Well, it is pointless to nail it in to someone's head yet I do keep hearing the same things over and over.
Sometimes its fun to be able to play every single game the human mind has conceived. I think it's pointless. Do you really need to be able to play over 3,000 games and make a special button for the wacked-out games that decided to be different? No, it's silly, and it looks like junk, and confuses the crap out of people.
I love that I can have my parents or my boyfriends parents over, and they can insert a quarter and play pacman with ease, and not have to ask me how the darn thing runs. they just play it, and that's exactly how it should be. You should be able to go up to an arcade, stick a quarter in and play it. Anything that prevents you from that goal is a waste.
When we are talking about playing games, I consider the classics. So it isn't necessary to play "EVERY GAME", but at the same time when classic gaming, you cannot leave out essentials.
Playing Centipede without a trackball is mindless. Playing Tempest without a spinner is impossible. Pacman or especially Donkey Kong without a 4 way RESTRICTED is obscene.
The goal is to maximize the amount of fun....yet it also should be technically the most pleasing.
The problem is that we have the mentality(not separating gender here), of having the "easy" remote. Yet alot of us have to sacrifice because for the numbskulls that don't want to learn.
Thankfully I don't have that in my family. A few short lessons, and I don't have to give them a pretty remote that has pictures to tell the infants what to do i.e. with flashcards. This button does this, this button does that...got it...well lets do it again, till you got it memorized. (If I get one remote, a thousand remotes, I will pretty much program them the same. Audio TV, Video TV. One button is nice, but hardly ever the same when you got two separate components using two separate signals...and yes macros suck. )
The arcade experience is being ruined by not having at least these essentials. A few things like pinball buttons and a qbert stick etc is really not that big of a deal.
If it is really that difficult...which again for the people I am around it takes like 2 seconds...then make up pretty instructions.
Donkey Kong gets this joystick....tempest gets this spinner...etc. Not that difficult. True it takes some skill to learn things...like Photshop or Excel, but when one takes the time the end result is quite rewarding.
I am not talking about a few extra buttons, but to skimp on what I have mentioned above is just plain lazy. That and like a few others have mentioned. We don't have the room or desire to have multiple arcade machines. Getting the first one installed was enough trouble!
A great do it all machine can be just as rewarding, and to me, I find it outright comical how many on here will have MAME on their machine, yet criticize people for wanting the multiple control panel to go with it???
Having a do it all(or at least alot), makes things very fun when done correctly. The guys at Slikstik made a wonderful panel and gives the customers lots of choices. If you can't figure out how to work those "oh so complicated" controls then you shouldn't be playing arcade games to begin with.
For my experience Arcade games aren't for my parents or my significant others anyway. They play for mild amusement, but for the most part arcade games are for the people that grew up during that time.
Besides, there are some of us who are actually amused and enjoy the arcade "frankenpanel" and actually think that those people are just jealous. With a small explanation, one can see the benefit of having it all on one panel. I will argue Slikstik/my modification down to the end of time. I have made no mistakes on my panel and it is simply easy to play. I will say it again....EASY!
Most that would compare to mine, or others like mine will be left in the dust when it comes to being adapted to the most games, while maintaining functionality as well as adapting to new games.
But I can also understand the people that want to keep it simple and don't want it too "complicated". There are plenty of those out there.
To me, what you will get for anyone that knows the arcade machines.....but what about Qbert, Tempist...etc. Geez that sure plays like CRAP on your "non complicate" panel! How is that a trip down memory lane when you can't even play it correctly??
What is frustrating is not having the 8 way that plays everything bad...but getting stuck on the *&^%^&* ladder in Donkey Kong on a higher level because you skimped on having the proper control!!