Is there a living to be made from arcade cabs?

[Gambit]

So its illegal to make money from the chinese boards with mame on them, but is it ok to put them into your mame cabinet for use at home?

Seems like if they do cost just $70 its better than using a $450+ PC. We could burn our legal roms onto the flash or harddrive or whatever it uses.

This may have been answered already in this thread, just too much to read.

[saint]

This argument surfaces every so often on the forums here, and I don't believe it's ever been post-helled. Discussion on the morality or legality of ROMs is not a violation of the rules (just don't give out ROM links, or hints and nudges to the same.

What a great thread! 

There's some truth to some of what Spacies has to say. We just don't want to hear it. In my opinion, there is much hypocrisy on all sides of the argument.

I hope this thread doesn't end up in Post Hell.

[horseboy]

So its illegal to make money from the chinese boards with mame on them, but is it ok to put them into your mame cabinet for use at home?

No, both are illegal. An argument can be made though, that it is worse to make money off of them than use them yourself. It is kind of like arguing that it is worse to sell weed than to have a little personal stash to smoke.

[Chris]

So its illegal to make money from the chinese boards with mame on them, but is it ok to put them into your mame cabinet for use at home?

Yes, it is illegal on several levels:

- It is a violation of the MAME license to do so.  This is equivalent, say, to a PC seller selling an OEM version of Windows without the required hardware in violation of Microsoft's license.  The fact that the MAMEDevs don't have the resources to hunt down the perpetrators is not a defense.

- As noted, these boards also have (most likely) unlicensed versions of Microsoft Windows on them.  This is equivalent to any PC seller using bootlegged copies of Windows acquired from the grey market; the fact that someone else started the piracy doesn't absolve the seller.

- I won't even touch on the ROM issue, which is the crux of your argument, but the boards would be illegal based on the above two reasons even if no ROMs were involved.

Yes, it is illegal to use the ROMs at home as well, but there is usually a severe difference in penalties between personal copyright violation and commercial copyright violation, at least in the US.  

[spacies]

Yes I am yanking your chain. And wipe the froth from your keyboard as it not a good look.

I have never bought a 10,200,400 or 800 in 1 PCB. The one we Ghosted was a friends. I would never use one either because they are known to be unreliable. Its a PC and we all know how unreliable they can be!

Horseboy: Please don't insult people by calling the names. God only knows how you thought up your name?

Saint: Do what you will my friend. I sincerely apologize for my comments. I got a little keyboard happy as did the others. I was stating what was out there and we all got defensive and offensive. If you blacklist me its my fault for speaking from the dark side. I don't fully condone the use of roms but the temtation is too great for all, well most, of us. I DO NOT build MAME machines anymore and the machines I am building are all dedicated, but, are new PCBs. Go figure.

You have a great asset here to preserve the history of arcade machines. This was THE main reason for starting the business. I dont make a lot of money, in fact I just get by but its something I have a skill in doing and I really flippin enjoy it.

I am not here for trouble. I have vast knowledge of games, I build all my machines from scratch myself and I also restore dedicated ones. I am here to help others in there quest to building and owning there own arcade machine. Also to offer tips and tricks I find along the way. So if I post on your thread when looking for advice or help, please remember the good guy inside that has the some hobby as you.

Apologies again,

Malcolm.

[saint]

No rules have been violated, no worries

Saint: Do what you will my friend. I sincerely apologize for my comments. I got a little keyboard happy as did the others. I was stating what was out there and we all got defensive and offensive. If you blacklist me its my fault for speaking from the dark side. I don't fully condone the use of roms but the temtation is too great for all, well most, of us. I DO NOT build MAME machines anymore and the machines I am building are all dedicated, but, are new PCBs. Go figure.

You have a great asset here to preserve the history of arcade machines. This was THE main reason for starting the business. I dont make a lot of money, in fact I just get by but its something I have a skill in doing and I really flippin enjoy it.

I am not here for trouble. I have vast knowledge of games, I build all my machines from scratch myself and I also restore dedicated ones. I am here to help others in there quest to building and owning there own arcade machine. Also to offer tips and tricks I find along the way. So if I post on your thread when looking for advice or help, please remember the good guy inside that has the some hobby as you.

Apologies again,

Malcolm.

[leapinlew]

No rules have been violated, no worries

What about the rule that says no one will open my chest, pull out my heart and rip it to shreds?! Spacies toyed with my emotions and left me to shrivel and die.

[jimmy_bored]

The topic is, "Is there a living to be made from arcade cabs?".  Where is there selling roms in the topic?  The real ignorance is going off topic, like you did.  Your count to the thread continues to grow? Are you trying to catch up. 

Bottom line is grow up.  Learn when not to speak because in instances like this your limited mental capacity is clearly demonstrated.

I was simply debating the same thing that had been being debated for the last 60 posts.

So, which of your posts were on the topic at hand...

Was it the first one where you called Saint a pirate and said this site is paid for by pirate companies?
Or is it the next one where you say you run pirate sites?
Maybe it is the 3rd one where you ask where to get the pirated boards?
Is it one of those next 2 where you berate CheffoJeffo and call him a tool for telling you that discussion of where to get roms is illegal?
It has to be the one where you laugh because people are still posting in this thread, right?
I know it wasn't the last 2 where you were futilely arguing with me.
Wait, I found it. The only one I missed...

Very hottttttttttttttttttttttt................

That is actually the most informative post I have ever seen you post on the boards. Good job, bud. Now shoo before you make yourself look even more ridiculous.

While I admire your determination to waste time analysing my posts, I have to ask what's the point?  I'm glad you also found my knowledge of Sweden informative.  May I suggest you spend a little less time in front of a computer and maybe more time exploring the real world.  Like a vacation outside of your computer room or garage?

Opps... I almost forgot, "I love yoooouuu man!"

[horseboy]

While I admire your determination to waste time analysing my posts, I have to ask what's the point?  I'm glad you also found my knowledge of Sweden informative.  May I suggest you spend a little less time in front of a computer and maybe more time exploring the real world.  Like a vacation outside of your computer room or garage?

Opps... I almost forgot, "I love yoooouuu man!"

It is like beating a friggin' dead horse with you dude. Anyone with half a brain can tell that you made no point and continue to do so.

[CheffoJeffo]

Seems like if they do cost just $70 its better than using a $450+ PC. We could burn our legal roms onto the flash or harddrive or whatever it uses.

The 400-in-1 kits were running $350-$450 last I saw (about a year ago) and the list of games was less than impresive (now, you could hack it, but for $450 you're better off with the PC).

Cheers.

[jimmy_bored]

It is like beating a friggin' dead horse with you dude. Anyone with half a brain can tell that you made no point and continue to do so.

  Great come back.  And even better you twisted the question on to me... Maybe you should try politics.  BTW - "Dude", even a better sign of your adolescence stage in life.

[saint]

Great come back.  And even better you twisted the question on to me... Maybe you should try politics.  BTW - "Dude", even a better sign of your adolescence stage in life.

http://arcadecontrols.com/arcade_message_rules.html
 
http://arcadecontrols.com/arcade_message_rules.html
 
http://arcadecontrols.com/arcade_message_rules.html
 
http://arcadecontrols.com/arcade_message_rules.html
 
http://arcadecontrols.com/arcade_message_rules.html

[jimmy_bored]

http://arcadecontrols.com/arcade_message_rules.html
 
http://arcadecontrols.com/arcade_message_rules.html
 
http://arcadecontrols.com/arcade_message_rules.html
 
http://arcadecontrols.com/arcade_message_rules.html
 
http://arcadecontrols.com/arcade_message_rules.html

Sorry saint.    I'm done..

[1UP]

Has annyone heard from 1up lately ..... ?

He sold his prototype spincade a couple weeks ago in BST. He said that it is just because he was moving and that he still plans on selling them, but who knows.

I am still around, and so is Spincade.  Just had to take some time to rethink the design and revise the company's business model.  I wanted to keep costs of the arcade units down to a reasonable level so that they are sellable and buildable at larger quantities, rather than building only a couple at a time and selling at a high price.  We are doing some test marketing of lower-cost units at the moment.  Keep your fingers crossed--if all goes well, you may be able to get a rotating arcade unit for not much more than a basic UAII setup. 

As far as the prototype, it was the very first one I had the cabinet shop make, so it was only suitable for photographs--the control panels didn't close properly, and the t-molding was loose.  (I had a lot of problems with that builder, another reason we had to stop selling temporarily.  )  It was still usable as a regular fixed-panel cab with a little work, but I just didn't have the time or space to work on it and was going to be moving soon, so I let it go as a fixer-upper.  I really didn't have any further use for it, because I had another finished, working prototype already, as well as the original Pac-Mamea.

BTW, I will probably be around a lot more once Spincade gets rolling again!   

[Havok]

Keep your fingers crossed--if all goes well, you may be able to get a rotating arcade unit for not much more than a basic UAII setup. 

Unassembled kit? Better yet.. plans, and full size templates?

Please?