Why so much art with "Mame" on it?

[subzero23]

This is just a question of opinions/tastes,
but why are there so many artworks that say Mame on it?
I mean I obviously see the reason why to the builder...it's a MAME cabinet,

but does anyone get responses from people like "what the hell is mame?" I'd be a bit weary that no one would know what the word mame meant.

[whammoed]

yes, i agree...i don't like mame themed artwork.  I love mame and i see the reason why: mame is the #1 emulator for our favorite classics so people get overwhelmed whith gratitude for the mame project and base their artwork on it to pay their respects.  Well, I think it is better to make a donation to the cause and come up with some more traditional or original artwork.  Sarcasm:  Don't forget to put DOS, Windows, or Linux artwork on your cab too! without those things you wouldn't be able to emulate games either! end sarcasm

[subzero23]

I just think it's kinda sad cuz there's so many nice designs and artwork but they're just "mame" and nothing that says something like "Arcade"

[drumnow]

I agree, there needs to be more art without the words MAME on it. I think it is cool when people work the word mama into things like, PAC-MAMEA, that cool

[mahuti]

I think there is absolutely ZERO merit to adding the word MAME to ANY arcade art.

It would be like making the word "Jamma" or "MVS" or "ROM BOARD" a key part of the game title. It's asinine, and I am constantly telling people not to do this.

I get that people are excited, and I get that tastes differ... but there is a difference between "this is good" and "this is something I like"

Just because you like it doesn't make it good, and using the word MAME in a cabinet is not good.

[Ad_Enuff]

I agree, I hate cabinets with MAME on them.

Personally, I am about to make a arcade cab myslef which will of course have a PC inside and MAME of course, but for my cabinet I am more likely to make it into an authentic looking official cab of an early arcade classic.....

I'm toy'ing with Donkey Kong or DK Junior. IT will look so much cooler than a generic cab with MAME all over it.

<<SHUDDER>>

[koolmoecraig]

Putting "mame" on your cabinet or anything else is just lame. Only dorks like us would know what it is. Maybe that's the point though, so your dork buddies will go "Mame....cool"

[mahuti]

I try to make sure that I'm the dorkiest person that I know. The less my friends know about my arcade machine's magic, the better.

[neuromancer]

I think that putting "MAME" on a cabinet is sort of like putting the name of your shock absorbers or your tape deck on your car.

Or the name of your CPU on your computer

It makes sense if you're being sponsored, or if it helps to sell it, or if you have an interest in marketing it.

Bob

[Jabba]

I would have to agree with you all. MAME means nothing to anyone outside the MAME community.

Maybe a reason for MAME being there is that most people have no clue where to start with artwork and default to whats available on the net. Searching the web, you find a lot of artwork with the word MAME on it. Perhaps its the path of least resistance.

I am in the process of changing my Marquee and CPO over to be more a classic Defender style. It WILL NOT have the word MAME on it. I'm sure people will say. Hey man, you have an Arcade machine?

[wrxh8r]

No imagination in thinking up own name would be the only reason i could think of.Still I prefer something original and my own.Ive got no problem in people writing mame everywhere but sure wouldnt myself.To me its kind of like getting rofl or pwnd tattooed on my arm.

[Puds]

To me its kind of like getting rofl or pwnd tattooed on my arm.

Or your name tattooed so you dont forget what it is

[Felsir]

I'm probably going to hurt some feelings but I also don't like cabinet names with 'Arcade' in it (or variations on the arcade name). It's like naming your car... uhm well... 'car'.

To compare: a fighter themed cab, for example, could be named: 'fightmaster' or 'arcade fighter' or something similar. IMHO 'fight master' sounds much better. But I would agree that this is a real matter of taste though: you could name a cab 'arcade' just because that is what it is.

I would say: original names are much cooler...

[Tritoch84]

My project in the making is called going to have artwork that says "VERSUS" on it. Putting MAME on your cabinet is like painting in big red letters on your house "HOUSE"...

Yeah, we sorta like, already knew it was a house, thanks.

You'd think people would be more original, and name their projects something other than "MAME-O-CITY, Ultra MAME, MAME O HOLIC".

It's just silly.

[Minwah]

I agree too, for most of the reasons already mentioned.  The main thing I think is that you build a cabinet and make everything look/work like a real arcade machine.  So sticking 'MAME' on it kindof defeats the whole point IMO, since it gives the game away to people who do know what MAME is, and everyone else just thinks WTF is MAME.

That said, some of the MAME-themed artwork is very well done, and if the cab-builder likes it then great - each to his own

[Floyd10]

I agree with all of you. I DO think, however, that if you want to, for some demented reason, show that its a mame box, put it really small in one of the corners. 1" x 1/2" is my guess

[RayB]

How about we start a name suggestion list people can choose from? I'll get it started:

The ThrowBack
Crustycade
Ancient Mysteries (imagine this one with an asian theme artwork)
Oldinator
Moldy-Oldies
Gamewah!
Quarter-Sucker
Game NOT Over!
Remember This?
Reflex-O-Mania
The Whipper-Snapper
When I Was a Kid...
Jagged-Pixel-Fest
Low-Res Buffet

...
 

[Gunstar Hero]

Amen.

If I never see another black cab with blue buttons and t-molding and a MAME marquee, side art and CPO my life will be complete.

Not that the ones that have been made don't look good in alot of cases, it's just a TIRED theme.

[subzero23]

Pixeltron

[DarkKobold]

Ok, I am the minority, but I think that all of this anti-mame stuff is crap.

If it wasn't for MAME, this board would not exist. When I put MAME on a cabinet, I do it out of respect for the years of work that others put in so that I may have a multigame arcade cabinet. I like to see MAME on a cabinet. People are showing their loyalty and support to the creators of the tool. How many people buy Sports apparel with their team logo? Our team is MAME folks, and they work hard so we can play hard.

That said, a lot of people put MAME on there cabinet because it is thing to do. They don't think that it holds the same meaning.

I'd like to know what Howard thinks of putting MAME on a cab. People are partly paying him homage for his work when they display the logo.

BTW, naming your arcade machine ARCADE is not like naming your house HOUSE, it is like naming your house VILLAGE, because an arcade is where multiple arcade machines reside.

[neuromancer]

BTW, naming your arcade machine ARCADE is not like naming your house HOUSE, it is like naming your house VILLAGE, because an arcade is where multiple arcade machines reside.

There is actually a bigger difference between using "MAME" and using "Arcade." MAME is one of the internal components. Incorporating MAME into the name would be comparable to incorporating "Atari" or "Midway" into the name. A lot of people obviously don't want to do that, but it is accurate.

"Arcade," otoh, is a type of structure. MAME correctly uses the word arcade, as an adjective (to the word machine -- Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator). A person could convert a room in his house into an arcade, but a box within a room can not be an arcade. Using the sylable "cade" within an invented name is a clever reference to arcade.

Bob

[Gunstar Hero]

If it wasn't for MAME, this board would not exist. When I put MAME on a cabinet, I do it out of respect for the years of work that others put in so that I may have a multigame arcade cabinet. I like to see MAME on a cabinet. People are showing their loyalty and support to the creators of the tool. How many people buy Sports apparel with their team logo? Our team is MAME folks, and they work hard so we can play hard.

Whoa whoa WHOA!! Settle down there boy!

This isn't "MAME-hate."

We all LOVE MAME!

It's just a little "that damn MAME logo is overused" vent session.

As great as MAME is, it's not the be-all end all of emulation. My cab runs at least 5 other emulators!

I just like seeing more creative ideas or even better for me, styling it after a classic cab.  

[mahuti]

I do it out of respect for the years of work that others

I respect Apple for making great computers, but I don't name my files after them, or use the words "made with Apple" in any of my web sites. I think that is silly as well. My creations come about because of my talents.... definitely built on the shoulders of giants, but still mine.

MAME is a free program, which is why, respectfully, we should not attack the product, overly criticise the authors, or demand features. However, respecting someone doesn't mean you should name something you've created after them. Do I admire their talent and dedication? Sure, would I name my baby (my machine) after them.. no way. If we are just talking about issues of respect, why not take it one level higher, and all start making Nicolacade, or Ultrasalmoria.

I don't think that anyone names their 'cade "mame" strictly on the basis of respect & homage. I think its done in large part due to lack of creativity and exposure. That being said, it's all a matter or taste, I agree. "Like" does not equal "good," however. You might like the Lakers, but when you paint your house in yellow & purple, don't be surprised when your neighbors think  you are an overzealous idiot.

Oh, and I don't think it's the same as wearing your favorite ball-team's jersey... that would be something like my cab which looks like a defender machine... one of my favorite of the genre. It would be more like wearing a shirt that is labelled "clothing industry" or "cotton" or "stitching machine..." because you respect the mechanisms needed to create your shirt in the first place.

For the record, I also don't think it is very creative to just theme a machine after another arcade game (like mine) but at least it is backed by recognizable & context-correct themes. My original argument is that MAME is not recognizable & in itself is an unexciting & misleading word when used on an arcade machine.

[RayB]

For the record, I also don't think it is very creative to just theme a machine after another arcade game (like mine) but at least it is backed by recognizable & context-correct themes. My original argument is that MAME is not recognizable & in itself is an unexciting & misleading word when used on an arcade machine.

Yeah, it's one thing when someone is over and see's the word "MAME" and doesn't have a clue what the heck that means, but have you ever TALKED about MAME to someone who doesn't know about it? "A maim cabinet?!" they say, looking alarmed. Sounds like some torture device!

[DarkKobold]

Wow, I've never generated such many good responses before!

RayB: I don't talk about MAME until someone sees my machine. It is pretty simple once they see what it is doing. I don't normally mention my fetish in normal conversations.

Gunstar: As far as I'm concerned, which, when it comes to your cab, absolutely no consideration of my should be... considered?.... Anyway, I feel that MAME is the end all be all of Arcade emulation. Daphne and Raine are just the childern.  MAME is the loving mother

Neuromancer: Agreed

mahuti:
Nothing to say but this:
http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,54202,00.html

Personally, I love the MAME logo. (If it isn't obvious, look at any of my posts in the token threads   )  If I were the getting a tattoo type, I'd get the logo.

[Gunstar Hero]

As far as I'm concerned, which, when it comes to your cab, absolutely no consideration of my should be... considered?.... Anyway, I feel that MAME is the end all be all of Arcade emulation. Daphne and Raine are just the childern.  MAME is the loving mother.

Umm.. I don't know what you're smoking, but pass some of it this way, wouldja?  

[subzero23]

"Ok, I am the minority, but I think that all of this anti-mame stuff is crap.

If it wasn't for MAME, this board would not exist. When I put MAME on a cabinet, I do it out of respect for the years of work that others put in so that I may have a multigame arcade cabinet. I like to see MAME on a cabinet. People are showing their loyalty and support to the creators of the tool. How many people buy Sports apparel with their team logo? Our team is MAME folks, and they work hard so we can play hard. "

Lol duh we love mame there's no denying it, but when we make an arcade cabinet we're trying to create an arcade re-creation, putting mame, a word that symbolizes emulation defeats the purpose. Not only that, no one would know what the hell "mame", an ugly word by itself would mean. Sorry but screw that.


"That said, a lot of people put MAME on there cabinet because it is thing to do. They don't think that it holds the same meaning.

I'd like to know what Howard thinks of putting MAME on a cab. People are partly paying him homage for his work when they display the logo.

BTW, naming your arcade machine ARCADE is not like naming your house HOUSE, it is like naming your house VILLAGE, because an arcade is where multiple arcade machines reside. "

Hehe you're upset cuz you put mame on your arcade huh

[subzero23]

"I respect Apple for making great computers, but I don't name my files after them, or use the words "made with Apple" in any of my web sites. I think that is silly as well. My creations come about because of my talents.... definitely built on the shoulders of giants, but still mine. "

Good point. Mame didn't make my cabinet, I did. I'll put a big fat sticker saying "Mame Inside" on my PC inside my cab but no one will see that. *I* know it's there, so why would I have to put it on there anyway?

"MAME is a free program, which is why, respectfully, we should not attack the product, overly criticise the authors, or demand features. However, respecting someone doesn't mean you should name something you've created after them. Do I admire their talent and dedication? Sure, would I name my baby (my machine) after them.. no way. If we are just talking about issues of respect, why not take it one level higher, and all start making Nicolacade, or Ultrasalmoria.

I don't think that anyone names their 'cade "mame" strictly on the basis of respect & homage. I think its done in large part due to lack of creativity and exposure. That being said, it's all a matter or taste, I agree. "Like" does not equal "good," however. You might like the Lakers, but when you paint your house in yellow & purple, don't be surprised when your neighbors think  you are an overzealous idiot. "

Oh, and I don't think it's the same as wearing your favorite ball-team's jersey... that would be something like my cab which looks like a defender machine... one of my favorite of the genre. It would be more like wearing a shirt that is labelled "clothing industry" or "cotton" or "stitching machine..." because you respect the mechanisms needed to create your shirt in the first place.

For the record, I also don't think it is very creative to just theme a machine after another arcade game (like mine) but at least it is backed by recognizable & context-correct themes. My original argument is that MAME is not recognizable & in itself is an unexciting & misleading word when used on an arcade machine. "

Yeah me personally I'm doing it after Ultracade cuz I just REALLY love the theme and name. I mean I would have used it had that name never existed to begin with.

[mahuti]

Nothing to say but this:
http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,54202,00.html

Agreeed... those people are the biggest idiots on the face of the planet.

Subzero: use the quote tags.

Code: [Select]

[quote]enter quote[/quote]

[subzero23]

no sorry I don't like using quote tags very much if I want to break it up

[Brax]

no sorry I don't like using quote tags very much if I want to break it up

To each his own, it's just like I don't like reading your posts because they're ILLEGIBLE.

[romperwomb]

I would never put a big MAME logo on my upcoming cab for fear that people would be like "WTF is Mah-Mee?"  

I also don't understand why so many home cabs are black.  I have seen interesting cabs that the makers try to pass off as furniture with use of multiple coats of varnish to bring out a lustrous wood glow.  This is ok, but I really prefer the idea of making it look like a vintage candy coating glowing hazed up quarter thieving monsters that once ruled the arcades of my youth.

[1UP]

I somewhat disguised the "MAME" in my logo, but then I got "what the hell is Pac-Mamea?"  People outside the hobby have no clue about Mame, so unless your intent is to only invite other Mamers to play it, there's no real point.

Besides, most people are running other emulators than Mame in their cabs, and some even have consoles inside.

That said, here's my new logo, which has nothing to do with Mame, but may or may not make more sense than the old one...

"WTF is Spincade?"  

[subzero23]

no sorry I don't like using quote tags very much if I want to break it up

To each his own, it's just like I don't like reading your posts because they're ILLEGIBLE.

They're not illegible, but all you have to do is find the quote marks. I hate these auto-quote systems because if they're a quote of an already quoted post it just adds a ton of extra text that's there annoyingly. I HATE people who a) quote like 15 pictures and then say "Yep I agree" or something short like that b) people who quote stuff posts that have 15 other quotes c) overall laziness when using it...so I just avoid that by using my own method which is quicker for me.

[subzero23]

"I would never put a big MAME logo on my upcoming cab for fear that people would be like "WTF is Mah-Mee?"  "

LOL thats a new one I hadn't thought of, the idea of it saying Mommy really makes me hate it. My friend first started pronouncing it "mam" which is weird since there's an E at the end but still everyone will pronounce it different and weirdly.

"I also don't understand why so many home cabs are black.  I have seen interesting cabs that the makers try to pass off as furniture with use of multiple coats of varnish to bring out a lustrous wood glow.  This is ok, but I really prefer the idea of making it look like a vintage candy coating glowing hazed up quarter thieving monsters that once ruled the arcades of my youth."

I HATE it when I see on the examples pages people who made it look like furniture with light wood and stuff (among the other stylistic choices that are HORRID), if you want to recreate an arcade don't make it a coffee table. As far as black machines, this I disagree with since black is the most traditional and is like what most arcade games look like now days through conversions and what not. My fave color is blue but I just want that generic arcade look so I'm goin for black.

[subzero23]

I somewhat disguised the "MAME" in my logo, but then I got "what the hell is Pac-Mamea?"  People outside the hobby have no clue about Mame, so unless your intent is to only invite other Mamers to play it, there's no real point.

Besides, most people are running other emulators than Mame in their cabs, and some even have consoles inside.

That said, here's my new logo, which has nothing to do with Mame, but may or may not make more sense than the old one...

"WTF is Spincade?"  

that's not so bad cuz spin is an actual word lol

[1UP]

My wife pronounces it "mom-may", like the end of "edamame".  She's japanese...

Actually, that' not a bad idea!  Someone should Mame a Naomi cab and call it "EdaMAME"!  With all green buttons!  

Mmmm....edamame...

[mahuti]

The only reason I mentioned it in the first place was as a courtesy... if you don't like it that's your own bag. No slight intended.

if you don't like the "quote" tag, you could always use a color or the TT tag.

[SirPeale]

I HATE people who a) quote like 15 pictures and then say "Yep I agree" or something short like that b) people who quote stuff posts that have 15 other quotes c) overall laziness when using it...so I just avoid that by using my own method which is quicker for me.

The trick is to trim the fat, and leave what you're actually posting about, which is what I've done here.

[subzero23]

I know that's my point
It's just easier for me to copy and paste
IS there a way to set a default color