Dual Sided Mame Cab?

[f4phantomii]

I know someone has to have built one of these....basically a normal upright cab but with another display / CP on the "back" side.

With flat panel displays, it wouldn't be difficult at all to fit both into a cab.  You'd have two mame cabs in pretty much a single form factor.

Any pictures of such a beast?

[psychotech]

BYOAC 

I'm pretty sure it'll be awesome .. 

[Turnarcades]

My question is why?

[helpmebuild]

I know someone has to have built one of these....basically a normal upright cab but with another display / CP on the "back" side.

With flat panel displays, it wouldn't be difficult at all to fit both into a cab.  You'd have two mame cabs in pretty much a single form factor.

Any pictures of such a beast?

That would be pretty cool actually. If you were building from scratch it seems like it wouldn't be overly difficult to build, but i'm a first time builder so what do i know  . I think it would be neat for those who want to have one side with fighters and joystick/trackball style arcade games, and one side for like gun games, or even racers with a steering wheel or something.

[Turnarcades]

Innovative yes but I suspect it would be a bit ugly.

[Xiaou2]

 Actually, with 2 back 2 back LCD's it wouldnt look too much different from any other cab.

 Could be used as 2 mame machines in one cab..   as well as controls linked for 2players
on one PC..  and could be used for Lan/Net driving games...etc.  where each person has their own
display.

[Fozzy The Bear]

Could be used as 2 mame machines in one cab..   as well as controls linked for 2players
on one PC..  and could be used for Lan/Net driving games...etc.  where each person has their own display.

Not just driving games..... Any multi player game really. Strategy sim games, flight games, driving games... It'd be quite a cool project. There are quite a few arcade games that work as multi cabinet linked games.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[DeLuSioNal29]

Or perhaps a vertical monitor on one side and a horizontal one on the other.

[Franco B]

Ooo, I like the idea of that 

I definitely think you would want to use LCDs to keep the size down.

Or perhaps a vertical monitor on one side and a horizontal one on the other.

Good idea. Maybe dual rotary monitors?  Although possibly not for a first build.

You could even have a different theme on both sides of the cab.

[SavannahLion]

It took me a while to find it. There are two that I found.

Of the first. It's not an upright, I wouldn't really even consider it much of an arcade cabinet in the truest sense. It is, however, the closest BYOAC I'm aware of to what you're describing.

Personally, I think the cab isn't all that great looking. This cab is clearly a result of someone who has way too much money, too much time, and too little fashion sense. To add more to the insult, that cabinet was actually featured on T.V.! Of course, that doesn't mean much, the surf board Millipede was featured on T.V.

Anyhow, I got ahead of myself. Read about Gerald's cabinet on this self feeding disease of a blog. Here's a pic to save you the trip:


The second cab is referenced in the first article. It's not an upright either, but meh. I've heard about this cab (from the above mentioned TV show), but had a hard time finding it. Fortunately, it was linked to in the article. At least it saves me more of a search.

Personally, I think this cab looks much much better. More Arcade-like and less like a crappy gray particle board box with a TV (or two) thrown on top. It's Versus City. I really have no idea what it's about. Here's a pic:


Given such a bad first example and a huge second example. I'm confident any BYOACer who wants to tackle this project will know exactly what not to do when building their own head-to-head cabinet. 

[fixedpigs]

You could even have a different theme on both sides of the cab.

i got your theme right here...!

[Singapura]

The Versus City is used a lot in Singapore Arcades. Mostly fighting games. It's quite expensive though.

http://www.coinopexpress.com/products/machines/cabinets_only/Versus_City_603.html

[protokatie]

Innovative yes but I suspect it would be a bit ugly.

Absolutely no offense to you, MR american Shamshaw, but is this not unlike your website? (Except without the innovation)

*sighs* American looking Brit, PLEASE make your website look more like a business site... (Ill hug you a lot if you do!)

[Afterburner]

Interesting.  I can't believe nobody has done a dual upright before.

Granted, it would limit where you could position it as you couldn't just push it over into the corner like so many of us have to, but it seems like it would be interesting.

Hmm....maybe for the next cabinet build.  Just for kicks, I might take a crack at doing some quick and dirty CAD models just to see what it might look like.

[CheffoJeffo]

The Versus City is used a lot in Singapore Arcades. Mostly fighting games. It's quite expensive though.

http://www.coinopexpress.com/products/machines/cabinets_only/Versus_City_603.html

OTOH, there have been loads of these at auction here in Toronto going very cheap. Nice cabs, but take too much floor space for my liking.

[Turnarcades]

I'm getting a bit sick of being dug at in every thread - I've not been rude directly to anyone yet, so just drop it yeah. Not that I'm answerable to anyone, but the website is undergoing a major re-design, it's just gonna take time.

[hbm*rais]

I like the concept of having two screens facing opposite sides. I specially like something like the old Nintendo Vs cocktails with two screens. It would be cool to play games like RTS's or FPS's where you don't want your opponent to know where you are and what you're doing. At the same time it would allow you to keep eye contact with your opponents.

On a practical note, why build one dual sided cabinet instead of two twin cabinets that can be bolted together? It would be easier to move two thinner/lighter cabinets than a big dual one and you keep your options open. Any time you want you can put them side by side, with their backs against the wall. If you link them wirelessly, they don't even have to be necessarily in the same room anymore.

[unclet]

I would think a major problem for most people would be the space requirements to house a dual sided machine.   This one machine would take up one wall by itself since you would need to allow room for both players to stand at either end comfortably.     I was thinking a cabinet where the monitors were faced at 90 degree angles from themselves would be a better compromise.   The players would still be in front of the machine, but the angle of the monitors would force them to stand apart from each other and be separated a bit.

[kegger]

Somebody build one thats definitely  worth doing especially if you did something like LCD monitor's or something, cool concept 

[fixedpigs]

it'd be a promising design...it wouldn't take up an entire wall...i'd guess about six feet total...

one of the sides would have to open up to allow access to the inside...

[Afterburner]

There you go!  ^^^^

I was thinking access could be through the front below the CP on both sides.  Just have the front open up like a cabinet door.

There should be enough depth for two full tower desktop machines, each one facing toward it's respective door.

[MadGamer]

The concept has been around forever

[Avrus]

The concept has been around forever

That looks like analog operating at 15Hz?

 

[Malenko]

this count?



http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9377

[Havok]

And here's the sideart for your project...

[padstack]

this count?



http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9377

That's more of what I would like to see as well.   It would solve the whole "toss it in a corner" issue.  This has crossed my mind, but I'd need to finish the cab I've already started!

[bishmasterb]

What a shame that is.

I'm sure it's fun and engaging, but to spend all that money trying to replicate a specific arcade experience and to end up with something so completely devoid of an arcade aesthetic.

Oh wait...it's in Los Angeles. That explains it.

[ark_ader]

I'd do it for a game of steel talons.

[MadGamer]

havok your not right