Not much going on?

[Ond]

I'm still wondering about the new member stats vs build activity thing.  People obviously join for quite different reasons I guess. 

Arroyo is a good ambassador for the forum, relatively young, passionate about designing and building his own cabs AND appreciative of the classics.  Give me just five new members like him and this place will boom and bloom again.

I'm not done here yet.  I'm just as keen about my projects as ever.  Life is throwing curve balls and I don't mean the weather.  I got home from work yesterday to find an order from our landlord to vacate the premises as he's selling it.  House hunting and moving are priorities but that will pass, as will the ---smurfy--- weather.

I'm still interested in acquiring a pinball machine as a fixer-upper.  With that in mind I found a local guy with a shopfront who sells and repairs various arcade related machines.  This guy was an oddball though, he appeared kind of passively aggressive when I got all keen about what he had to sell (including some Mame based cabinets).  He did let me wander into the much larger repair area and warehouse at the back of the shop.  There I saw dozens of cabinets, pinball machines and even an old Wurlitzer (the bubbler type).  Some stuff looked like it had been there for decades.  Some was customer repairs including the Wurlitzer.

Don't let the Arcade1up debate dominate your thoughts or loyalties.  It's a moot point.

[opt2not]

Thanks Lew, I'm still around, but just been lurking lately. I decided to take a step back from this forum, mainly after the whole A1up issue. Since then I've been lightly contributing here.

Now that the pleasantries are over, Im not tracking. You realize original arcade games are 25+ years old, are scarce because they are no longer being made, and also the vast majority of original arcades can’t be resold for half of what they cost new. Am I missing something?

Not talking about new price comparisons. I'm talking about current value.  For example, if you bought a Centipede cabinet today at it's current value, you can be certain that you can make your money back and perhaps more, years from now.

Yes, there are a lot of cabinets out there that cannot be profitable or break-even-able. But if you want to compare all the A1up games available to their original cabinet counterparts, my point is pretty clear.  Centipede, Final Fight, Missile Command, Tempest, Mortal Kombat, etc... all of these games in their original form most definitely retain their value than what you're going to get with a A1up, years from now.

Look, I'm not going to get back into this argument. That's the main reason I have taken a step back from this place. 

The bottom line is, a person like me comes to this forum to see scratch-built projects or restorations. BYOAC.  I don't come here for modding pre-made cabinets. I can go to Reddit or Facebook groups for that.
I enjoy the journey and logging of projects being built from scratch, the problem solving, the clever solutions and techniques, and the sharing of information. That, to me is the essence of this place.

If the essence is changing away from this, then that's fine. No worries. I can contribute to the handful of other forums that are dedicated to preservation or nostalgic experiences. At this point these pre-mades are a deterrent to a lot of the established community here. But if that's they way it's gotta be, then that's the way it's gotta be. 

[Laythe]

I got home from work yesterday to find an order from our landlord to vacate the premises as he's selling it.  House hunting and moving are priorities but that will pass, as will the ---smurfy--- weather.

Ouch.  You have my sympathy, that's rough.  I hope you'll be able to find somewhere else you can set up a good workshop without too much trouble.  Wishing you good luck.

[leapinlew]

Thanks Lew, I'm still around, but just been lurking lately. I decided to take a step back from this forum, mainly after the whole A1up issue. Since then I've been lightly contributing here.

lol. I can relate as I did the same thing.

[MiteWiseacre]

Hey uh, hi... so I’m like new around here... just looking for some help with this thing I’m working on... oh, you guys are talking aren’t you.. sorry. I’ll just go over to the high score thread.. uh later, nice to see you...

[opt2not]

Hey uh, hi... so I’m like new around here... just looking for some help with this thing I’m working on... oh, you guys are talking aren’t you.. sorry. I’ll just go over to the high score thread.. uh later, nice to see you...

[pbj]

I think what Zapcon reminded me of was that I like the ambiance and wandering from cabinet to cabinet.  The Texas shows are so crowded and pinball oriented you don’t get that 80/90s arcade feel.

I’ve got 3 mame cabinets in my garage now, all redundant game lists, but I like switching between them.  Well, I guess one is the “dedicated” Konkey Dong.  I like what I have, even that completely unnecessary Pac-Man 256.  So what am I supposed to do?  Post pics of the same machines I’ve owned for 15 years?

[JudgeRob]

I'm guilty of jumping in and out.  I think I have commitment issues or something.  Honestly, I still work on my cab every week.  Now it is just struggling through adding a system or how to make my friggin bezel work or something not very interesting.  I still need to post a few final pics and declare my project "finished!".  I admit I've been lazy too.  It is a lot of work to take pics, convert, post and link.  I usually have like an hour to work on something and then posting becomes an afterthought.  But sharing is caring for a forum...

I think it is all about nostalgia.  There are newer, flashier, smaller, grander, more powerful games and systems everywhere.  Even in your pocket.  If all you wanted was to just play a game, you can do it on your phone or PC.  It's all about 2 scenarios to me: Recreating something unique (historical) or creating something unique (something custom).  Walking up to a "real" cab is a sense of wonder.  For me as an adult looking back and also for the little tikes that stare up at something larger than life that they only see in places like the roller rink or the bowling alley or Disneyland.  I have mine in the middle of my house and it is a hit every time my daughter's friends or classmates come over.  What cracks me up is the amazement of 50% of the parents that get stoked on it.  It's just fun in every way.  I don't know if I'll ever build or own more than one.  I see myself more like eternally tweaking just one until it craps out.  But... a pinball would be pretty sweet ... 

Cheers to you all, I really enjoy this forum!    Happy 4th!

[Laythe]

Hey uh, hi... so I’m like new around here... just looking for some help with this thing I’m working on... oh, you guys are talking aren’t you.. sorry. I’ll just go over to the high score thread.. uh later, nice to see you...

Hi!  What'd you need help with?   

[MiteWiseacre]

Hey uh, hi... so I’m like new around here... just looking for some help with this thing I’m working on... oh, you guys are talking aren’t you.. sorry. I’ll just go over to the high score thread.. uh later, nice to see you...

Hi!  What'd you need help with?   

I was only joking 
This forum has been awesome, I’ve posted in a bunch of areas and someone always tries to help. ATM I’m just trying to get everything working with groovymame (and how do you flash a gfx card?) and put the finishing touches on my cab. Been a good hobby, combining so many of the things I like to tinker with.

[Arroyo]

Sorry to hear above the forced move OND, I friggin hate moving.

Back on topic.
The Arcade1Up debate has been thoroughly explored, and I understand Lew’s point that it and other prefab options are the reason for the lack of projects, however I’m not convinced for the reasons OND pointed out.  It would be great to hear from folks out there that are on the fence on starting or hesitating to post progress.  What’s the reason(s)?  Would love to hear from some of those 8 folks a day that sign up.

[KenToad]

Back in the day, many were blaming X-arcade for ruining the hobby.

As to why the activity/number of project builds may have diminished lately, my impression is that playing arcade games with authentic controls isn't as special as it was in the 2,000's. Not just prefabricated arcade cabinets, but arcade/fight stick controllers have become readily available, as well. This probably varies by region, but at least 3 barcades/arcades with decently large collections of original cabinets have opened up near me within the last 5 years. If I wanted to play original arcade games with authentic controls back in 2005, I pretty much had to build my own. Now, I can drive 15 minutes.

I'm still really glad that I built my projects and I still prefer playing in the comfort of my own home, but I can tell that the wow factor has diminished over the years because the first thing people tell me now when they see my arcade projects is "have you seen that barcade that opened up downtown?"

[leapinlew]

Here are some data points:

Looking at the members list, you can see folks who registered for the site:
Looking at the most recent month (June 4- July 4), I see 106 registrations. That's about 3.5 a day. 10 years ago, 2009, during the same time frame, there were 316 registrations. The year prior was 244.

Looking at the total post count of the last 40 folks who registered:
15 out of 40 have posted with a grand total of 26 posts between them.

You can do some more digging here:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=mlist;sort=registered;desc;start=0

[Gilrock]

Whether it was woodworking, astronomy, photographic, or arcade cabs it always seemed like it was declining.  Most people these days can't get their faces off their cellphones long enough to do anything real.

[leapinlew]

Whether it was woodworking, astronomy, photographic, or arcade cabs it always seemed like it was declining.  Most people these days can't get their faces off their cellphones long enough to do anything real.

Who knew Memes were going to be the destroyer of society.

[PL1]

Yes, there was a dip in new account creation in June, but the numbers aren't unusual.
- 189 in June 2019.
- 175 in June 2018.
- 160 in June 2017.
- 167 in June 2016.

Back in April, there was a huge surge of spam account creation, so exclude that month as an outlier.   

The rest of this year is averaging about 240 accounts per month, 8 per day.
----------
Most people only post a few times.

One account created less than a month ago has already posted 12 times.

Of the 49,607 accounts from the last 17 years, only 6,845 (13.8%) have posted more times than that.   

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=mlist;sort=posts;desc;start=6840
----------
The annual "Page views" count appears to confirm that it's pretty easy to lurk and find information when there are 1.65 million posts to choose from.   

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=stats

Most people these days can't get their faces off their cellphones long enough to do anything real.

Sad, but all-too-often true.


Scott

[pbj]

I hate to be all “people these days” but I was surrounded by people at the fireworks show tonight that couldn’t get off their phones.  Why even leave the house?

 

[Ond]

Hey, thanks Laythe and Arroyo for the kind thoughts re: getting a new place to live.  Good news!  We've found a new place and have been approved as tenants **PHEW**  .  The new place has a better workshop area and is in general better condition than where we are now.  We will sign the contract on Monday.

I hate to be all “people these days” but I was surrounded by people at the fireworks show tonight that couldn’t get off their phones.  Why even leave the house?

 

I was at a gallery the other day looking at art with a crowd of people.  The crowd moved from one exhibit to the next taking photos with their phones but not actually looking at anything.  There are better images of each piece freely available on the internet.     

[Howard_Casto]

They don't care about the art man.  They care about posting a pic of the art on their social media accounts so that they will get those precious, precious likes.

[javeryh]

They don't care about the art man.  They care about posting a pic of the art on their social media accounts so that they will get those precious, precious likes.

This is so true.  I've noticed that the majority of people building Weecades or any of the flat pack solutions really don't care about the way it looks or plays because they probably have zero nostalgia for the arcade scene because it never existed when they were younger.  A lot of the people who have been members for a while here view each cabinet (whether a restoration, imitation or a new design) as a piece of art that you should be proud to display in your home.  SomethingCADE with Sonic and Mario stickers randomly slapped on the side and Final Fantasy VI in the gamelist just doesn't cut it.

Not everyone needs to break new ground with every single project - in fact, only a few ever really do.  It is still valuable to see a project from start to finish.  Maybe it inspires the next person or maybe you see something done a certain way that you wouldn't have thought of before or maybe it's just cool to document your build for others to read.  So if there are any noobs reading this - please build something awesome (I promise you can do it with no experience) and please post a ton of photos as you do it.   

[Mike A]

SomethingCADE with Sonic and Mario stickers randomly slapped on the side and Final Fantasy VI in the gamelist just doesn't cut it.

Thanks for ruining my next project.

[javeryh]

SomethingCADE with Sonic and Mario stickers randomly slapped on the side and Final Fantasy VI in the gamelist just doesn't cut it.

Thanks for ruining my next project.

I think with your rare art talent you are all set for your next project.

[Mike A]

I thought about it, but I didn't want to embarrass everyone else so I have contracted someone to create the art for my next project.

[bsweet0us]

I was a big lurker, and occasional poster, many years ago.  I had nearly everything purchased for my cab build.  Monitor, PC, bezel, sticks, buttons, trackball, minipac....then kid #2 came along and took the third of our three bedroom house.  Space and time became the issues.

Fast forward to the end of July, 2019.  We are closing on a new house that has a full basement!  I already have plans for a theater room and that full-size, stand-up arcade machine.  (I personally don't see the appeal of the 1UP machines....They look too small, but I digress). 

I still have the sticks, buttons, wires, trackball, minipac in a plastic container in the shed.  I even had a binder with Lusid's designs and how to wire everything up and how to configure the sticks and buttons.  Unfortunately, that binder has been lost to time, so my data gathering begins anew.

These forums will once again become my home away from home....eventually.  The finances will have to rebound a bit after the home purchase, but, if everything still works, I've got most of the "guts" of an arcade cab ready to go!

For me, just having the access to play those old games in the format they were intended for is the main goal.  Are the games still great?  Yes.  Are they still fun? Yes.  Do I need to build a cab from scratch to enjoy them?  Hell no, but that's what I want!

Maybe, one day, a virtual pin would be nice, but let's burn that bridge when we get there!

[javeryh]

I already have plans for a theater room

Best thing I ever did to my house but it's a financial black hole.   

[bsweet0us]

I already have plans for a theater room

Best thing I ever did to my house but it's a financial black hole.   

Did you go full-on theater (projector, screen, sound, etc.) or more the big TV route?

I've already got the A/V receiver and enough speakers to do a 5.1.4 ATMOS setup.  I'll probably get another of the 65" TCL 4k TVs and run most everything off my HTPC.

Room treatments for sound seem to be the  biggest financial hurdle, but that's something I can deal with at a later date.

[javeryh]

I already have plans for a theater room

Best thing I ever did to my house but it's a financial black hole.   

Did you go full-on theater (projector, screen, sound, etc.) or more the big TV route?

I've already got the A/V receiver and enough speakers to do a 5.1.4 ATMOS setup.  I'll probably get another of the 65" TCL 4k TVs and run most everything off my HTPC.

Room treatments for sound seem to be the  biggest financial hurdle, but that's something I can deal with at a later date.

I went nuts.  Soundproof room, theater seating (with the riser), projector, 130” screen, fiber-optic coffered star ceiling, 7.2.4 surround with in-ceiling Atmos, etc. 

I posted about it here: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=105618.0

[SJMarty]

I already have plans for a theater room

Best thing I ever did to my house but it's a financial black hole.   

Did you go full-on theater (projector, screen, sound, etc.) or more the big TV route?

I've already got the A/V receiver and enough speakers to do a 5.1.4 ATMOS setup.  I'll probably get another of the 65" TCL 4k TVs and run most everything off my HTPC.

Room treatments for sound seem to be the  biggest financial hurdle, but that's something I can deal with at a later date.

I went nuts.  Soundproof room, theater seating (with the riser), projector, 130” screen, fiber-optic coffered star ceiling, 7.2.4 surround with in-ceiling Atmos, etc. 

I posted about it here: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=105618.0

WOW...now that's impressive.

Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk

[fsflaquer]

Well, in response to OND’s original question, here comes my two cents from a newbie/lurker...

To me, owning an cabinet was something unreal. When I saw Tom Hanks’ Big, his apartment full of cabinets was the equivalent of having a Pizza Hut restaurant on your kitchen and stuff of kids dreams.

When emulators hit the computers I downloaded Goodroms in few weeks time with my Napster, but the experience was horrible on a computer...

When I first heard about building my own arcade, I was very excited. Bought the book (first edition), and my dream goal was to build the Supercade (it’s website is still at my favorites tab). But I didn’t have the time or the space to do it...

Life moved on, until work has let go of my weekends, I had a son (now 2 years old) and I had a garage and the fortunate event of a CRT TV without a purpose...

Then I got back here... bought the new edition of the book, started binging project posts and building up knowledge to start MY project!

Contrary to OND’s impression, I was mesmerized by how the community has grown! There was multiple cabinet styles, ORIGINAL designs and even a pinball/driving metamorph!!! And the market was awesome! Multiple companies making brand new products so that you could choose lights, color and quality of everything arcade related, shipped to your house in a week... they even have a f... LCD marquee!!!

The community has grown  to maturity... With it, companies started profiting by delivering ready to go cabinets, and also we bred what every other community gets... elitists...

And I am not saying this as an insult, but merely recognizing that my dream supercade project now its a common thing... boring to be honest...

My first cabinet is going to be a CRT upright 4 player MAME Cade-named large (and possibly little bit rough and ugly) project.

And I am guilty of doing exactly what OND exposed: I was going to post when it was complete... first because the community can be harsh, second because my project is so common that an incomplete post would add little to the forum, and third because the forum is so complete nowadays that almost all of my doubts where explained elsewhere...

But don’t undersetimate the power of the first project... I will finish it, but I have been addicted to it... partly it is your fault, because when I saw Rotoron, my mind was blown! I am already thinking of my next project, an indoor heavily themed non orthodox arcade... and maybe in the future, another dream, a force feedback flying /driving cabinet.

Well, you and the others veterans and inspirers in here... keep up the good work... it means a lot for us lurkers and arcade lovers out there...

[Ond]

It seriously lifts my spirits to hear from you newer guys.  Even if you've been a long time lurker.  I like hearing about the arcade dreams of new folks and their inspirations.  Welcome my friend, I'll be returning with various current (and new projects) just as soon as I can.

[fsflaquer]

Thanks!

And I will correct my mistake by starting my project announcement right away!

[Mike A]

I was going to post when it was complete... first because the community can be harsh

I think the backlash to valid criticism is more harsh than the actual criticism.

I think people tend to be way too defensive and that triggers hostility.

Post your build. If someone doesn't like it big flippin' deal.  It is only important that you like it.
Take time to absorb any criticism and see if it is valid. You will probably learn something.

As long as you try to do a good job and have a good sense of humor you will be fine.

You might even make some new friends.

[jdbailey1206]

I was going to post when it was complete... first because the community can be harsh

I think the backlash to valid criticism is more harsh than the actual criticism.

I think people tend to be way too defensive and that triggers hostility.

Post your build. If someone doesn't like it big flippin' deal.  It is only important that you like it.
Take time to absorb any criticism and see if it is valid. You will probably learn something.

As long as you try to do a good job and have a good sense of humor you will be fine.

You might even make some new friends.

*Puts Mike As quote into Google Translate
Translates Into:  "***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***"

[yotsuya]

I was going to post when it was complete... first because the community can be harsh

I think the backlash to valid criticism is more harsh than the actual criticism.

I think people tend to be way too defensive and that triggers hostility.

Post your build. If someone doesn't like it big flippin' deal.  It is only important that you like it.
Take time to absorb any criticism and see if it is valid. You will probably learn something.

As long as you try to do a good job and have a good sense of humor you will be fine.

You might even make some new friends.

*Puts Mike As quote into Google Translate
Translates Into:  "***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***"

Problem is, dudes don’t build what they dig, they build what they think other people SHOULD dig, then they get mad when people don’t dig it.

I’ve said this before, I’ll say it again - I wish guys wouldn’t preface their builds with “Purists won’t like this...” a) how do you know and b) who cares? Why start your project off on a negative tangent? I’d rather see someone take the time and do the work to design, plan and create something unconventional and well-thought out as opposed to ripping off well-known designs because it’s easy.

[javeryh]

I was going to post when it was complete... first because the community can be harsh, second because my project is so common that an incomplete post would add little to the forum, and third because the forum is so complete nowadays that almost all of my doubts where explained elsewhere...

This is wrong.  Even documenting you copying someone else's project would be valuable.  You are going to take unique pictures and explain things in your own way - someone else will learn something by reading it.  Also, your cabinet will come out better with input/feedback from everyone here.  Doesn't matter if it is harsh - use the suggestions you think are good and ignore the rest but just be open minded. 

[leapinlew]

Glad to hear from a new guy. My comment is still the same, I wish the community wasn’t viewed as harsh.

[Howard_Casto]

Honest can often be confused with harsh.  The people here aren't harsh, they'll just give you their honest opinions.  I think most of the guys are pretty fair about it. 

I never post any of my hardware projects either but that's mainly because I have the attention span of a distracted gnat at this point.... I take pics... mean to upload them but … oooo shiny, think I'll work on that for a while. 

[Mr. Peabody]

Sounds.....like the language, and feelings about it, need to change.

[arfink]

I joined up to have a place to lurk for the moment. We're house hunting and I can't build anything new yet, but I'm hoarding up some parts for a project. I do have a recent arcade-controls-y project, but it's not a cab. I did an MV-1C console with a unique shell and custom controller.

[danny_galaga]

I still try and maintain an interest but I’ve spread myself too thin withhobbies including re-learning to fly. With any sort of luck we’ll have a new house next year with, for the first time in my life a good workspace. Here’s a thread with review from another forum on the workspace and it’s associated landscaping. We are in Brisbane Queensland

https://www.aussiearcade.com/showthread.php/95735-Shipping-container-sheds-Anyone-done-this

And a YouTube clip



And if you can’t look at it a couple of pics to illustrate. I’m kinda more excited about the workshop than the house! Point is, once I have that workspace I’ll get stuck into a few projects including a custom C64 case and and rather specialised driving cab.

Of course, because we got reamed by the Cropper Brothers Landscaping for about an extra ten thousand bucks, we we have struggled with a deposit for the house! And the quality of this Brisbane landscapers work isn't great