rebuild your control panel area ?

[Lilwolf]

I'm about to rip my arcade machine apart (to do some stuff to make it look more finished).

I was going to redo all my control panels... and I have a question.

I currently have a 4 player cabinet... but when playing 4players you have 2 people off on the sides and the controls always suck for them.

I was considering building a box that makes the space a little bigger for the control panel.  

1)  How much stability am I going to loose?

2)  Any recommendations for how to build it?  What to use for braces?  

3)  Any shape I should look for?

I was planning on bringing a full 2x4 up from each corner (from the bottom of the case up to where I cut the cabinet.).  Then with the added strength from that, I was going to build a box out from there.  The bottom of the box and the sides would have 2x2's (that all would be attached to the 2x4's) and then have plywood around the frame.  

I was going to go with a shape similer to a few I've seen.  Almost rectangle but the two sides will taper in a bit... but not being a woodworker, I thought I might just stick with a rectangle.   I do have the ability to cut the angles... so I might try it anyway.

Thanks for any/all input