Mission Control Project: 5 years on, what to do with the leftovers?

[Pixelhugger]

Thanks VRF!

I've been thinking off and on about a cocktail and about a portable/handheld console hack. Not sure what the next project will be.

[opt2not]

I wanna change my vote. I like the new Mission Control better. Christ that thing is a sexy beast.

[portugese pirate]

Wait for it... Wait for it....      

Be patient... it's 8 minutes of awesome.



Link fixed!

this is comming from a guy whos hair was bigger and badder than his girlfriends in the 80's........the video and cabinet are totally awsome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pixelhugger]

Thanks guys! Always fun to get a bump. And now the video's link is bumped as well. Sweet.

I showed the video during movie night with some other families and now one of my daughter's friends actually thinks I was actually famous in the 80's. Later I repurposed the outfit for Halloween. Everyone under 20 thought I was supposed to be a woman. I was all... "WHAT?!?! NO! I'm an 80's rocker, you know like... Hagar, Roth, Bret Michaels.....  anyone???" Made me feel real old real fast.

[yotsuya]

Thanks guys! Always fun to get a bump. And now the video's link is bumped as well. Sweet.

I showed the video during movie night with some other families and now one of my daughter's friends thinks I was actually famous in the 80's.

I repurposed the outfit for Halloween. Everyone under 20 thought I was supposed to be a woman. I was all... "WHAT?!?! NO! I'm an 80's rocker, you know like... Hagar, Roth, Bret Michaels.....  anyone???" Made me feel real old real fast.

Dude looks like a lady!

[LeedsFan]

Just caught this thread again.... and so it's finally finished!!!  I remember seeing this thread when I first joined this forum and thinking "wow! that's gonna be cool" but I still thought it would be done in a few months. Gotta say it's absolutely stunning.      You must be very proud. And after all that do the kiddies like playing on it? Or have they grown up now and think those games are crap?   

The video is brilliant and very well edited. Another skill you have there. It took me a few seconds to realise that all the names were peeps who posted in the thread over the years. 

Dare I ask... what's next in the pipeline? 

(I would lose the nag screens in Mame though  )

[Pixelhugger]

And after all that do the kiddies like playing on it? Or have they grown up now and think those games are crap?

One of the benefits of taking 8 years to build it was that the completion timed out perfectly with my oldest son getting to an age where he can play/enjoy the games.  Of course it helps that we dont have a Wii, Playstation or Xbox to compare. 

As far as whats next, I've been interested in a cocktail. I recently found sites for DIY multitouch tables like the Surface. That seems like it would be a really cool project, not so much for gaming but for photos, internet access, interactive lava lamps etc...

[Benevolance]

Do you have some good links for the DIY multitouch?

I was really impressed watching Settlers of Cataan played on a Microsoft Surface at PAX. I think a multi-touch table would be excellent for digital incarnations of certain board games. The only part I disliked was that the 'cards' were part of the surface, which required good gamemanship from your opponents not to simply look at your hand.

And if you played it right...you could install a tablet in the kitchen and some restaurant software on the multitouch table. Then whenever you need a beer or a snack, you simply place the order from the couch and your wife brings it out. It's a genius idea that has no flaws!

[Felsir]

Great stuff Pixel! Eight wonderful years! I recall taking a look at the concept renders thinking "this is going to be something to watch". Man I wasn't disappointed.

[Insert lots of awesome comments about craftmanship, vision, detailing, graphic design, woodworking, sprockets and lastercutters, curved wood, curved lexan, frontend here but have already been said by countless people]
Above all, a huge accomplishment to continue with this much dedication to bring this project to completion without making sacrifices to your vision. Well done and thanks for keeping us humble BYOACers inspired :-)

and: yay! I'm mentioned in the video!

[Todd H]

I return after a prolonged absence to find that you've finally finished your cabinet. And, man, is it absolutely gorgeous! I love the newer version. You, sir, have created the best looking MAME cabinet I have ever seen. Kudos.

[drventure]

we don't have a Wii, Playstation or Xbox to compare

 

I know that exactly, my daughter's in about the same stage, and we don't have any consoles either.

But, she seems to have an appreciation for the classics now, so it's all good.

[Pixelhugger]

@ Felsir and ToddH - Great to see old faces dropping in! What a long strange trip it's been. You still vectorizing Felsir?

drV- Yeah, it's huge fun to see the kids clearing levels and learning tricks I did when I was a kid. The other day my son was playing Mario Bros. with my daughter when she had to go finish some chore or other. Rather than lose their accomplishment of getting to  "the fly level" together he showed her where to position her character at the lower edge of screen where the turtles/crabs/flies never go so he could keep playing without her losing her lives. I never knew that trick, it was like watching some other kid at an arcade and picking up tricks.  Silly but fun.

My son is going crazy to play New Super Mario Bros on Wii and I should really just cave and buy one. Been toying with setting up Dolphin on Mission Control, but my core duo can't play it any faster than 30% speed. Need to upgrade to an i7...

[yotsuya]

My son is going crazy to play New Super Mario Bros on Wii and I should really just cave and buy one. Been toying with setting up Dolphin on Mission Control, but my core duo can't play it any faster than 30% speed. Need to upgrade to an i7...

Just retire Mission Control and build a new cabinet! 

[AmericanDemon]

I just popped in for a moment and decided to check the thread for old times sake....  DUDE!  Congratulations!  Such a labor of love.  A true testament to the BYOAC spirit!  You sir should get an award.... like a lifetime achievement Mamey or something! 

It must be such a relief to finally have the machine done.  Now, how much time do you spend playing on it?     I miss talking with you man.  Great times!

[Pixelhugger]

Just retire Mission Control and build a new cabinet! 

Like the space shuttle... So now I just need to get SpaceX to contract it's replacement!


@AD-  hey man! Long time!! I play on it probably every other day. The kids play more than that... As much as we let them.  Actually using it has been one of the bigger surprises, as I thought it'd mostly be a conversation piece/nostalgia shrine.  For me it helps that I got Donkey Kong II and there's no continue game, so playing feels like it did way back when.

[ds015882]

Wow what an Awesome project...you make me feel like such a lazy bastard for using duck tape to hold my control panel in place.

[Pixelhugger]

It takes 8 years less to attach your CP that way.

[drventure]

Been toying with setting up Dolphin on Mission Control, but my core duo can't play it any faster than 30% speed. Need to upgrade to an i7...

 

And you just +thought+ you were finished!

[ErikRuud]

Just retire Mission Control and build a new cabinet! 

Like the space shuttle... So now I just need to get SpaceX to contract it's replacement!

Just make sure you don't get a contract with the Russian Space Agency. 

Awesome job!

[WaRpEd]

Hey pixel I just dropped in and it's finally finished!!!!! Who won the pool on how long it would take to finish. I had 4yrs 2 mos  Your workmanship and attention to the tiniest detail is what kept coming back again and again and again. Seriously awesome work.

[Felsir]

@ Felsir and ToddH - Great to see old faces dropping in! What a long strange trip it's been. You still vectorizing Felsir?

Hey Pixel, yeah, I still do some vectorizing projects once in a while (I worked on a few cardgames via www.thegamecrafter.com). Sadly most of my hobbies got sidetracked due to my wife's illness last year but she's feeling better every day so I'm picking up my old hobbies again. I will probably be around BYOAC more often as I plan to build a new arcade cab this summer (yay!) Got a few ideas sketched out I'll start my own "project announcement" post soonish.

[Epyx]

Pixel....THIS ROCKS...seriously it turned out fantastic...was just checking on status and almost lost it when it said PROJECT COMPLETE...the video was fantastic great job and funny as hell but a nice tribute to the website, its crazy residents and of course your labour of love the last 8 years.

Man did it turn out nice...how about an update on your playtime with it since finishing?  PLease tell me you have at least had some fun  to just relax and enjoy the cab?

Again, CONGRATS!!! 

[Pixelhugger]

PLease tell me you have at least had some fun  to just relax and enjoy the cab?

That's been the biggest surprise. We (at least between my son and I) play it most days. I've installed the LEGO Star Wars and Indiana Jones games and my son has gone nuts on those (we don't have any consoles so this is the only way he gets his fix) I play DK II quite a bit. The rest of the kids like the original Mario Bros. game since it has coop play.

All in all it gets used far more than I thought it would.

[rCadeGaming]

Is the video available on Youtube?  Vimeo is god awful sometimes, I have a very fast connection and it took about five minutes to load the first minute of video.

[Pixelhugger]

Is the video available on Youtube?  Vimeo is god awful sometimes, I have a very fast connection and it took about five minutes to load the first minute of video.

Hrm... Well, I had tried YouTube first but it got denied. Either because it failed the automated copyright check due to the Final Countdown track or because YouTube decided the world wasn't ready for it's awesomeness. Either way, my hands are kind of tied unless there is another free streaming service someone can recommend that's better than Vimeo and isn't concerned with how awesome the music is.

[rCadeGaming]

No worries.  I guess I'll just let it buffer for a while in the background til it's ready.  Getting anxious to see the video, the cabinet looks awesome 

[mj147]

Wow, grats Pix 

Was doing my usual check in to BYOAC and of course check on Mission Control progress.....

I think I must had read the title 5X before I clicked on it.......complete?........nah it cant be.......


I might be a little late for the party but heck whats a couple months in 8 years 

Congrats man, and  as if it wasn't stated enough already, great work!!!! 


mj147

[LeedsFan]

Just watched the video again. Brilliant stuff! And your attention to detail means there's stuff I see in video I didn't notice before. Like the overlay of the date Nov. 8th 2003 over the original Final Countdown video. The date this thread started. Did anyone else pick up on that?  Gratz again on such a momentous and cool project. 

[Epyx]

Brilliant video and awesome finish! 

8 Years...time flies.  You deserve some solid playtime on that cab.

[Will]

Cant believe you finally finished it. So amazing the final product glad to see you can finally enjoy it. Gives me inspiration to finish my project that has gone on way to long. Congrats Pixelhugger, I know I am late to the party it was really fun to follow this from beginning to end.

Thanks!

[Pixelhugger]

So we've been using tokens with the kids as a reward for good behavior. They start the week out with a handful and loose them one at a time if they misbehave.

We just got back from a road trip and the older kids had been particularly difficult in the car. I started the arcade to play Mario Bros. with my youngest son when my oldest daughter came up wanting to play Donkey Kong Jr. I told her she had lost all her tokens and wouldn't be able to play. She just looked at me and said, "That's OK. Whenever that happens I just do this..." and started sweeping the coin returns with her fingers looking for stray tokens. She fished out a surprisingly large haul from our 2004 nickel collection, leaving a bunch scattered on the floor. I was hit with such a blast of nostalgia for all the times I tried the same thing in an arcade after running out of quarters I just sat back and watched her restock. The floor looked a little like how Mel Fisher descirbed finding the Atocha.

[drventure]

"That's OK. Whenever that happens I just do this..." and started sweeping the coin returns with her fingers looking for stray tokens.

Awesome 

I used to do the same thing at arcades.

[wp34]

Talk about bringing the arcade experience home.  That's really cool.   

[BadMouth]

How is the acrylic lexan polycarbonate on the CP holding up?
(edited)

[Pixelhugger]

Originally I had used Lexan/polycarbonate but rebuilt it with acrylic (several years before project completion  ) when I realized I couldn't polish the trackball bevel in Lexan with sandpaper or Novus polish and after completely botching an attempt to flame polish it.

So it's acrylic. And it's held up perfectly. I am glad I put the dustwashers under the plastic and CPO. Not only did this allow me to polish more shiny bullnosed holes, but its prevented dulling and scratching around the joysticks.  

The haze you see in the picture is probably a combination of kids' sticky pancake syrup hands, light glare, and bad camera compression/noise. The plastic has stayed pristine.  

[BadMouth]

Thanks!  I hadn't noticed a haze in the picture.

I thought you had used polycarb which scratches easier IIRC.
I was considering shiny black polycarb for my own build, am afraid it wouldn't look good for long.

[Pixelhugger]

Props to rooter!
This project has always been driven by my nostalgia.

Ten years back when I was starting my project I started looking for any relics of actual arcades I had gone to. Sadly they are so long gone there's barely a reference to any of them online. I found a guy who had a token collection that included a Chuck E. Cheese token from the location I went to as a kid. (This was back when it was called Pizza Time Theater, and had a dark almost bar like vibe to it… not the day care center it has since become.) There were only a few of the franchises around and Nolan Bushnell (Atari's founder) was still in charge of the project. The tokens used to have the location minted on them, Concord CA in this case, with the year on the back. I desperately tried to get the guy to sell it but since he was a hardcore collector I had no luck.

Fast forward 10 years. After finishing my project I was trolling around another BYOAC members project site Rooter's Shooter and found a picture of a similar token. In a desperate email I asked him what I could pay, trade or give in exchange for it. Rooter said he'd try to find it and send it my way. After real life, vacations and the like delayed hearing back, again I asked what I could pay to sweeten the deal. No word.

Couple days after Christmas the token shows up in my mail box. Ecstatic I email Rooter and ask what I can send him. Maybe money to help with his pin build and DMD. Thread here Again he turns it down and simply says he's glad he could make someone's day.

That's an understatement. As nostalgic as I am, it' surreal to hold a token from a childhood arcade 25 years gone. The first real arcade I went to, the place that introduced the concept to me. I still remember the excited discussion in my 6th grade class when it opened and the plans made to go with friends. It's date of 1981 means it was in the arcade when I was. Maybe in the pocket of my grey  Toughskins, however unlikely. Maybe in the super inconvenient front pocket on my equally grey Member's Only jacket. Or the pocket on my velour OP polo.

So once again this project has introduced me to some random generous person on the interwebs and reaffirmed my faith in total strangers. More than the fact that Rooter was willing to send it unconditionally, I'm dumbfounded that when he could easily have held me over a barrel to ransom the coin away, he didn't. And when I was insisting to pay him something for it he wouldn't take it. Knowing how desperately we all seek project funds for the endless parts lists this just amazes me.

So to pay it forward, a free pair of NOS WICO microswitch joysticks to the first person to post "Rooter rocks" in this thread.

Here's the token in it's place on my marquee, in homage to the protocol used when waiting in line for a game.

I'm trying to figure out how to wire a touch sensitive switch to my iPac so I can use it to actually insert credits. Running a wire to it is no problem, it's the circuit and voltages that baffle me.



The location in the Willows Shopping center, Concord CA. The entire shopping center was magical to me for the the mere presence of the arcade.



The date on the back. Places it squarely in my world at the height of my interest in videogames.

[floriske.nl]

What a great story to read 

Great to see that there are still people out there willing to help each other out freely 

So yeah "Rooter definitely Rocks! " but your offer goes to the next person saying this after me

[jammin0]

Rooter rocks

[jammin0]

And so does Pixelhugger.