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OMNI-Stik PRODIGY (TM) - New Product Announcement

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KevSteele:

Randy,

Thanks.  This joystick will go great with the Joystick Roundup I'm working on! ;)

In fact, I'm now tempted to start planning how to hack my new SlikStik Classic to fit this new joystick in...

Very cool idea, btw, and may I say it's about time someone did this!

Kevin

Grasshopper:

Hmm, interesting idea. Presumably it's a modified Suzo series 500.

Would you be offering conversion kits for people who already own Suzo 500 sticks? The saving would be presumably be small but this might be a way to keep shipping costs down.

I can however see a potential problem. I think the Suzo 500 joysticks work best and look better when they are sunk into the control panel so that the ball top is at a similar height to the old Wico sticks. However if you mount the Prodigy joystick in this way then the lever for switching between 4 and 8 way mode is going to get buried. I am of course assuming that the pictures on your website are an accurate representation of the final product.

I also agree with the comments about the handle. It's purely a question of aesthetics. The Suzo handles are actually very comfortable but because the shaft is tapered it's not easy to fit a dust washer so you end up with an exposed hole in your panel.

Paige's comment about the joystick having a longer throw in 4-way mode is also true (assuming it is a modified Suzo). However even in 4-way mode the Suzo 500 has a shorter throw than the old Wicos. However it has to be said that the Suzo 500 feels slightly crisper in 8-way mode (this is true of all the 4/8 way switchable joysticks that I have come across).

RandyT:


--- Quote from: Grasshopper on November 19, 2003, 03:18:11 pm ---Hmm, interesting idea. Presumably it's a modified Suzo series 500.

Would you be offering conversion kits for people who already own Suzo 500 sticks? The saving would be presumably be small but this might be a way to keep shipping costs down.

--- End quote ---

Heavily modified would be more apt.  A kit would consist of about 27 pieces of hardware requiring much documentation, removal of some existing parts and is on par with assembling a BBQ grill in difficulty.  For now, that won't an option because simplicity is what this one is all about.


--- Quote ---I can however see a potential problem. I think the Suzo 500 joysticks work best and look better when they are sunk into the control panel so that the ball top is at a similar height to the old Wico sticks. However if you mount the Prodigy joystick in this way then the lever for switching between 4 and 8 way mode is going to get buried. I am of course assuming that the pictures on your website are an accurate representation of the final product.

I also agree with the comments about the handle. It's purely a question of aesthetics. The Suzo handles are actually very comfortable but because the shaft is tapered it's not easy to fit a dust washer so you end up with an exposed hole in your panel.

--- End quote ---

Most of this is an aesthetic thing.  Your hand doesn't really know how much of the stick is buried, unless you hold it at the base.  I'm guessing most don't do this (I don't).  

Part of the beauty of this system is the integrated mounting plate that actually, for the first time, allows these sticks to be mounted as they were designed to be mounted.  Anyone wanting to mount this type of stick under their panel with a hacked dustcover floating at the surface will want to use the BASIC version and come up with their own solution.  

I have to mention this again (sorry :)).  The only real arcade machines with dust covers floating on top of the panel are ones owned by lazy operators who did a quick and dirty conversion or control replacement.  We've just seen the dust cover used incorrectly so many times that we think something is wrong when it's not floating around on top.  You aren't supposed to see that thing at all!  When used correctly, it looks clean like the picture above.

RE: Stick Shape

These sticks have a very clever design that most people, for some reason, fail to pick up on.  It's a hybrid!  Look at it carefully.  If you cover the ball top, the bottom part indicates "bat handle".  Cover the lower end, and it's a "ball-top".  What this does is offer followers of either style a design they can be comfortable with.  A thick, tapered shaft for the bat crowd and ball for the retro crowd.  And the interesting part is that it actually succeeds, but is misunderstood because it looks different.  :)

RandyT


rampy:

Very cool Randy....

While i'm a little underwhelmed by the look (it looks very european  -- yes i realize it's a hybrid) i'm totally blown away by the functionality...

I'm ok with the look though -- it's just different.  I've got some thinking to do  (in relation to my control panel)

Hey you remember that time you got really drunk, and wanted to go home with the ugly chick and I stopped you... maybe you should send me complimentary stick, eh? =P

rampy

PS I hope I didn't offend any ugly chicks =P

RandyT:


--- Quote from: rampy on November 19, 2003, 04:53:07 pm ---
Hey you remember that time you got really drunk, and wanted to go home with the ugly chick and I stopped you... maybe you should send me complimentary stick, eh? =P

--- End quote ---

Umm....I'll thank you not to talk about my wife that way....



(Joke, it's a joke!  Aww c'mon....I wuz just kidding...damn...kitty litter for breakfast again....)

 :D

RandyT

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