Segasa

From Sega Retro

https://segaretro.org/images/2/2c/Segasa_logo_3.png

Segasa logo 3.png
Segasa
Founded: 1968-03-25[1][2]
Defunct: 2006
Headquarters:
1968:  Calle (street) Adela Balboa[3], No. 3, Madrid 20, Spain
1973:  Carretera (highway) Toledo, km 22.900[4], Apartado (P.O. Box) 16117, Parla, Madrid, Spain

Segasa (originally founded as Sega S.A., Service Games Sociedad Anónima[5]) 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.

History

The inside of Segasa's factory in 1987

Segasa was founded by Martin Bromley[6][7][8], Richard Stewart, Ray Lemaire and Scott F. Dotterer in 1968 as a means of producing arcade machines for the Spanish market. It was initially headed by Bromley's longtime friend American businessman Bert Siegel[9][10][11][12] (Bertram Leroy Siegel[13], father of Lawrence David Siegel[14], President of Atari from 1987 to 1992, of Black Pearl Software from 1992 to 1993 and COO of THQ from 1993 to 1995) who was replaced in 1986 by former Segasa's Vice President Eduardo Morales-Hermo who took charge of the company unitl its dissolution in 2006[15]. Despite sharing a similar name and being associated with Sega executives, Segasa is not thought to have ever been a subsidiary[16] 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[17] during Spain's transition to democracy.

In the mid-1970s, likely in conjunction with Sega changing its corporate logo, Segasa began trading as Sonic[18][19][20] (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.[21] and even Nintendo[21]), bringing further titles to Spain. Seeburg would acquire a 50% stake in Segasa in 1973[22].

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[21]. 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"[23][24] 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.

On September 30, 1991[25] Sega, S.A. Sonic UK Design Ltd[26][27] a.ka. Sonic Games Limited[28][29] was established in Penarth, Wales, by Segasa's CEO and General Manager Eduardo Morales-Hermo and its long time friend, British game designer Ron Watts[30] (Ronald Arthur Watts), formerly of JPM Automatic Machines Ltd[31][32][33] (later JPM International[34]), as Segasa's game and software development subsidiary, which was a source for original game design and game software development for the International, UK and Spanish gaming markets. Sega, S.A. Sonic UK Design Ltd would be acquired in 2004[35] by the Novomatic Group of Companies (one of the global leaders in the international gaming industry, founded in 1980[36] by Austrian billionaire Johann Graf, in Gumpoldskirchen, Austria), becoming Astra Games Limited.

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, but with the advent of the Euro[37] and due to fierce competition of rival companies, like Cirsa and Recreativos Franco the company was relegated to a modest third place, obtaining only 15% of the market[37], wenting into court-appointed receivership on March 2nd, 2005[38] with a debt of €371.920,59 before closing its doors in 2006.

Softography[39]

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

Photo gallery

  • Segasa headquarters, 19xx

  • Segasa HQ 2.jpg

  • Segasa headquarters in 1973

  • An assembly line in Segasa's factory (1987)

Promotional material

  • ES promotional keyring and pen

Logos

  • 19xx-19xx

  • 19xx-197x

  • 197x-19xx

  • 19xx-19xx

  • 198x-19xx

  • 19xx-200x

External links

References

  1. ↑ http://www.segasa.es:80/sega/empresa.htm (Wayback Machine: 2001-02-05 05:50)
  2. ↑ https://i.ibb.co/dQx72mX/El-Economista-Revista-Semanal-Cientifica-EIndependiente-ES-Vol-80-1968-05-11-Page-1198.png (archive.today)
  3. ↑ Cash Box, "July 4, 1970" (US; 1970-07-04), page 318
  4. ↑ File:SegasadbaSonic.jpg
  5. ↑ http://blogpinball.blogspot.com/2016/07/segasa-sonic-desde-japon-hasta-parla.html
  6. ↑ Cash Box, "October 19, 1974" (US; 1974-10-19), page 91
  7. ↑ File:CoinSlot UK 1977-03-19, Page 23 (51).png
  8. ↑ Game Machine, "1987-11-01" (JP; 1987-11-01), page 14
  9. ↑ Cash Box, "August 16, 1975" (US; 1975-08-16), page 45
  10. ↑ http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GbD-cdxiRG0/VVA1hoiruNI/AAAAAAAAEG8/vounLj2tIpA/s1600/power%2B1978.PNG
  11. ↑ Cash Box, "October 29, 1977" (US; 1977-10-29), page 59
  12. ↑ Fraud and Corruption in Management of Military Club Systems/Illegal Currency Manipulations Affecting South Vietnam: US Senate Hearings (1969-09-30 — 1969-10-07), page 1904
  13. ↑ File:Bert Siegel Letter to Charles Paul of Atari 1982-03-11.pdf, page 1
  14. ↑ File:TargetedMicrowaveSolutions Management Information Circular 2017-09-08.pdf, page 8
  15. ↑ Interview: Eduardo Morales-Hermo (2022-10-05) by Sega-16
  16. ↑ Cash Box, "May 26, 1973" (US; 1973-05-26), page 51
  17. ↑ Azar, "Octubre 1985" (ES; 1985-xx-xx), page 43
  18. ↑ File:Trademark Sonic Ser Nº M1039416 1983-06-08 (World Intellectual Property Organization).pdf
  19. ↑ File:Trademark Sonic Ser Nº 74506605 1994-03-29 (World Intellectual Property Organization).pdf
  20. ↑ File:Trademark Sonic Ser Nº 000572404 1997-07-04 (European Union Intellectual Property Office).pdf
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 File:Micromania ES 016.pdf, page 31
  22. ↑ Cash Box, "December 29, 1973" (US; 1973-12-29), page 127
  23. ↑ Azar, "Septiembre 1985" (ES; 1985-xx-xx), page 10
  24. ↑ Azar, "Septiembre 1985" (ES; 1985-xx-xx), page 11
  25. ↑ https://www.companieslist.co.uk/FC016883-sega-s-a (Wayback Machine: 2022-05-20 18:04)
  26. ↑ https://www.companieslist.co.uk/03647846-sega-s-a-sonic-u-k-design-limited (Wayback Machine: 2022-06-14 12:19)
  27. ↑ File:AstraGamesLtd Annual Return (made up to 1999-04-14) 1999-04-16.pdf, page 7
  28. ↑ File:AstraGamesLtd Annual Return (made up to 1994-05-10) 1994-06-08.pdf, page 3
  29. ↑ File:Patent GB2281651A.pdf
  30. ↑ https://www.coinslot.co.uk/2018/12/17/jpm-astra-games-sega-uk/ (Wayback Machine: 2018-12-26 01:19)
  31. ↑ File:AstraGamesLtd Annual Return (made up to 1994-05-10) 1994-06-08.pdf, page 4
  32. ↑ Cash Box, "January 1, 1977" (US; 1977-01-01), page 35
  33. ↑ https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/d4wAAOSwMl9aUFXC/s-l1600.jpg (Wayback Machine: 2019-01-30 12:06)
  34. ↑ http://www.jpm.co.uk/home/
  35. ↑ File:DiePresse DE 2004-09-23.pdf
  36. ↑ https://www.forbes.com/profile/johann-graf/#11a2ab772a88
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Press Release: 2002-04-17: El fabricante de recreativos Sega suspende pagos por el euro
  38. ↑ File:Boletín Oficial del Registro Mercantil (2005-03-22).pdf
  39. ↑ File:Boletín Oficial de Castilla y León 2010-05-12.pdf, page 43
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