Sega World - Sega Park Bournemouth

Sega Park Bournemouth

Originally opened in July 1993 as Sega World, it was the first arcade to be opened up by Sega's European department known as 'Sega Operations UK'. The original floor plan design failed a fire safety check (entrances and exits & layout of machines being main factors) and the site was closed for 2 weeks. During this time, the floor was lowered and the entrance adjusted.

In December 1993, it was split into various sections:

• Ground floor: Various arcade machines (most notably a pair of R360's), and a raised area to the right that housed the 'Sega Shop', which sold various video games, consoles, t-shirts and other merchandise (closed in 1995).

• Middle section: Reception area (taken out in 1997), more arcade machines and two karaoke rooms.

• Back section: Four half size bowling lanes (removed from site in 1994), and a Burger King restaurant (closed in 2001).

The Sega World name was changed to 'Sega Park' in 1998 due to Sega opening the substantially larger 'Sega World London' in the Trocadero in 1996 (it took two years to change the signs).

Sega Operations UK sold most of the Sega arcades and the rights (for five years) to the Sega Park name to 'The Leisure Exchange' on the 31st of March 2000, marking the end for Sega Operations UK on the same date (Sega Europe handled the overseas arcades). 'Sega Park Bournemouth' was renamed 'The Leisure Exchange' in 2007 (changed to 'Amusements' in 2010) with more fruit machines than video games.

This arcade continues to be in operation to this day and includes various UFO catchers, penny pushers and fruit and ticket machines. 'Amusements' has a few notable arcade machines: Ferrari F355 Challenge (still with Sega Park sticker attached) and a 3 way link setup of Outrun 2 Special Tours (SP) DX. Newer additions as of February 2013, include a Daytona USA twin sit down and House of the Dead 4, which were both sourced from the recently closed 'Sega Park, Southampton'.

Arcade machines in operation as of February 2013:

• The Fast and the Furious Superbikes (twin)
• Racedriver GRID (twin)
• Daytona USA (twin)
• OutRun 2 SP DX (3 way link setup)
• Rambo (DLX)
• Time Crisis 4 (DLX)
• Let's Go Jungle! (DLX)
• Ferrari F355 Challenge (DLX - 3 screens)
• The House of the Dead 4 (DLX)
• Dancing Stage EuroMIX 2
• Guitar Hero Arcade