑ [SegasadbaSonic.jpg SegasadbaSonic.jpg]
- ↑ Cash Box, "October 19, 1974" (US; 1974-10-19), page 91
- ↑ Cash Box, "August 16, 1975" (US; 1975-08-16), page 45
- ↑ Cash Box, "May 26, 1973" (US; 1973-05-26), page 51
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 File:Micromania ES 016.pdf, page 31