any tips on "pimping" an arcade cabinet? (now with a new and improved flame war)

[Layer01]

Hi after hearing quite a few guys on the forums saying that in a few months their (bought) cabinets paid for them selves by putting them in bars and whatnot.
i was thinking how do you go about getting them set up in such a location, is it as simple as saying to the owner, "yo wanna have a cab in your bar, or whatever you own"? and if so what is the most common deal reached on splitting the revenue, assuming you dont know the guys and they need incentive to accept...


NOTE: i do not mean a MAME CABINET

 

[Lilwolf]

1) it illegal and expect to get in trouble

2) expect to have people trash it.... If you took pride in your work expect smoke, beer, throwup on it.

3) dont use mame.  If I see it in a public place for money using mame... I will report you!  why should you make money on their work.  You spend a weekend building a cab.  These guys (multiple guys) have spent years.  Get overyourself your time isn't worth it.

4) Dont' use roms... The orginal companies spent TONS to develop these games.  Read #3

4) The people the put the machine in their location can get in trouble.  So make sure you hate the person.  Nothing like sending your friends huge fines and having their companies go under for your personal gain.


most game companies look a blind eye for people who enjoy emulation as a hobby.  But once you start making money on it and they will go after you.  I have seen mame machines at youth centers and I thought it was a good thing.  Machines open, everyone happy.  But take it to the next step and you WILL find people thinking you as scum.

btw... I don't know how to find the people... I guess you could just ask around.

[Lilwolf]

Oh yeah...  forgot to add..

Dont use a frontend from anyone here.  EVERY one is VERY against it.

Expect to refund a ton of money from people putting coins in and switching games.  Expect company owners to start getting pissed at you for all the time.

And last.  You don't usually get a good response around here.  People here will help refurb originals... but you are asking us for advice on how to make money on others...

[danny_galaga]

theres a thread on the everything else section. probably several:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,28887.0.html

my two cents worth is if you really want to do it, use an original game board. then even if THATS still illegal, it's not QUITE as bad. and also there will be less problems with people losing coins

[versapak]

Why would it be illegal, if it was not an emulation cab?


The original post said nothing about it being a MAME cab, so to go on a rant about seems a bit premature.

[SirPeale]

He does state 'bought cab' right in the first sentence.

[DarkSoul1]

The cab Layer01 is referring to is a standard arcade cab with 1 board as original installed, currently for sale here in Australia on eBay.

Not a MAME cab guys.

[RetroJames]

Yep, simple as "hey wanna place this game in your location?"

[Hoagie_one]

pimpin aint easy

[JoyMonkey]

This thread's title is a little misleading, I thought it was going to be about adding 'go-faster' stripes and fuzzy dice to an arcade cabinet. Maybe 8-ball joystick tops too. And those sh1tty "tribal" tattoo designs for sideart.

*pimp-walks out, leaving door open*

[GGKoul]

He's the Pimp of the Year!

[RayB]

Might want to re-write your message there Layer01. Be more specific about what kind of cab you're talking about. (ie: not mame?)

[Gunstar Hero]

It helps if you're wearing a purple hat with a big yellow feather in it.

[subzero23]

Just my tip to anyone thinking of pimping ANY kind of cab
just go for it, no one in the right mind is going to know it's a MAME cab nor care, and no one is going to ask for an operator's license........

[Gunstar Hero]

Edit - Sorry, off topic ranting.

[subzero23]

I'm not a thieve, neither for having an opinion OR putting a mame cab in a profit area if I were to do it. Unless you can explain what I'm stealing?

To steal: To take something away from someone else so they no longer have it.

[JoyMonkey]

Just my tip to anyone thinking of pimping ANY kind of cab
just go for it, no one in the right mind is going to know it's a MAME cab nor care, and no one is going to ask for an operator's license........

Maybe people won't know or care if it's a Mame cab, but doing something like this without a license is asking for trouble. Where I live, any sane business owner will NOT let you put unlicensed machines in their establishments because they know the city will come down hard on them if they do. Maybe not in your backward white trash town.

[Gunstar Hero]

Edit - Sorry, off topic ranting

[subzero23]

I just don't think the term stealing is accurate since you're not taking anything AWAY from someone else

[Gunstar Hero]

Edit - no longer relevant.

[subzero23]

No, my opinions have nothing to do with my intelligence

[FractalWalk]

I just don't think the term stealing is accurate since you're not taking anything AWAY from someone else

There is no question that it is stealing. The laws that cover this are about theft.

[Gunstar Hero]

Edit - Say, pimping IS easy!

[ChadTower]

I bet it would be of great value to put one on freeplay in a bar... that would bring folks in and you're not stealing by the aforementioned definition since you're not making money directly off the cab. 

[subzero23]

oh god if you talk to these pirate liberals anything you do is stealing
they seriously don't know what stealing means

[FractalWalk]

I bet it would be of great value to put one on freeplay in a bar... that would bring folks in and you're not stealing by the aforementioned definition since you're not making money directly off the cab.

[Shape D.]

To steal: To take something away from someone else so they no longer have it.

steal   Audio pronunciation of "steal" ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (stl)
v. stole, (stl) sto

[JoyMonkey]

So is there a way to 'block' certain people with the new forum software?

[ChadTower]

That would still be stealing.

[subzero23]

I don't care about dictionary or law interpretations of "to steal"
there is only one definition for me, to take something away from someone else so that person no longer has it

[Gunstar Hero]

Edit - Sorry. Off topic ranting.

[subzero23]

"Look here junior. YOU KNOW NOTHING. Remember that. Before you spout that your "opinions" mean anything, that your intelligence has nothing to do with it, or call 99% of your "fellow users" FREAKING RETARDED you might want to go out and live a little and maybe just experience some goddammed loss"

You know that's a mighty big assumption to call me junior and unexperienced.

Copying some program files is NOT stealing. I will never ever ever be convinced it's stealing, and that's just an OPINION.
Who said I called 99% of my fellow users retarded? I said 99% of the internet, but surely that does include some of the users here, but this board doesn't comprise the entire internet

[FractalWalk]

Right... so, by THAT application of the concept, I would like for you to delete all ROMs that you possess for which you do not own the original game board, cartridge, or disc.

[Shape D.]

Stealing is not an opinion based offense. there are laws reguarding stealing, AKA: YOU DO NOT DICTATE WHAT STEALING IS, THE GOVERNMENT DOES.

[subzero23]

Stealing is not an opinion based offense. there are laws reguarding stealing, AKA: YOU DO NOT DICTATE WHAT STEALING IS, THE GOVERNMENT DOES.

Yeah maybe in a court of law, I try not to break laws so I don't have to end up there. It sucks that those laws are so gay for certain things.

But to me, morally, stealing will always be how I described

[subzero23]

"So if I take Saint's book, make a hundred copies and sell it to people on this board for $10 a pop, I'm not stealing right? "

Well at its core, no you're not stealing.
Were those people originally going to buy the book? If so, maybe.. although if they never ever planned on buying it then no not stealing.

[Gunstar Hero]

Whatever subzero.

Your 22. Probably still live at home. Probably don't have a job. I could care less. But I'd have to try real hard.

You don't have any empathy, have a screwed sense of morals, and generally have fallen to the level of "worthless" in my opinion.

I wonder how guys like Minwah are gonna feel about that sig...

[FractalWalk]

Were those people originally going to buy the book? If so, maybe..

That's where it starts to get fuzzy doesn't it?

[subzero23]

Whatever subzero.

Your 22. Probably still live at home. Probably don't have a job. I could care less. But I'd have to try real hard.

You don't have any empathy, have a screwed sense of morals, and generally have fallen to the level of "worthless" in my opinion.

I wonder how guys like Minwah are gonna feel about that sig...

Damn you guessed well.
I am going to college however, gonna cure some disease when I grow up or something but hey I'm worthless.

I don't have a screwed sense of morals, just a DIFFERENT ONE.
It's not like we're talking about murder here

[Gunstar Hero]

Of course sub. Everything you say is right.   

I hope you reap as you sow.