It is also a bit crazy in other ways spending a night making a jukebox for the arcade because I think they look a bit hideous and I myself have never used music mp3's before, but an arcade just has to have one
Ah i beg to differ, I think it is an excellent idea to include the jukebox, not just to ambience but functionality as well. Plus it would add broader appeal to the masses who need an all in one. I think Wurlitzer bubble jukeboxes look really cool. Sounds much cooler than what I am going to use: I am working on a simple graphical menu that loads up right away. I made it with Easy Menu Builder(I'm not much of a programmer, but I am a graphic designer so it looks cool at least). Their website is
http://quickmenubuilder.free.fr/Menu.phpAnyways - will the sound be enviromental like FPS games? I'm not talking surround sound for a cabinet, but stereo? That is, will it sound like the music is coming from the jukebox itself, quieter as you're farther away and louder as you get closer? That would really add some atmosphere as you're moving around your frontend.
Good luck!