Origin of lit buttons

[Blanka]

I was wondering if the current hype of LED buttons originates from some real Arcade Cabinets.
As far as I know only the first cab ever, Computer Space, had some light-attract mode.
Are there any other classic cabs that have lit buttons in attract mode?
Or is it some pinball-freak that created an arcade cab at some point and took the BYOAC community by storm in the era of MTV Cribs and the SUPERBLING hype?
For me the cabs that look like pinball machines are still a little weird. I think an arcade should attract with some weird sound effects and the screen itself.

[1UP]

I don't know about attract modes, but many games certainly had lit buttons.  Missile Command launch buttons were lit, I believe Tempest and some other Atari vector games had player buttons that lit depending on the number of credits, Space Ace had difficulty buttons (Cadet, Captain, Ace) that flashed when a game was started, prompting the player to select.  Pac-Man had coin slots that flashed when a coin was inserted...probably a lot more I don't remember.  Didn't Sinistar have translucent buttons as well?

Well, the new lighting boards have a mode that allows them to light only the used buttons for specific games, which is a useful function.  I think for the most part the attract modes are just to add some interest to a cabinet 'because we can', and maybe remind us of pinball as well, which was another big part of early arcades.  Since many people have Virtual Pinball in their cabs, I think it might be very appropriate. 

[SavannahLion]

Try as I might, the Atari Volcano buttons are the only classics to come to mind.

I don't really recall any classics in the wild with lit buttons (if they did, they likely burned out by the time I came around), but there are a couple of modern cabs with lit buttons. I have a sneaky suspicion that these have been retrofited with lit buttons (one is a SFII and the other is one of the Multicades or similar) or they're cabs that are outside normal designs anyways (such as Pop 'N' Music).

[genesim]

Try as I might, the Atari Volcano buttons are the only classics to come to mind.

I don't really recall any classics in the wild with lit buttons (if they did, they likely burned out by the time I came around), but there are a couple of modern cabs with lit buttons. I have a sneaky suspicion that these have been retrofited with lit buttons (one is a SFII and the other is one of the Multicades or similar) or they're cabs that are outside normal designs anyways (such as Pop 'N' Music).

I was goint to say this too.   Atari was the front runner on so many aspects.   I still hope one day their circuit based earlier games get emulated.   Kills me every time I watch Dawn Of the Dead.

But getting back...I keep wonderinng if the lighted volcano's are just "too much" for a home cab.

[CheffoJeffo]

A number of the Williams games used translucent buttons for P1 and P2, but the ones that comes to my mind were not actively lit. The Joust cocktail has two bulbs that sit behind the buttons and lit the "1 Player / 2 Player marquee", but they are just GI and light the marquee far more than they light the buttons.

To my mind, the current popularization can be attributed to Knievel's Neon MAME. I know that his results, along with those of TOK and spacies are the reason why I want my Williams Multi CP lit.

[Paladin]

I know that the Joust upright had lit start buttons, also the Defender cocktail has 6 bulbs in each control panel.  I'm pretty sure the other Williams cocktails had lights, as well as some of the other uprights.

[RayB]

Missile Command launch buttons were lit,

Nope. Black. Only the start buttons light up.

Atari & Kee Games always used lit Start buttons from the start (with maybe Pong being an exception?). It's a sensibile way to attract the eye in a darkly lit arcade ambience. I wouldn't attribute credit to them though. They didn't invent idea of lighting things up so people know to look at them. You can go as far back as early pinball or even earlier amusement devices and see all sorts of examples of lighting up instruction cards, and lights to indicate controls, etc.

[RandyT]

For me the cabs that look like pinball machines are still a little weird. I think an arcade should attract with some weird sound effects and the screen itself.

What about the cabs which use LCD Panels?  Or the ones with 3 joysticks AND a trackball AND a spinner on them.  Do those look "weird" to you as well?  You never saw a classic (or modern) arcade machine with so many different controls, or with such large control panels. 

The reality is that arcade machine manufacturers were always innovating, but were also "cost conscious" and that was even more apparent toward the end.  But the new builders are now innovating in ways that weren't possible in those times, and are more suited to the multi-use function of the home arcade machine.

The lighting, as used on people's cabs, is a recent phenomena for the most part, probably related in no small way to the release of the LED-Wiz controller, and the hard work of the software guys who made sure it could be integrated properly into the experience.  When a builder executes the lighting well, and shares their efforts, it's seen by a lot of folks who immediately want to do the same with theirs. 

People also tend to use their cabs for other fun things like a part time jukebox.  The ability to do a light show with the music is an impressive function, and more "fun" than watching a "geiss" re-hash on-screen.

This is kind of funny, but it was over a year before I fully outfitted my own cab with Electric ICE buttons and LED-Wiz's.  You know what they say about a mechanic's own car...something similar going on there.  But after doing so and seeing how it added to the overall appearance and capability of the machine, I can't imagine going back to the normal buttons.  Most others who have invested the time and effort to do this will likely tell you the same.

RandyT

[Blanka]

With Williams cabs we know where they have it from 
Weren't they pinball makers?

[1UP]

Nope. Black. Only the start buttons light up.

My bad, I must have gotten that mixed up since they are still the "volcano" style buttons, just the unlit ones.  Memory must be getting a little fuzzy on machines I haven't seen in at least 10 years, hehe.

But after doing so and seeing how it added to the overall appearance and capability of the machine, I can't imagine going back to the normal buttons.  Most others who have invested the time and effort to do this will likely tell you the same.

Yup, I'll be joining that camp soon.  Always loved the idea, and now that the feature is included in so many FEs, the time has come to upgrade!

[Turnarcades]

Well I suppose even if it's not a deep-set practice of old, the old 'moth to a flame' theory still holds true. Fruit machines use light sequences to draw people in (I myself am instantly drawn to the 'flashy-flashy' when I go into a pub!) so I guess it stems from that.

It's just eye-candy. Same as many people upgrade the sound system to some kind of modern multi-channel system for better sound - I guess everyone who spends time building a cabinet stands back and thinks of things to add for wow factor.

[solid12345]

Personally I hate the lit buttons, my buddy was pushing me to get those on my cab but he also creates and listens to techno music, I don't want my arcade to be a prop for a rave party.

[chiLLbiLLy]

I've only played the Colecovision version and don't really remember ever seeing the arcade version in any arcade, but didn't Exidy's Victory from 1982 have several lit buttons, of one type or another, that actually lit and/or had some function during gameplay?  Surely, there are a few more isolated machines, not counting those with volcano buttons, that utilized lit buttons back in the golden era.

And, although it's not exactly from the "golden era", depending on the years you define the golden era as, but I think I've seen a picture of Top Secret, also from Exidy, that has something like 8 lit buttons of several different sizes/colors on it's control panel.

Of course, this makes me ask the question, if these buttons did serve some function, other than just staying lit all the time, does Mame currently emulate their output?   

[Siris]

I know for a fact some cabs had lit buttons, back when the NES came out I had a buddy who worked for a distributor and he gave me a cab to put my NES and Sega in and it had these type buttons for player one and two:

http://www.happcontrols.com/pushbuttons/5400042x.htm

There are lenses you can put in the button the ones I had had either one or two stick figures accordingly.
To this day I cannot figure out what game that cab was from it was a dark blue cab with a rounded top the side art was stenciled black and white with some space theme I distinctly remember a picture of a bald female/alien looking profile with white eyes.

Anyone have any clue?

[Bender]

I have to admit I wasn't crazy about the lit buttons at first.....

but it really is awesome to have just the right buttons you need for a specific game light up and in the right color too!
Makes the cab really user friendly

[ivwshane]

I have to admit I wasn't crazy about the lit buttons at first.....

but it really is awesome to have just the right buttons you need for a specific game light up and in the right color too!
Makes the cab really user friendly

That's why I lit my cab:D
It makes figuring out what button is what or what buttons are in use so much easier.

That said, I'm not a big fan of random flashing buttons.

[arzoo]

Of course, this makes me ask the question, if these buttons did serve some function, other than just staying lit all the time, does Mame currently emulate their output?   

Depends on the game. For example, Spy Hunter lights the active weapons button and Mame does emulate those outputs.

[dreamakuma]

I remember the cruis n' games had flashing lights. But that's all i remember because of location and age.