Sega was a major coin-op, arcade, and video game company that operated pinball manufacturing divisions across Japanese, Spanish (Segasa), and American markets from 1965-1999. They acquired Data East's pinball division from Konami in 1998, producing notable games like Jurassic Park: The Lost World (1997) and South Park (1999) before exiting pinball manufacturing. As a video game company, Sega also licensed IP (notably Sonic) to pinball manufacturers and was known for implementing cost-reduction strategies that affected game quality during their Data East ownership period.
Sega never built a Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine despite having the IP and the opportunity.
Sega mandated the use of modern 3D Sonic Generations aesthetic rather than retro 2D artwork for the pinball game
Sega provided video content for Sonic's backglass display
Sega restricted Jersey Jack from using 16-bit Sonic or Sonic 2 imagery in the pinball machine.
Video game and entertainment company that produced pinball machines with Sega branding but never created a Sonic the Hedgehog pinball, according to Guarnieri.
Original Sonic IP licensor, collaborated with Jersey Jack Pinball on licensing
Licensor of Sonic IP; made creative decision to use modern 3D Sonic Generations aesthetic instead of retro 2D art, per hosts' inference.
IP rights holder for Sonic; provided video content (4K+ resolution) to JJP for backglass display integration
Pinball machine manufacturer; released Independence Day in 1996.
Sonic franchise IP holder; described as collaborative partner with great understanding of game design
No linked glossary terms
SEGA's strict IP control during its pinball era meant Sonic never appeared on any SEGA-manufactured pinball machine despite being the company's flagship character
SEGA acquired Data East's pinball division in 1994 for approximately $36 million
Senbla and Sega announced Sonic Live in Concert concert series
Crazy Taxi: World Tour will be released for consoles and PCs
Sega produced approximately 2,200 South Park pinball machines
Sega was the first and possibly only pinball manufacturer to include a decal on the top of the drop target unit
Sega produced Jurassic Park Lost World with multiple dinosaur mold variations
Only 600 Jurassic Park Lost World machines were made
Sega games are generally bashed harder by the hobbyist community than Data East games
South Park (1999) only sold 2,200 units, contradicting Joe Kamenkow's claim it was a major competitive victory
Sega's South Park (1999) only sold 2,200 units despite Joe Kamenkow claiming it put the 'final nail in Williams' coffin'
Sega brought Ballzania, a new pachinko-like redemption game, to IAAPA Europe 2023
The original Sonic game on Genesis was really great
Sega trademarked 'Genesis Atmos' for arcade gaming machines
Sega did not award the Sonic pinball license to Stern
Sega R360 was released in Japan in November 1990 with approximately 100 units produced
Sega was involved with Tough Turf
Sega VR Agent will arrive in North America within 3 weeks and is oversold until May/June
Sega's deluxe arcade cabinets like Afterburner and Outrun set the standard for motion arcade experiences
Sega quit Japanese arcade business after 50 years
Sega Turbo arcade machine from 1980 featured a 12-inch subwoofer
Sega-era pinball games (mid-1990s) commonly had weak audio design and repetitive callouts
The game's limited production run was due to poor reception of the Matthew Broderick film
Sega Godzilla was the last Sega pinball machine manufactured
Sega Enterprises created Segasa in 1968, which became Sonic, and produced pinball machines from 1972-1986
Sega used Molex connectors instead of Jones plugs in Galaxy
Sega Galaxy uses flipper coils similar to Bally EMs rather than Williams-style flipper coils
Sega made Jumbo arcade game featuring elephant shooting ping pong ball through hoops via pneumatics
Sega made an EM gunfight arcade game where players could shoot scenery like cacti in addition to the opponent.
Video game company partnering with Jersey Jack Pinball on Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine
Owner of Sonic the Hedgehog IP; partnered with Jersey Jack Pinball on official pinball adaptation
IP licensor for Sonic; controls brand assets and restricts legacy 16-bit imagery from being licensed.
IP licensor for Sonic the Hedgehog pinball, chosen Sonic Generations specifically, provided style guides, rejected Sega logo/sound inclusion
Video game company that owns Sonic the Hedgehog franchise; licensing partner for the pinball machine
Original Sonic video game IP holder; provided 3D character models and licensing for pinball adaptation
IP owner of Sonic franchise; licensing restrictions prevent use of classic Sega startup sound and limit artwork customization
Original creator and IP holder of Sonic the Hedgehog video game franchise. Licensed to Jersey Jack Pinball for this machine adaptation.
IP licensor for Sonic the Hedgehog pinball. Imposed constraints on use of classic Sega startup sound and mandated modern 3D aesthetic instead of retro pixel art.
Video game company; acquired Data East's pinball division for ~$36M in 1994; exited pinball in October 1999; now licensing Sonic to JJP (not Stern, which is the inherited pinball heir)
Original publisher/creator of the Sonic the Hedgehog video game franchise
Original video game publisher and owner of Sonic the Hedgehog IP; Sonic was official mascot since 1991
Original developer of Sonic the Hedgehog video game franchise (1991); IP licensor for pinball machine
Transitional company entity between Data East and Stern Pinball
Vintage pinball manufacturer; produced Godzilla; described as 'underrated in general' by hosts
Manufacturer of the 1993 Guns N' Roses pinball machine (Sega-era)
Original manufacturer of South Park pinball machine that Farsight would have remade instead of Zen creating original
Electronics manufacturer; Baywatch pinball machine in Delaware Collective
Publisher and rights holder of Sonic the Hedgehog franchise
Owned Williams in 1996 when Safe Cracker was manufactured.
Pinball manufacturer in 1995; released Apollo 13, Batman Forever, Baywatch, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Produced Starship Troopers pinball machine used in tournament
Pinball manufacturer where Jon Norris worked after Gottlieb
Arcade and game publisher announcing Crazy Taxi: World Tour sequel for consoles and PCs
Pinball manufacturer; produced Starship Troopers (1997); competed in final years of traditional arcade pinball
Video game and arcade manufacturer; produced Apollo 13, the only non-Bally Williams game on the top ten list
Manufacturer of Independence Day pinball machine (1996) that produced the promotional spaceship toy
Manufacturer of Starship Troopers (1997), Baywatch (1995), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Star Wars Trilogy
Pinball manufacturer in late 1990s; owned Stern operations until real takeover in 2000; used same board sets as early Stern machines
Company where Pellegrini worked for five years expanding presence in Latin America
Pinball manufacturer mentioned as making improvements in their machines in 1995
Pinball manufacturer; released Batman Forever, Apollo 13, Johnny Mnemonic, Baywatch, and other 1995 titles
Manufacturer of the 1997 Jurassic Park: The Lost World pinball machine
Pinball manufacturer; employed Orin Day and other Data East veterans; produced games with Data East USA platform
Operated pinball division briefly; Gary Stern was CEO. Company eventually folded and Stern took it private to continue pinball manufacturing.
Manufacturer of Apollo 13 and Baywatch; Balcer worked here after Data East
EM arcade manufacturer known for Helicopter game (variant of Chopper), Jumbo elephant pneumatic game with ping pong ball mechanics, and gunfight arcade games with destructible scenery
Founded Segasa in 1968, later became Sonic; produced pinball machines 1972-1986
Game manufacturer; produced pinball game Frankenstein (1995) with 3,000 units made
Company where Stan worked briefly; had multiple competing platforms; Stan worked on storyboards and conceptual designs
Pinball manufacturer discussed as 'stepchild' of pinball community. Known for big display screens and snappy, bouncy gameplay design.
Pinball manufacturer; produced Frankenstein with skill level selection feature
Manufacturer that produced South Park before being bought and repackaged as Stern
Japanese manufacturer of the Galaxy machine; also known for other pinball and arcade products
Video game company that produced Viper pinball machine
Manufacturer of Godzilla pinball (1998); formerly Data East; later became Stern Pinball; known for shaker motor integration in games.
Publisher of Sonic and the Secret Rings; also noted as a competitor to Nintendo in the Genesis era
Video game company that permitted fan homebrew Sonic Spinball game with asset usage for non-commercial fan project
Arcade and home console manufacturer, produced specialized control arcade machines like Sega Turbo and After Burner
Rights holder for Sonic the Hedgehog IP; Japanese ownership made final licensing decision against American Pinball
Arcade/pinball manufacturer; referenced during board cleaning demonstration
Historic pinball manufacturer whose games were produced using Stern's dimpling press.
Original manufacturer of the 1996 GoldenEye physical pinball machine
Original manufacturer/publisher of Space Jam pinball in 1996; referenced for provenance of table
Pinball machine manufacturer; Apollo 13 (1995) creator
Manufacturer of The Lost World Jurassic Park; described as unfairly maligned by pinball community
Developer and publisher of OutRun 2 arcade game
Manufacturer of Star Wars Trilogy arcade cabinet in 1998 on Model 3 hardware
Japanese game manufacturer; employed Malcolm as Australian distributor in late 1990s; invested $5M in NVIDIA startup in 1997
Hardware manufacturer; Retro Ralph owns multiple Sega Genesis models (Model 1 and Model 2), Sega Saturn, and multiple Dreamcast systems
IP holder for Saturn controller design and Genesis games referenced
Developer of the Sega R360 arcade cabinet released in November 1990
Manufacturer of The Lost World: Jurassic Park machine; positioned as the better-designed sequel compared to Data East's version
1995 pinball manufacturer/arcade company that produced Baywatch; referenced as having distinctive design/audio characteristics
Manufacturer of Godzilla pinball (1998); final pinball release; discontinued pinball production after this
Distributor of Frogger cocktail cabinet manufactured in 1982
Original publisher of Streets of Rage and manufacturer of Megatech arcade hardware
Game manufacturer showcasing VR Agent and Mission Impossible arcade at expo; historically known for deluxe arcade cabinets
Original publisher/manufacturer of Outrun arcade game; logo licensing issue prevents inclusion on Arcade1Up version
Arcade cabinet manufacturer criticized for complex wiring and design philosophy
Manufacturer of VR Agent, an attendant-less VR arcade game
Manufacturer of VR Agent attendant-less VR arcade experience
Arcade manufacturer that produced Virtua Racing; known for innovative 3D hardware and immersive arcade experiences
Arcade hardware manufacturer; produced Model 1 and Model 2 hardware for various racing games
Classic arcade manufacturer known for deluxe motion cabinets including After Burner and OutRun
Arcade manufacturer, involved with Tough Turf
Japanese arcade and video game manufacturer; produced Golden Axe and System 16 arcade boards
Japanese video game and arcade company; focus of RetroRalph's collection spanning Master System through Dreamcast era
Manufacturer of VR Agent arcade game
Active arcade game manufacturer
Manufacturer of After Burner arcade machine
Manufacturer of Apollo 13 pinball machine (1995)
Manufacturer of Space Jam pinball machine
Rights holder for Sonic IP; would need to approve licensing for Sonic Pinball if American Pinball pursues it
Manufacturer of the X-Files pinball machine; receives praise for design choices regarding side rail assembly
Pinball manufacturer where John Norris worked after Gottlieb closure before joining Stern
Successor to Data East; Borg's first Sega game was Frankenstein in 1995; company also produced Baywatch, Apollo 13, and other titles
Acquired Data East Pinball in 1994; owned 20% of Data East Japan due to corporate interlocking
Pinball manufacturer where Joe Balcer worked; produced Apollo 13
Arcade/pinball manufacturer with games designed by John Borg
Manufacturer; Starship Troopers in collection
Previous operator of the Melrose Park facility before Stern Pinball
Company that became Stern Pinball in 1999; Ray Tanzer worked there from February 1996
Manufacturer of South Park pinball machine at the venue
Previous owner of Stern Pinball; sold to Gary Stern in 1999
Manufacturer of Initial D arcade driving games present at Point Break
Gaming manufacturer with 1 pinball machine at Pins Nashville (South Park)
Historical pinball manufacturer with games in 1990s era
Stern Pinball's predecessor; Ray Tanzer worked there previously
Company name for Data East Pinball after 1994 reorganization
Historical pinball division between Data East and modern Stern operations, covered in book
Corporate entity from 1995-1999, created when Stern and Kaminkov's investors took over Data East; became Stern Pinball in 1999
Co-founder of GameWorks joint venture; later operated GameWorks through Sega Sammy Holdings
Arcade/entertainment company; Paul Faris worked for Sega on pinball artwork
Historical pinball division; former employer of Joe Kaminkow and Gary Stern
Arcade manufacturer that produced pinball games compatible with AdPin flipper products
Predecessor company to Stern Pinball; Stern assumed ownership and continued operations
Amusement manufacturer exhibiting Ballzania pachinko-style redemption game at IAAPA Europe
Filed trademark for 'Genesis Atmos' covering arcade gaming machines, casino machines, and electronic game machines
Arcade/pinball manufacturer with South Park pinball at Aftershock
IP rights holder for Sonic the Hedgehog; allegedly in negotiations with American Pinball regarding pinball machine licensing
Major arcade manufacturer exiting Japanese arcade business after 50 years
Manufacturer of Independence Day machine (1996) in Mom's collection
Pinball manufacturer; represented at Richmond Pinball Collective with GoldenEye (1996) and Star Wars Trilogy (1997)
Arcade/pinball manufacturer; represented by Twister at Crabtowne
Classic pinball manufacturer; FarSight actively acquiring licenses and completing emulation for multiple Sega titles
Pinball manufacturer; produced Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1995) with MIDI audio and high-resolution DMD
Referenced as comparison point for head style design on 'Joker' machine
Owned pinball manufacturing 1994-1999; acquired Data East; sold to Gary Stern who founded Stern Pinball
Pinball manufacturer; produced ~15 games; hosts emphasize their underrated quality and strong secondary market appreciation
Manufacturer of South Park pinball machine in the 1990s, later absorbed into Stern.
Pinball manufacturer of 1990s; received major licenses (monster properties); competed with Data East and Williams
Acquired Data East pinball division in 1994; owned by Gary Stern; desperately wanted out of pinball business; sold to Stern in 1999.
Manufacturer of the 1997 Jurassic Park: The Lost World pinball machine
Pinball manufacturer with approximately 19 games produced; represented in Next Level collection
Historical acquirer of Data East Pinball; intermediate owner before sale to Stern
Owned Stern Pinball (then Sega Pinball) from 1994-1999; Gary Stern purchased company from Sega in 1999
Successor to Data East Pinball (1994-1999) after Sega acquired the division to bail out Data East Japan's financial difficulties. Provided increased funding and credibility but lacked strategic fit with parent company; eventually bought back by Gary Stern.
Successor to Data East Pinball in Gary's career timeline; mentioned as part of corporate evolution before current Stern Pinball
Licensor of Sonic; awarded license to unnamed competitor during American Pinball negotiations
Video game division of Sega; sold pinball assets (including Striker Extreme design) to Gary Stern, becoming modern Stern Pinball
Acquired Data East/Stern Pinball in 1993; sold pinball division back to Gary Stern's group in 1999
Acquired Time Out in 1987; funded development of first all-indoor multi-attraction family entertainment center with Time Out.
Mentioned as another pinball manufacturer competing during 1990s
Acquired Data East; released South Park in 1999, final licensed game before industry collapse
Video game company delisting Sonic games from mobile; mentioned in context of free game availability
Pinball manufacturer from 1994-1999 (successor to Data East); became Stern Pinball after Gary Stern's 1999 acquisition
Manufacturer of South Park pinball machine released in 1999; noted as solid location earner
Made marked improvements in their pinball machines in 1995 alongside Williams/Bally
Major coin-op and arcade manufacturer with pinball divisions across Japanese, Spanish (Segasa), and American (via Data East acquisition) markets from 1965-1999
Gaming company that utilized Fred Young's voice work on pinball machines
Referenced as acquiring Data East's pinball division; Ward worked on GoldenEye there
Acquired Data East Pinball from Konami; implemented 10% annual cost reductions on materials and staff; reduced game quality through bill-of-material cuts; managed Data East 1998-1999
1990s pinball manufacturer where Lonnie Mi worked; part of his industry background
Manufacturer of the 1997 Jurassic Park: The Lost World pinball machine being restored
Manufacturer of 1997 Jurassic Park The Lost World pinball machine
1997 manufacturer of Jurassic Park pinball machine; criticized for difficult serviceability design of drop target assembly
Original manufacturer of Lost World pinball machine (1997)
Mentioned in Stern's business succession timeline (after Data East)
Manufacturer of the Jurassic Park: The Lost World pinball machine
Manufacturer of this Jurassic Park variant; Data East successor in Stern lineage
Manufacturer of Jurassic Park: The Lost World pinball machine
Manufacturer of Lost World pinball game; flipper rebuild kits identified as Data East/Sega variant
Owned Stern Pinball operations from 1994-1999; renamed Stern's division before Gary Stern repurchased in 1999
Data East became Sega Pinball after 1994; Borg's first Sega game was Frankenstein (1995)
Video game company and licensor of Sonic IP; Kaneda implies Sega chose Jersey Jack over American Pinball based on portfolio strength and previous releases.
Historical manufacturer; mentioned in context of Stern's quality control testing continuity