Did some arcade gun research today- and an Aimtrak question

[swamprat96]

I went to my local arcade today to do some research . Played a time crisis 4, a BBH Pro and one I can't remember the name of (had big a green rifle in an open case on each side)

First the BBH Pro - CRT and lightgun as we know. Screen was on the way out and the aiming sucked. Also terrible at the edges of the screen.

Next the one I can't remember and the time crisis 4. Both had LCD screens fitted. The unnamed unit had 4 IR sensors top and 4 bottom. The TC4 had multiple sensors on all four sides (I think 10 or 12 in total). The unnamed was pretty accurate through the sights. The TC4 was spot on - really really accurate. Good to all corners of the screen as well as was the unnamed

So the IR won out big time. Much more accurate that the CRT. Blasphemy? OK the screen was not good so it wasn't up to full standard. But I know which screen I'd find easier to replace....

My aimtrak question- if arcade games use IR sensors all round the screen to work - how come AimTrak can use one bar at the top of the screen? Is it relying on better computing power to work out the position of the gun? Is this a compromise?

[ryantheleach]

My guess would be that due to the arcade games being exactly the same dimensions on every machine, once the firmware has been programmed, it wouldn't need calibration ever again as long as the gun was used in the same position.

with the aimtrak, it would be best to ask andy, but the reason it needs to be calibrated would be due to different screen sizes/aspect ratios as well as different distances making it a much harder to develop product.

[u_rebelscum]

...Both had LCD screens fitted. The unnamed unit had 4 IR sensors top and 4 bottom. The TC4 had multiple sensors on all four sides (I think 10 or 12 in total). The unnamed was pretty accurate through the sights. The TC4 was spot on - really really accurate. Good to all corners of the screen as well as was the unnamed...

I thought the stuff around the monitor were LED (IR) lights, not sensors.  With the sensor on the gun.
 

[RandyT]

I thought the stuff around the monitor were LED (IR) lights, not sensors.  With the sensor on the gun.
 

You can blame %$^%$^ Nintendo for that one......