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Mame - Good or Bad for the Arcade Biz ?
fredster:
Why Jamma?
Now that you know it's just a standard wiring harness, the reason was simple. Back in '85 and '86 the arcade business was taking a nose dive. The early machines were wonderful proprietary creations that were unique. To work on a Midway, you had to train on Midway, or Atari, or whatever. You had to buy parts like you do for old cars.
Jamma made a standardized platform when the cab building business went to crap. Instead of paying $2000 + for a new game, you could take an old one and convert it for less than $1000. It was a move necessary to sustain the Arcade business.
Lots of classics bit the dust. They made their money and they were spent. Young punk kids for some reason wanted new games. Go figure.
I discovered Mame and this site by looking for schematics on PCB's. I litterally freaked out when I booted MsPac. I started yelling and screaming. I just couldn't believe how cool it was.
Mame has done as much to DESTROY the arcade business as it has to preserve it IMO. I notice that lots of old games have been made into 4 in 1's, 9 in 1's, etc. People can just build one instead of buying it. MsPac machines can be bought and sold for 1/2 of what they could just 3 years ago. Some people now don't think they are worth fixing. Some people have actually gotten out of the business.
fredster:
I think Mame is very super cool. I think it's wonderful and I sit and just look at my mame machine as one of the greatest creations I have ever made.
But I think it's really BAD for the arcade business. Classic machines are worth less. People don't want to spend lots of money on repairs. Cabs are tossed away and more people are getting out of the business.
Plus, arcade machine makers are going under. Maybe not directly by Mame, but it doesn't help when you can play old games for free. Parts are worth less, harder to sell, etc.
What do you guys think?
GGKoul:
Sure I love that I can play any game at anytime. But MAME roms just don't play the same as the real arcade game.
Paul Olson:
--- Quote ---Mame has done as much to DESTROY the arcade business as it has to preserve it IMO.
--- End quote ---
I don't agree at all. I think eBay caused prices to drop on old machines more than anything. I don't remember the arcade business ever being about fixing up old machines. It's always been about finding something that will make kids pump more quarters in. Nowadays, Ms Pacman/Galaga reunion cabs will suck up more quarters than an old restored Ms Pacman. I give MAME quite a bit of credit for the reunion cab even being made.
During the early 90's, I had all but stopped going to arcades. I started using MAME in 97, and have since spent quite a bit of time and money at arcades. I went to Tahoe last weekend with some friends. The goal was to go clubbing, but we ended up spending a good deal of time in the arcade. This was mostly due to my friends playing my cab (and partially due to really crappy service at Cabo Wabo), I wasn't even the one to suggest it. Most of these people hadn't been in arcades since high school over 15 years ago. We had a great time, and it wouldn't have happened if they hadn't been reintroduced to arcade games thru MAME.
Paul
Howard_Casto:
It's a silly point anyway...... 20 year old games aren't in the arcades anymore. Unless it's something special like pacman, game companies don't make money off of 20 year old games.
Now if you'd say "The inclusion of games less than 5 years old in mame is hurting the arcade industry" then you would have a point. But as a whole.... nah!!
Arcades are dying because game consoles are better (graphically... i won't touch that debate) and it's cheaper for game manufacturers to make console games than to make full fledged arcade machines.