Analog Arcade Button, Force Sensing Resistor with microswitch, Kickstarter

[Gravity123]

Hi everybody!  Just a quick post to show that I put a Kickstarter together for a custom analog arcade button (colors red, gray, blue, green, white, black available).  I introduced it through Kickstarter for the maker market, but there are ways to use it in arcade cabinets.  There's only 3 days left in the campaign, but thought to share in case anyone here is curious or interested.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chrisgerding/analog-pushbutton-for-makers-and-creative-control?ref=nav_search

[vwalbridge]

but there are ways to use it in arcade cabinets. 

Can you give us some examples?

[behrmr]

I swear that I've seen this done somewhere. I thought maybe Clay Cowgill had this for release whenever he gets his multi vector.  Specifically for a thrust control.  I could be wrong.

[BadMouth]

Paired with a spinner, they would allow you to play driving games like Pole Position the way they are meant to be played.
If the throttle is full on or full off, you spin the tires and lose time.

Hacked into an xbox360 controller and paired with a 10k dial, you could play PC racing games on a standard looking CP.

You might be able to play lunar lander with it.

The game sucks and I'm not sure if it's emulated properly, but the original version of Street Fighter had pressure sensitive pads and your character would do different moves based on how hard you hit.


EDIT: and these are already made, so you know he's going to deliver. 
(every kickstarter I've backed is a year or more overdue)

[Token]

Does anyone know if the emulated Dreamcast version of Crazy Taxi uses analog for acceleration?

[Gravity123]

but there are ways to use it in arcade cabinets. 

Can you give us some examples?

Other than those mentioned already, I've always thought it would be a neat adaptation to a pinball game to make the flippers analog.  I don't know if this has been done yet but would add a great dynamic to the game.  I'd like to see that done in a real pinball machine for sure. 

[Xiaou2]

Other than those mentioned already, I've always thought it would be a neat adaptation to a pinball game to make the flippers analog.  I don't know if this has been done yet but would add a great dynamic to the game.  I'd like to see that done in a real pinball machine for sure.

 Fliipers in Pinball are not meant to be analog.    The challenge comes in trying to control the ball at high speeds.
Im not even sure it would be possible to make a coil behave like that.

 Also, most shots are going to be long, and need speed to reach up the playfield & climb ramps.    There is no reason for light hits... unless you are trying to pass the ball..  and then the game would be way too easy IMO.

 The biggest mistake people make in playing pinball... is that they dont know how to Tap the cabinet,  to help control the vector of the ball.
That isnt cheating.. in fact, its part of the design of the machine.   Tapping the machine when the ball is rolling down the field wont do much of anything.   However,  if you time your tap to when the ball hits something on the playfield  (such as a post),  you can transfer the energy into the ball to alter its vector.   

 Also, you have to be aware of the balls Spin.   If its coming from a rounded metal guide... it most often will acquire a good deal of spin on it..  especially if its moving really fast.   Depending on how much spin the ball has... will change what happens when the ball hits the flippers drastically.   You may have to time your flip earlier or later, to counter this angle change.

 There main analog in pinball control, is the Plunger strength.   That could be used with such buttons with good purpose.
(Press to simulate pulling back the plunger... and depending on the analog pressure... pull the spring back more or less...  then let go of the button to launch the ball)

 Tapping sensors might be able to be made with these.   You would need at least 3  (left, right, and front).   You would have to modify the buttons so that there was no travel.  (depressor is resting on the pad)    Then when the cabinet is slapped.. it would send the appropriate power levels,  and vector changes .. to the balls vector (if the ball was hitting something on the field at that time)

[Xiaou2]

I personally think the buttons are a cool idea.   Id thought about something similar ... but carried out a different way.

 These would work especially good for Bartops,  in racing games,  for analog pedals...   or in other analog games.

 I think if you had given people more advanced notice on this site... you may have more orders.
But also, there would have to be a bit more information as well.  Show some footage of them being used to play some
analog games.   Describe the controller,  and setup and drivers...etc.

 Also, the colors seem sort of limited and dull in one of the shots.   Its hard to tell.    I think it would be best to match classic Happ controls joystick & button colors.

 Also, curious to know if you sell those mini analog sticks... and what they go for?    Can you show the assembly?

[Ginsu Victim]

Fliipers in Pinball are not meant to be analog.

It's so annoying playing the toy ones that have them.

[pbj]

That's funny he basically lifted one of my posts word for word. 

Anyway, Capcom had flippers that gradually got weaker on kingpin.  It's been done before sort of.  You can also slightly control flipper strength on older games that were passing the flipper voltage through the cabinet switches.  That's really one of my main complaints about WPC era games,  the flipper is 100% intensity on every single flip.