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Kind of Overwhelmed and Unsure of Where to Begin an Arcade Project

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awesomesauce22:
OK,

Here's essentially all of my knowledge when it comes to this topic at this point in time:

1.  I am going to order the Project Arcade book within the next day or so so I can read up on starting a project.
2.  I live in Northern New Jersey and so far the only place that I've heard of within 2 hours away that sells gutted arcade cabinets is TNT Amusements in Southampton, PA (granted that's still not the closest place in the world)
3.  I have a friend who will probably be able to give me a PC with (not 100% positive about specs) a 20GB Hard Drive and 512 MB RAM that's currently running Windows XP.
4.  My budget is currently set at $200-$300
5.  I'm a High School Senior who's not particularly handy to say the least so I would prefer a project that's relatively simple.

And that's pretty much what I'm looking at so far.  Like I said, I'm feeling kind of overwhelmed right now since I know that there are almost an infinite number of ways that someone could go about building their own arcade machine.  So that is why I would definitely appreciate some advice as to where I should start, what items I should buy, where I can buy these items, etc...  So if there are any tips and/or  bits of advice that anyone can offer me it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again (and sorry for all of the questions),

awesomesauce22
 :cheers:

leapinlew:

--- Quote from: awesomesauce22 on March 27, 2011, 12:17:40 pm ---OK,

Here's essentially all of my knowledge when it comes to this topic at this point in time:

1.  I am going to order the Project Arcade book within the next day or so so I can read up on starting a project.
2.  I live in Northern New Jersey and so far the only place that I've heard of within 2 hours away that sells gutted arcade cabinets is TNT Amusements in Southampton, PA (granted that's still not the closest place in the world)
3.  I have a friend who will probably be able to give me a PC with (not 100% positive about specs) a 20GB Hard Drive and 512 MB RAM that's currently running Windows XP.
4.  My budget is currently set at $200-$300
5.  I'm a High School Senior who's not particularly handy to say the least so I would prefer a project that's relatively simple.

And that's pretty much what I'm looking at so far.  Like I said, I'm feeling kind of overwhelmed right now since I know that there are almost an infinite number of ways that someone could go about building their own arcade machine.  So that is why I would definitely appreciate some advice as to where I should start, what items I should buy, where I can buy these items, etc...  So if there are any tips and/or  bits of advice that anyone can offer me it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again (and sorry for all of the questions),

awesomesauce22
 :cheers:

--- End quote ---

1. Good job on ordering the book. Take your time going through it and you'll be well educated on some of your options.
2. Craigslist! Check and check often. You can use a program which scours craigslist for you and emails you when someone posts a match.
3. Craigslist is another option for a computer, but to find out how much computer you need why don't you tell us the kinds of games you'll be playing. We'll need to know this to determine the best controls for you too.
4. The $300 price range is reasonable as long as you get a gutted machine cheap to free.
5. You definitely want to refurb an old machine. You may need to borrow a few tools to cut a few things, but it'll be good practice.

What kind of monitor you plan on using? Don't skimp on the artwork, it makes all the difference between a a rookie attempt and a quality product.

Remember your first machine may not be your ultimate machine, so do what you have to do to get it up and running. When it's up and running and your enjoying it, you can start working on the 2.0 version of your machine.

awesomesauce22:
I just checked Craigslist and didn't  happen to see anything of interest at the moment.  By the way, what's the name of that program that searches Craigslist and emails you when someone posts a match?  As far as the Computer, I have a friend who has a bunch of CDs with like 3,000 ROMs in total on them so I need a computer that can handle like 3,000 arcade game ROMs (I don't believe that any of the games' graphics require any sort of Supercomputer and to quote my friend "If your computer can run XP, then you'll most likely be fine").  As far as the monitor I think that maybe a 27'' should be fine.  I just don't know what kind of monitor it is that I'm looking for.     

SavannahLion:
Keep searching Craigslist. I picked up a few cabs, some for free, and I'm still kicking myself for skipping that Tempest. The key here is patience. That crappy gutted Metallica cab was listed six times already between $50 TO $75. You couldn't pay me to take it. There was nothing for six months when I started searching then BOOM got a cab. Six months later got another two and missed the Tempest.

Decide what you want in a cab. Pick only one or two such as a big monitor and two players. Then look for a cab that can take that kind of hardware. Since you're starting out, your first cab will dictate the hardware not the other way around.

Be open to the cab. My very first cab is a Hang-On which is virtually pointless to convert. But I got a crazy amount of goodies with it. Quite a bit of it having nothing to do with the cab. Most of that stuff could be sold. Funding the project or put towards a better cab.

ark_ader:
Get yourself an X Arcade.  You can enjoy the experience of arcade controls, and and have it portable.

When you feel like you would want to go the whole enchilada, then get a cab and fit it out.  You can always use the parts in your X arcade.

If you feel that the scene is not for you - then you can always sell it.

 

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