Segasa

Segasa (originally incorporated as Sega, S.A., Service Games Sociedad Anónima) was founded in Madrid in 1968 and operated under the SONIC brand to produce, license and distribute Spanish-made pinball machines and imported arcade titles from larger American and Japanese firms, later moving manufacturing to a larger factory in Parla to meet growing demand. Known for filling a niche in Spain’s regulated amusement market through authorized licensing rather than unlicensed reproductions, Segasa combined inventive artwork and localized themes with authorized distribution deals to become a leading Spanish pinball and arcade supplier in the 1970s and 1980s. Segasa’s most celebrated SONIC-era tables include Faces, Mars Trek and Prospector, and the company even produced an early Star Wars pinball in 1987 before comparable U.S. releases, demonstrating both creative and market-driven initiatives. As video games grew, Segasa pivoted toward arcade cabinet manufacturing and modular designs such as the “Video Sonic” system to allow operators to update game boards without replacing entire cabinets, but manufacturing declined in the early 1990s, followed by a management buyout in 1994 and eventual wind-down and dissolution by 2006, leaving Segasa as a key part of Spain’s pinball heritage. Representative Segasa/SONIC titles include Dealer's Choice, Lucky Ace, High Ace, Big Ben, Odin Deluxe, Prospector, Gulfstream, Tropic Fun, Jai Alai, Pole Position, Strato/Astro/Super-Flite, Gamatron, Casino Royale, Flash, Spanish Eyes, Hang-On, Travel Time/Summer Time, Jubilee/Darling, Triple Action/Star Action, Joker's Wild, Monaco/Cannes, Pat Hand/Satin Doll and Night Fever, and collectors and historians continue to seek Segasa machines for their distinctive European artwork, historical importance and role in the evolution of Spanish pinball and arcade culture.