So ... How do you explain your cabinet when guests arrive?

[TheVengeance]

So we're entertaining a few people last night, and this guys says to me, "What is that? How's it work?" Meaning of course , the innerds.

I try explaining my cabinet the best I can, and he still looks puzzled. So I figured alright, he's pretty clever, perhaps I should just drop some logic on him and tell him what it really is. WRONG! He was lost even more.

[danny_galaga]

most people are happy with the explaination i give. because it looks low key, they first assume i refurbished an original. and i think the most played game by others is ga- lager (",)

[BarontheFirst]

To explain mine I simply say it is a computer dedicated to games that I built myself. Then I get more and more questions. I don't think there is a simple answer for a person that has no idea what emulation is.

[versapak]

Fortunately it is usually an easy question with mine, since it is an Xbox inside.


Though I can get more and more questions if it is running MAME, and then I just say "It is modded, and it runs lots of extra stuff.

[bjk7382]

I have the opposite problem. I don't have any mame yet, so I find people coming over either, get bored with games really fast and moving to the next dedicated game, or they don't take intrest in them at all. Maybe I just have them set up to my difficulty, and they just die a lot so it isn't fun, but I hate changing the dips all the time so they can just learn like I did.

And they are totally baffled by flicking the coin switch to put credits on them.

I can only imagine trying to explain a mame setup.

[DannyH]

Lol When I picked up my cabinet from the shipping company the other day I faced a host of questions on how it ran, and ended up spending 20 - 30 minutes with the guys there on the computer showing them MAME and a few Roms and how it works. My personal mission is to get everyone to want an arcade cabinet. So far I have convinced 2 people who are building theirs and the guys at the shipping company had that glint in their eyes that lets you know exactly what they will be asking their better halves for!

[SirPoonga]

So I just said, "hey buddy, drop in a quarter and play me" Pretty much kept him occupied the remainder of the night, playing GUH-LAY-GAH! 

Right answer!

[monkeybomb]

I have had the totally opposite experience.  I try and make everyone listen to how it works and NO ONE cares......"Does it play Ms Pacman?"

[paigeoliver]

No one has ever cared beyond "its got a computer in it".

[Tahnok]

No one has ever cared beyond "its got a computer in it".

Same here, though I get quite a reaction when I press exit and they see all the games in the list.

[Lilwolf]

I get "What game is it?"

and I reply "All of them!"

Then I get "Have you ever heard of... what was that game... Tempest"

and I have to hurt myself not to say "duh" but to say "yes, and here is a repo controller just for that game".  Or something a little more polite.

[Bones]

Mine isn't finished yet but when it is and they ask "what is that?", I am going to tell them it's a time machine.

This is the only reason I am building a cab.

[Hoopz]

I made sure that EVERYONE knew I was building it so now when anyone comes over they simply want to play it.  Explaining the concept before it was built was not that difficult.  "It will look like a regular arcade machine and simply has a computer inside it with some old games on it..."

[tristan]

Generally it goes, "Sure you can play, there's a cup of quarters..."

[kickngas]

My guests so far have just stood there with drool and a glazed look in their eye! 
After the initial shock, they play until I have to run them off!  Then I get the "I gotta have one" followed by the "how much?", then they get the glazed look again!

[AlanS17]

Well I built my first one for my fraternity. It went into the frat house. I actually built the thing at the frat house, though, so they just saw me building it. I didn't get too many questions. Mostly just questions for help switching games.

[missioncontrol]

I just hand them a few quarters and let them go at it..........

[RayB]

So we're entertaining a few people last night, and this guys says to me, "What is that? How's it work?" Meaning of course , the innerds.

I try explaining my cabinet the best I can, and he still looks puzzled. So I figured alright, he's pretty clever, perhaps I should just drop some logic on him and tell him what it really is. WRONG! He was lost even more.

[Mr. Bubblehead]

I had a couple friends I had not seen in a while drop by on two separate occasions last week...both asked "hey where'd you get the old Defender game?  Does it work? Can I play?"  I asked them what they wanted to play and they were confused, until I showed them the guts.  One was vaguely familiar with Mame and thought it was cool, the other was completely amazed and was asking all sorts of tech questions...I tried to explain everything but he just didn't get it, but really enjoyed playing all the games.  When I tell people that I am making 6 more cabinets for my basement, each one themed after a classic arcade game they either 1) think it's cool, 2) roll their eyes and shake their head, or 3) do not believe me until I take them out to my workshop and show them all the stuff in progress.

[M3talhead]

I like to refer to mine as an addiction......

[Thenasty]

me: pick any game you want, nay game.

them: Does it have Ms.Pacman

me: yes, like I said, any game you want.

them: holy crap, does it also have galaga ?

me: why don't you just shut up and pick one.

them: oh man, this is awsome, what the heck is MAME ?
           can you build one for me, I'll give you 200 dollars.

me: 200 dollars, you mean you just want the joysticks, trackball ? 

end:

That would be the last conversation will have till night falls and they are ready to go home. 

[Stingray]

Hmm. I just tell most people it's got a computer inside and it can run classic arcade games. That pretty much takes care of it for those who don't really understand electronics. Most of my friends are knowlegable enough to understand what it is without having to ask. Those types usually are interested in what kind of encoder I used, how I hacked the mouse, stuff like that.

-S

[Nailz]

I always end up playing the 4000 game question when I tell them what it will do...

Will it play Centipede?  yes...
Will it play Pac-Man?  yes....
I bet you don't have.... ummm... Zaxxon!  yes....
Will it play..........

And on and on and on   

[SuperGunGuru]

I have the opposite problem. I don't have any mame yet, so I find people coming over either, get bored with games really fast and moving to the next dedicated game, or they don't take intrest in them at all. Maybe I just have them set up to my difficulty, and they just die a lot so it isn't fun, but I hate changing the dips all the time so they can just learn like I did.

And they are totally baffled by flicking the coin switch to put credits on them.

I can only imagine trying to explain a mame setup.

Heh sounds like the same problem I have. We had family visiting us from Vegas and it was mostly my little cousins that played any of my cabs. It was kinda surprising since they never grew up with any of the games and probably haven't seen a lot of arcade machines before. The adults who I thought would remember some of the games didn't seem to care one bit. Tron appeared to be the favorite game during their visit.

[danny_galaga]

me: pick any game you want, nay game.

them: Does it have Ms.Pacman

me: yes, like I said, any game you want.

them: holy crap, does it also have galaga ?

me: why don't you just shut up and pick one.

them: oh man, this is awsome, what the heck is MAME ?