Too good to be true ? Need Reality Check

[vertygo]

Hi Everyone,

Ok, so I have a Meta Fox cabinet.. the fam has played it through and through, it's actually a really easy vertical shootem up (think 1943, etc) but it looks great and is fun. I was wondering what to do with it, now that the excitement has died down and came across this:

********************************************220.html

Now, I'm wondering if this is worth while ? Like, it seems way too good to be true.. especially for $90 ?
If it is a decent deal, how hard would it be to add extra buttons to the CP (as there are only 2 for each player right now) ie. the wiring, not so much the construction side of it.

Thanks!

[EwJ]

Here's the reality check :  it's $90 off.
If you add another 200, it may or may not be worth it to you.
If not, there are cheaper boards....and different options to explore.

[Fozzy The Bear]

Hi Everyone,

Ok, so I have a Meta Fox cabinet.. the fam has played it through and through, it's actually a really easy vertical shootem up (think 1943, etc) but it looks great and is fun. I was wondering what to do with it, now that the excitement has died down and came across this:

"LINK EDITED OUT BY THE BEAR" (****************************************220.html)

Now, I'm wondering if this is worth while ? Like, it seems way too good to be true.. especially for $90 ?
If it is a decent deal, how hard would it be to add extra buttons to the CP (as there are only 2 for each player right now) ie. the wiring, not so much the construction side of it.

Thanks!

Here's an even bigger reality check... You're not allowed to link or discuss the purchase of those illegal multi game boards on here!! Edit out the link before Saint sees it and sends your thread to post hell!!

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[vertygo]

Wow! I had *no* idea those were illegal, my apologies! 

I guess that's the catch, hey ? Thanks guys, and again, I'm sorry.. just saw it and thought of asking opinions here right away. 

Are there legal multi-boards anywhere, or should I be wary of all of them ?

[FrizzleFried]

Wow! I had *no* idea those were illegal, my apologies! 

I guess that's the catch, hey ? Thanks guys, and again, I'm sorry.. just saw it and thought of asking opinions here right away. 

Are there legal multi-boards anywhere, or should I be wary of all of them ?

There are NO legal "PC based" multi boards and the vast majority of the others are illegal as well.  The only LEGAL multigame boards that I know of are the Namco Reunion boards and the Ultracade boards.  Even the Arcadeshop boards are technically illegal once you populate them with ROMS (unless you own the boards of all the ROMs you populate it with).

[MaximRecoil]

  Even the Arcadeshop boards are technically illegal once you populate them with ROMS (unless you own the boards of all the ROMs you populate it with).

Which of course falls into the same area of legality as most everyone's MAME machines on this board. I think it is ironic that multi-game boards are a taboo topic on a MAME oriented forum.

[FrizzleFried]

  Even the Arcadeshop boards are technically illegal once you populate them with ROMS (unless you own the boards of all the ROMs you populate it with).

Which of course falls into the same area of legality as most everyone's MAME machines on this board. I think it is ironic that multi-game boards are a taboo topic on a MAME oriented forum.

See...multi-game boards (aside from the AS one) come with the ROMS... it's just as against the rules to talk about how/where to obtain the ROMS for MAME here,  so talking about how/where to obtain the multigame boards that contain the ROM's is just as much of a NO-NO.

That is the school of thought.  That and the fact that Saint runs a "MAMEDev FRIENDLY" site here and MAMEDev have made it clear that they frown on multi-game boards.

[hsstie]

Yea I too a while back was considering the multigame boards to make a cabinet with until I was shown the wisdom from the fellas here. See with mame the developers of the emulator don't profit from their work on it . Running a mame machine at your home isn't for profit eithier ( 99.99% of the time, yea it can be done but most dont ).

The guys that make those multigame boards are using games they dont have the rights to, then they burn them on the boards and sell them and make a profit. And they make cabinets with them. Every time someone buys one of thier boards or machines they are supporting those guys who stole those games and sold them. I asked a distributor that sold these multigame boards how legal they were and he told me " they are not, but we get away with it cause no one complains about it ". I really am surprised they have been getting away with it as long as they are. Heck i seen some of their cabinets for sale tonight for 2500 bucks at the game sale here in my city. Even the used ones were 1200 and noone was buying em. I bought a used legal ultracade for less ( that i plan to put on site), and it had more games too 

[MaximRecoil]

Yea I too a while back was considering the multigame boards to make a cabinet with until I was shown the wisdom from the fellas here. See with mame the developers of the emulator don't profit from their work on it . Running a mame machine at your home isn't for profit eithier ( 99.99% of the time, yea it can be done but most dont ).

The guys that make those multigame boards are using games they dont have the rights to, then they burn them on the boards and sell them and make a profit. And they make cabinets with them. Every time someone buys one of thier boards or machines they are supporting those guys who stole those games and sold them. I asked a distributor that sold these multigame boards how legal they were and he told me " they are not, but we get away with it cause no one complains about it ". I really am surprised they have been getting away with it as long as they are. Heck i seen some of their cabinets for sale tonight for 2500 bucks at the game sale here in my city. Even the used ones were 1200 and noone was buying em. I bought a used legal ultracade for less ( that i plan to put on site), and it had more games too 

Regardless of how you rationalize it, owning a MAME machine loaded with ROMs (often hundreds or even thousands) that you have no legal right to, falls into the exact same legal area as owning a multigame board.

[SirPeale]

This is a hardware board, specifically tailored to arcade controls.  It mostly deals with Mame software, yes.  But to keep things clean certain things are not discussed here.