Zombie Arcades launches first machine in the UK. Opinions welcome.

[TPB]

if Acer is mentioned, you ... might scare your metroman.

Games that aren't meant for wide screen look like ass on a wide screen.

if you like fat chicks, then sure, SF2 in widescreen with an obese Chun-li might be for you.. but otherwise?

the inebriated buddy is another obvious choice for inappropriate button mashing and has been known to foul-up the configuration of more than one MAME machine.

...

I was just in the basement, looked around, saw 20 coin-op machines ... I would have to sell them all in order to purchase one of your machines.

...

Oh, and for $5700, I want a freaking coin door

If I built my own for that amount, I could have ... a little Puerto Rican boy hired to wipe the machine down every day.

Oh, and it would have a coin door. 

Man, you guys are on fire ... talk about classic quotes.   

It's just the bare honest truth, warts and all.

The strength of this cab. is the upmarket "style and glam" factor, so it's on this basis that it must be sold.

Zombie, try to arrange to have product reviews published in some Men's magazines that are read by your target market.  Such as in-flight aeroplane magazines, Men's fashion magazines (for those chic metrosexual men), and hell, don't leave out the Girly magazines for the lads.

[zombie_arcades]

Acer is mentioned, you have some dikshrimping brand in your catalog that might scare your metroman.

You're absolutely right. From today all zombie arcade machines come with 24" Samsung LCD's.

[Turnarcades]

Sorry Kev, but a lot of these recent points (target market, price tag, design authenticity, poduct variation etc.) I raised with you last year when we spoke and are now voiced by others.

I do love what you have designed but it's going to be difficult to market both ways; either it has to be a budget, 'educated demographic' focused machine (ie. MAME-specific, BYOAC-experienced buyer who knows the cost but just wantnkss the build labour done a specific way without picking up tools themselves), or it has to be a dream machine (something we would love to buy if we had the cash, and that the genuinely rich and lazy definitely will buy cos they are unfussy and have money to burn). I don't think you can have it both ways.

I think you have a great product for the price tag and being a builder myself I understand the production costs of a cnc-cut machine of this finish with so many people in the chain, but I feel your target audience may not be amongst the BYOAC ranks. A lot of people here (myself included) appreciate the quality and the effort of the machine, but I imagine the design and cost is a little beyond the comprehension of most BYOAC-ers.

It is nice that there is a serious UK builder though at the other end of the scale. With the right marketing and no current competiion in that price bracket you should do well.

 

[zombie_arcades]

I do love what you have designed but it's going to be difficult to market both ways; either it has to be a budget, 'educated demographic' focused machine (ie. MAME-specific, BYOAC-experienced buyer who knows the cost but just wantnkss the build labour done a specific way without picking up tools themselves), or it has to be a dream machine (something we would love to buy if we had the cash, and that the genuinely rich and lazy definitely will buy cos they are unfussy and have money to burn). I don't think you can have it both ways.

You're right. However I'm not trying to have it both ways. I think I've made it clear who I see as my target audience.

I feel your target audience may not be amongst the BYOAC ranks.

I in no way see BYOAC members as my target audience.

I think you have a great product for the price tag and being a builder myself I understand the production costs of a cnc-cut machine of this finish .

Thank you Craig

[surface tension]

It is nice that there is a serious UK builder though at the other end of the scale. With the right marketing and no current competiion in that price bracket you should do well.

Bespoke arcades are approaching the same price for an upright.

Im thinking of sticking my arcade cab on ebay soon, and i wouldnt dare ask more that £1000 for mine if that! (more like £800). The £2800 asking price does seem rather high, must be making 80-100% profit on it, but it is a nice cab though, not one for the purist but more for the average joe, but then does the average joe has the best part of 3 grand to spend on such a thing??

80-100% profit... I'm sure Zombie could only dream of that. If he was producing 1000 at a time, then maybe. But it's not going to be these numbers. You also have numerous tooling/artwork costs which have to be included. Generally, people expect higher standards from a purchased item than if they were to build it themselves, so you can't cut any corners.

It's clear that BYOAC is not the target audience as everyone here tends to do everything themselves and in their own time, which means everything's a lot cheaper. You can put together a bracket out of a bit of scrap or make that interface out of an old joypad. These things you can't (or shouldn't!) do in retail.

[grantspain]

just want to make some points,

cab is very nice,alot of time and design has gone into it

your sale cost is high,you should look at where you get your parts-being in the u.k you can source cheap lcd from pentranic and source cheaper controls.

the reason i say the sale cost is high is because the taito viewlix cab is cheaper than the cab you offer,sure it don't come with a pc but pc's ain't that expensive to build

there is a market for what you do,just try to manage the costs a little better

[Blanka]

because the taito viewlix cab is cheaper than the cab you offer

Do you have a link of a European seller of those with prices?

[grantspain]

fella i know shipped one in for £3000 including all the fee's and this was a one off,i would think i could get one £300 cheaper no problem

[ratzz]

Great looking cabs ... they really do look nice.

Good luck buddy, you found your niche, now all it takes is smart marketing - oh, and a great looking website. Give me a shout if I can help with the latter!

Ratzz

[Crazy Cooter]

It's "primed" for over 4000 games, including Bomb Jack

How so?

How are the graphics on the panel done?

[Bender]

How are the graphics on the panel done?

Yeah, how are those graphics done?

[Ummon]

I recently went to best buy and looked at a new LG or Westinghouse monitor that has 10,000:1 contrast ratio, 2ms response, and goes for under $400. The only thing I looked at was the viewing angle, and it wasn't any different in quality than LCDs have every been. Maybe it was the model, but I think I might buy a plasma before an LCD. (I'm REALLY waiting for something better than both.)

However, I can see the general public, especially younger lads, immediately wanting an LCD and a widescreen one at that. And there are more of these single, well-to-do boys than you might think. My brother, who's now 35, was easily making 80 grand in his mid-to-late 20s. He wasn't anywhere near the top of the heap, and though he lives in L.A., if he'd been into this kind of thing, he'dve bought it - and had plenty to spare. (That boy spends money, I'll tell ya.)

As for the price, I kind of figure that just because British currency is twice what it is here, doesn't mean it buys twice as much there. Hence, close to three grand sterling is probably similar to three thousand dollars - which are what Arcade Legends and all that stuff goes for.

[Turnarcades]

You're spot on there about the currency conversion. Our economy is such that your amount in $ on your salary would be like us getting the same in £. For example, you pay $100 for a top-end pair of trainers (sneakers if you like!), we pay £100 for the same. Same with everything; beer is a couple of bucks to you, a few quid to us. That's a very brief comparison of how our economy is at the moment. However, right now our salaries aren't keeping up with inflation and we may be in a slight recession, particularly as city living expenses, house prices, fuel and groceries are rocketing in cost. I'm just glad we've refused to enter the Euro, or we'd be even worse off.

My missus (and until recently, me) earn just over £15000 a year each, which is good pay for an average office job over here, and we struggled to get a mortgage for our first home recently. Now Turnarcades is doing well though I'm glad I lost that job to a stroke, as I'm doing a job I enjoy! 

[ablizno]

I like the whole thing except i dont like that the marquee is green

Also love that the joysticks are not LED-ified. Makes the cab look crisp IMO.