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Flat Pack Arcade Cabinets
RandyT:
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This reply will have to be multi-part due to post length constraints on this board.
--- Quote ---Many people have tried this and many have failed.
I remember one such venture that someone advertised several months ago on this board.
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That would be me :)
--- Quote ---I pointed out to them that it would never work for various reasons including the ones mentioned above. They not only got very angry with me but informed me that they had already invested a great deal of money/equipment/time into the project without asking the community what they think. Needless to say they weren't very successful as I've only heard tale of them selling one of their prototype cabs towards the initial startup.
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Howard, the only thing that ticked me off was the way your advice was administered, and that you compared the price of a ready to assemble unit to that of a sheet of raw material. And keep in mind, that this group represents only a very small portion of the "community". As far as the success of the project goes, I take blame for that more than market considerations. I went where the money is and I ended up using the machine to work on a contract for 500 (unrelated to arcade stuff) assemblies at $35 each. How I came to the decision to use the machine for this purpose is a "no-brainer". I do still plan to devote time to the Microcade project when this is done.
--- Quote ---Here's some reason's why it wont' work......
#1 Cabs are too darn heavy to ship...
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Not true. A cabaret style cabinet can be shipped for around $70, depending on where the customer lives. Remember, expensive to some is cheap to others. Depends on your income level.
--- Quote ---#2 No one is going to pay for cabinet plans unless they are the best darn plans in the world. They're are way too many free plans out thee already and the community is very open to sharing how they did things.
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We agree on something again :)
--- Quote ---#3 This is build your own arcade controls not buy them...
I know what your thinking on that one so let me explain. The general mame public doesn't really respect the original arcade feel and are perfectly happy to play pacman on their computer with their joystick. We arcade control loving guys are a very small part of that market. Also the few people that do buy pre built control panels aren't necessarily interested in a full cab for both monetary and space reasons. So you take taht number and cut it down again. When you get down to it there's just not enough people out there. But just for arguments sake I'll go on.
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This is changing as more average "Joes" become exposed to the notion of having the real arcade experince in their own home. The increased traffic to this site over the past year is proof of this. Also, many of the folks buying pre-built control panels *do* end up building them into cabinets. The controls can be a PITA and some folks just don't have the know-how/confidence to tackle it themselves. As far as numbers go, there are over 2 billion people in the US, if I remember correctly. I'd be happy to take half of a half of a half of a percent of that :)
(continued in next post)
RandyT:
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Reply Continued....
--- Quote ---#4 The public is very demanding. .... Your not going to get away with cutting out lumber in your garage and screwing it together unless your a master carpenter or have several 1000$ worth of tools to help you. A simple plywood shell proabably wouldn't go, it would have to be laminate and /or a very good design at that. Like this: http://www.cybertechdesign.net/mameroom/ultimatearcadeII/day15.htm
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This is exactly why there is a market for a professionally designed DIY cabinet. Most of the "demanding public" won't be happy with something they hack together themselves. And, if it doesn't look good, their wives won't allow it in the house either :).
--- Quote ---#5 DIY means generic and the majority of us each want something different.... You'll notice that the cabs cyberpunk built were basically made to order. It took him several months and alot of hard work just to produce those two cabs btw. And from what I understand the buyer didn't want to fool with assembly. Which brings me back to what I said earlier, those who are too lazy to build/convert their own cab generally don't want to fool with assembly either.
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There's no shame in using whatever personal talents you might have to start with a basic model of something and customize it to make it your own. There are entire industries based on this concept. How many people can build their own car? How many people can buy add-ons, decals etc and apply them to make unique to them? I imagine there is quite a difference in the numbers. Also, bear in mind that in the early Arcade days, most of the cabinets from a particular game manufacturer were based on *1* design. It was only the controls and graphical treatments that made them different.
--- Quote ---#6 What would your kit have that makes it special? It's the first rule of marketing. Just because you build it doesn't mean they'll come. Are you going to have special retainters/ bezels/ ect made for your kit? If so are they going to be as good a quality as happs stuff? Also if your kit merely consits of the cut out pieces, that is by far the easiest part of the cab. If your design is simple enough 90% of the cuts can be done for free in the lumber yard. Some even cut laminated panels now (although i'll admit that's rare)
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I can guarantee that 90% of what went into my design *cannot* be done at the lumberyard. And if a person's design can be, they certainly shouldn't be trying to sell their kits. There are many ways to skin the proverbial cat, some better and/or more expensive than others. That's why you can buy a $30 knockdown bookcase or a $230 knockdown bookcase. It's all about what your own personal requirements are and what you can afford.
--- Quote ---Ok I'm done.... Once again I'm not trying to be a jerk, I'm just stating the obvious to help you make your decision. Remember 75% of all small businesses fail in the first year. With the current world events I think that ratio is even higher right now. (But 75% is the given business rule of thumb)
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I'm not trying to be a jerk either :), but some of the "obvious" things you are stating apply to only one portion of a larger market. Hanaho, Oscar, and Andy Warne all seems to be doing pretty well with their endeavors. There are other ways of doing what these folks have to offer as well, and I personally didn't need to buy anything from any of them to complete my project, but there are those that have/do and are happy they did. One can't base an entire market on one's own perception of it.
--- Quote ---Remember:
No project is a small project.
No business that produces a product has small start-up costs.
No un-tested market is without a great deal of risk.
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Agreed, agreed and agreed. However, one *can* minimize their risks by not "betting the farm" on an untested market. If care is taken to make sure that your investment can be channeled to other markets if needed, you have little to lose. A CNC machine doesn't care if it's making flower boxes or arcade cabinets. And if you can at least make back your investment, which I have been able to do 3 fold, any projects you decide to take on after that has a minimal risk.
--- Quote ---My finance teacher would be so proud.
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Those that can, do. Those that can't, teach (sorry, I couldn't resist :) )
RandyT
HanaHo Staff:
;)
I would be on the lookout for HanaHo cabinets as we are currently working on a Do-it-yourself Cabinet that will work with our existing HotRods. You will also have Trackball and 4 way joystick options available. Professional Quality, User Friendly, Easy to assemble, Ship by UPS. Well package...need I say more. Launching soon!!!
Regards,
HanaHo Staff
www.hanaho.com
phantompower:
I hope the price is not prohibitive. I saw some pretty steep prices on the website earlier for the entire cabinet with PC.
For those of you that saw my website with the MameStation, that was the first thing I EVER built out of wood. I would highly encourage any and all of you to build one on your own.
The cost of the wood is reasonable...Just my .02.
Chuck
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