Newbie here.

[Gl0ckage]

Hello everyone.

Names Cameron and I live in the UK.

Might sound cliché but I am wanting to start a business in the retro / arcade domain.

I throw the word business around loosely as I am not expecting to make any money and I currently run a bar and want to expand and put arcade cabinets in.

Everything laid out here is subject to change and my ideas are still being changed and switched.

I am wanting to have the cabinets coin operated to avoid hogging. 20p a go, not doing this to make money just for an escape for people.

Now I have always wanted to build my own but never got around to it as my woodworking skills are rubbish.

I've already bought house of the dead 3 & 4 and want more shooting games.
I have the racing seats for xbox one with pedals and gear shifters already too.


Last thing on my procurement are the arcade cabinets.

Anyone got any advice on building / buying machines that CAN be coin operated?

I found a UK company that makes a few but can only put 60 games on there.
And only allow 50p and £1 coin operators.

Would I be able to build my own and avoid breaching copyright?

I know I would breach MAME arcades policy if they were for public use.
I don't want to breach copyright.

This is going to be a hangout more than a business.

Any advice on where to start if building my own in a prefab box?

Ive done some research but an experienced opinion would be great.

Cost is only a slight issue the prepare boxes with 60 games are £1100.

So anything less would be a bonus.

[harveybirdman]

You can build your own JAMMA cabinet and buy original hardware to go in it, then you got no issues with copyright.  Putting MAME, or even the 60 in 1 rubbish that those companies want to sell you IS a copyright issue for public use. And those Icade's suck ballz anyway.

I'd start  with the Galaga, Ms Pacman JAMMA board and build a Namco cabinet for it.  The plans for the cabinet can be found at jakobud as well as other places online.  You can score the board on ebay for about $200.  Getting the coin door might be a bugger, but you can maybe search locally for some busted up cabinets or checkout places like the Arcade Boneyard.

[Gl0ckage]

Thanks for the reply. Will have a look at those. Going to do my own practice build before it seems like arcade cabinets are extremely hard to find in the UK it's mostly ones where someone has added mame and trying to sell it with it on.

Doing some shopping now

[JDFan]

One other thing you might want to check is local permit costs - Not sure about the UK but here in the US, each coin operated amusement machine and every location they are placed must have permits and the requirements and cost of the permits varies from State to State. SO you might want to check on what type of fees need to be paid in order to place machines in your bar.

[Gl0ckage]

Don't need a permit as I have a premise license already and don't need gambling license or the such for AWP bandits or arcade cabinets

So if I buy a jamma board I won't breach copyright?

What if I buy the 62 in 1 jamma board?

I dint need the original cabinet board do I? Just the jamma?

[harveybirdman]

all of those xxx in one games aren't legit.

There are a few real Jamma multiboards, but the ones that are cheap and from China are based on unauthorized use of MAME and have horrible issues with sound, lag, and graphics.  For people that are just saying, "hey how bout that an arcade game, I remember that" they might serve some use, but for real enthusiasts they are only a step above garbage.

[Aceldamor]

Harvey speaks gospel, with exception of Arcade Boneyard...I can't support someone who guts cabs then burns the carcasses.

60-1 boards have RUINED arcade restoration..to many ---uvulas--- looking to make a quick buck off of unknowing doofs with the nostalgia bug.

[Gl0ckage]

Thanks. Seems getting cabinets was harder than what I thought. Still trying to find a reliable source in the UK. Only one I found sells multi boards.

[Aceldamor]

Try KLOV

[harveybirdman]

I bet you can build it without spending a fraction of what someone would charge you.

[Gl0ckage]

I don't mind building it's more the copyright, breaching while being a business owner will be extremely costly.

Aslong as I can find a source and keep away from copyright I'll build it.

Also on KLOV what am I looking for?

[yotsuya]

I don't mind building it's more the copyright, breaching while being a business owner will be extremely costly.

Aslong as I can find a source and keep away from copyright I'll build it.

Also on KLOV what am I looking for?

On KLOV, you'll be looking for official multi boards put out by companies like Namco.

[paigeoliver]

Classic games are hard to find in Europe. Your best bet is to get in contact with Coinopwarehouse in Maryland in the US. They send container loads of games to Europe.

However with that said, barcades fail left and right in America and the games are a hell of a lot cheaper here. You would probably do a lot better just getting the proper licenses to run fruit machines.

[CheffoJeffo]

all of those xxx in one games aren't legit.

There are a few real Jamma multiboards, but the ones that are cheap and from China are based on unauthorized use of MAME and have horrible issues with sound, lag, and graphics.  For people that are just saying, "hey how bout that an arcade game, I remember that" they might serve some use, but for real enthusiasts they are only a step above garbage.

 

I guess I am only a pretend enthusiast.

[harveybirdman]

Yeah but your  my favorite pretend enthusiast.....

Cheffo makes a fair point, it's a bit snobby to say there is no value whatsoever to a 60 and 1 by suggesting everyone on the know hates them, and for your need it probably shouldn't be automatically ruled out.

[CheffoJeffo]

Yeah but your  my favorite pretend enthusiast.....

Cheffo makes a fair point, it's a bit snobby to say there is no value whatsoever to a 60 and 1 by suggesting everyone on the know hates them, and for your need it probably shouldn't be automatically ruled out.

In many (e.g. most I have seen outside of this place) collector communities, the 60-in-1 is viewed more positively than dropping MAME into a cab. Different strokes. I like that it is zero maintenance and the limited game selections mean I don't have to compromise on controls.

While I am happy to use them in my own home for the basic games they emulate well, I would never put one on route (same way I would never put a MAME box on route).

If I were going to drop some cabs into a bar (not a barcade), I would pick a few solid cheap games. Make them easy-to-change periodically. Something like an MVS cab (Puzzle Bobble in one slot), a generic JAMMA cab (pref with swappable panels so you can change the controls when you change the game) and a simple classic or two.