Crowdfunded arcade button

[RayB]

I haven't had time to dig into the details of this (and whether it actually exists and is for sale yet); It's a new arcade button project that was funded through indiegogo.com

http://www.indiegogo.com/HBFS30

[Howard_Casto]

Man I hate to be a downer, but that doesn't look like a good button at all.  That hexagonal lip is just odd.  I'm not sold on the keyboard style switches either, I'm sure they are durable but I bet they'd feel funny.  The terminal connectors on the end and certainly too flimsy.  I've used that gauge on electronics before and generally you can break the posts off just by looking at them funny. 

I hope I'm wrong on it, but I don't think I am.

[SavannahLion]

Man I hate to be a downer, but that doesn't look like a good button at all.  That hexagonal lip is just odd.  I'm not sold on the keyboard style switches either, I'm sure they are durable but I bet they'd feel funny.  The terminal connectors on the end and certainly too flimsy.  I've used that gauge on electronics before and generally you can break the posts off just by looking at them funny. 

I hope I'm wrong on it, but I don't think I am.

As usual I disagree with you on all points in varying degrees except one. Those terminals. Those keyboard switches look like they're meant to be soldered into a pcb, hence their flimsy nature. Did you read the most recent posting? Looks like they realized the same and discovered they ---fouled up beyond all recognition--- up. That kind of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- wouldve been discovered during prototyping instead 90% of their promotional crap are renders. If they had one protoype, they would've caught that design flaw from the getgo.

I think the buttons are different enough in appearance that it might warrant some particularly interesting design choices. I just can't place my faith in any product that doesn't go through some real world testing first.

[amendonz]

They've been 'real world testing' for a couple months...

I'm somewhat interested to try them but hardly see the point, Sanwa buttons feel just right imo

[pinballjim]

They're kinda neat looking.  Frankly I think all the interest in arcade fighting sticks has been a great thing for our hobby.  Buttons and joysticks have never been cheaper and I've gotten some rather decent off brand stuff that I've been quite happy with.

[SavannahLion]

They've been 'real world testing' for a couple months...

I'm somewhat interested to try them but hardly see the point, Sanwa buttons feel just right imo

My point is is that a prototype is done to catch these kind of errors before a production run. Now they had to alter the offer slightly and eat the resulting costs. Heck, just getting their hands on the switches should have made them question the suitability of the pins.

[HaRuMaN]

The OCD in me would go nuts trying to align all those hexagonal buttons on a panel.  Round is better for me 

[Vigo]

Frankly I think all the interest in arcade fighting sticks has been a great thing for our hobby.

Agreed. 

With the hex shaped buttons, I think it would be eye popping on the right project. I'm thinking something heavy and industrial like Rick's Doom'd cabinet - (which i don't know if we will ever see finished).

[wp34]

The OCD in me would go nuts trying to align all those hexagonal buttons on a panel.  Round is better for me 

I was interested in trying them until I read your post.  Yeah that would be bad. 

[pinballjim]

Couldn't you just clamp a straight edge across the front of a row of them and then tighten them?  I don't see alignment being more than a 2 minute problem.

[HaRuMaN]

Couldn't you just clamp a straight edge across the front of a row of them and then tighten them?  I don't see alignment being more than a 2 minute problem.

That'd be fine, but I don't put my buttons in straight line. 

[SavannahLion]

Relax you two, there's nothing to tighten. They clip in.

[flashiv]

Did no one else read this line and not snicker at least a little??

Your sweetheart will be more to love your Stick!   

Yes I know English is not this person's first language, no I do not care, it's still funny.

I also agree that the terminal connectors do seem a bit flimsy.

[Gray_Area]

Relax you two, there's nothing to tighten. They clip in.

Yeah, they're very much like metal CP Seimitsus. Which you do have to be careful with in placing and removing the connects.

[Mysterioii]

Since they just clip in aren't they going to be prone to rotating once they're in the panel?  Even if they clip in fairly tight I'd expect them to get a bit "off" after a while...

[Howard_Casto]

Yeah they are probably going to spin around fairly easily, thus why I said the hexagon lip was an odd choice, but nobody listens to me. 

The whole reason button lips are generally round is so that their aren't any pesky alignment issues like this.  There are ways around it... you can sometimes cut notches in the hole where the clips would hit, but without a cnc-ed panel that is kind of hard to do. 


Like I said, it just isn't a very well-designed button.  I get the feeling that the people working on it don't have much experience with real (read suzo/wico/happ)  arcade parts. 

[pinballjim]

One drop of hot glue is going to fix any spinning around problems (which are going to be non-existent unless you deliberately try to spin them)

[Mysterioii]

Honestly I've never used the clip-in style that require a thinner panel, I've just got a 3/4" MDF panel so I use the threaded/nut style.  If these clip in nice and tight then I agree they'd probably be fine.  If they're at all loose I imagine they'd turn.  Like if you were ever wiping smudges off your CP or whatever.  But again, I've never used them so I don't know.

I guess I just don't like the aesthetics of the hex design there, but I have a box full of buttons already waiting for my eventual CP rebuild so it's a non issue for me.   

[SavannahLion]

Yeah they are probably going to spin around fairly easily, thus why I said the hexagon lip was an odd choice, but nobody listens to me. 

The whole reason button lips are generally round is so that their aren't any pesky alignment issues like this.  There are ways around it... you can sometimes cut notches in the hole where the clips would hit, but without a cnc-ed panel that is kind of hard to do. 


Like I said, it just isn't a very well-designed button.  I get the feeling that the people working on it don't have much experience with real (read suzo/wico/happ)  arcade parts.

I was trying facetious but I guess I needed a smilie for that.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing on that last part. I'm thinking it's a fan with no real experience or real world background. Interesting ideas but execution needs more work.