Opinions requested on a couple Marquee designs.

[versapak]

I am awaiting the finances for the materials to build my cab, but I figured now would be a great time to take care of the design stuff that doesn't require materials, so...

I am building a cab with an Xbox inside. I choose Xbox, because it has a decent arcade emu thing going for it + it has lots of up to date games for arcade use. Anyway...

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ldgonzales/marquee1.jpg
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ldgonzales/marquee2.jpg

Marquee 1:

I started with the X bubble, because I really like it, and speaks for the cabs internals. The problem was finding something to put with it. I stumbled across the MAMEtrix machine, and started thinking that the falling matrix thing would look great with the X. I then though it would be very cool of the characters falling were actually characters from the classic games.


Marquee 2:

I liked marquee 1, but thought that it seemed kind of plain, so I threw on some characters from fighters that appear on Xbox. I am now struggling with which I like better.



The overall design of the cabinet is going to be mostly solid colors, with very little if any artwork. I am thinking a Black, charcoal, & green theme.



I would love some opinions on the current designs. Which do you prefer? What would you do to make em better?

[DougHillman]

broken links.  I'm assuming that you meant to put a "p" instead of the "o" in "myweboages"  

[versapak]

LOL


ooooops


All fixed now.

[walls83]

I like the idea of having falling classic characters for the matrix part.

Marquee one would be my choice.  I dont think the characters in marquee two go very well with the design.

But like always its up to the person who is putting it on their cab.  I dont have to look at it all day like you do.  

[mahuti]

No characters. I like the look of #1. Though the elements are very clich

[DougHillman]

I LOVE #1.  

I HATE #2.

[AlanS17]

The first is certainly better, but you're right about it being a bit plain. Does this cabinet have a name you could put on there?

[DougHillman]

I'm gonna chime again again just to say how much I like the first one.  

Simple is better.  Resist the temptation to clutter it up.  I'd still like it with a simple name instead of the X Box logo, but don't you go adding anything else.

Use the same background on your CPO.  Some greenish outlines around the controls.  Maybe some glow-in-the-dark leaf switch buttons that the guy on rec.games.video.arcade.collecting is producing.  Or the blacklight ones that he's planning.   (His web site is http://www.specialtyplastics.tzo.com/ , but it's not working at the moment.)  Oooh, ooh, translucent green & blue lit from below would rock as well.

Care to share your original art?  I'm thinking I need to make something that I can use that background on now.    Maybe on the little 3/4 sized cabinet I'm planning.

[versapak]

The opinion I seem to get the majority of, is that the original (marquee 1) is the way to go. It is what I initially liked, but having nothing to build yet, I found myself staring and staring and staring at it until I felt I HAD to add more.

The name I had for it, being the little Xbox erohw that I am, was going to be Xcab, but I have pretty much grown quite fond of just calling it X, with just that bubble as its representation. I am thinking of trying to do a more 3 dimensional version of it with some elctricly charged clouds swirling around inside, but I am not sure how well I will be able to pull that off. The current bubble (and direct copy of the xbox version)  was achieved through a wonderful tutorial on ExtremePhotoshop.com, and I would love to get it changed to something that is similar but is my own.

Anyway...

I am always willing to share, though the originals are PSD files about 3 times that size (8" x 26" 300dpi), and weigh in at some hefty MB. Dunno the actual sizes right now, because I am away from my PC for the weekend visiting my mom.

If you are only interested in the background and not the bubble, I could easily save a file with just that layer, and could resize to request.



I appreciate the comments so far, and definitely welcome some more.





[On A Side Note...]
I am typing on this horrible MS Natural KB of my mom's , and it is leading to more errors than I wish to correct at this hour,so appologies in advance.

[wrxh8r]

im also building a xbox machine at the mo.if your looking for a more 3d effect maybe you should look into laser etching been looking at doing something along those lines for myself.ive used laser etched images for my ps2 window and they come out great once lit. xport1.com for example do them.if you mixed etching with normal marquee then the effect would be quite cool also depending on whether the etch is on a see through material or not would change it cause you can etch onto mirrors.for an example see here
http://www.hardmods.net/modules/arms/view.php?w=art&idx=13&page=1
also got me thinking when you said 3d and i remember having magic money boxes that look hollow but the money dissapears.by using a mirror on an angle.A bitt of looking on the net and i also found this
http://www.kitestailstoys.com/noveltylighting/infinitemirror.html
You get 2 mirrors one that is normal and one 2 way like in police station line ups.you put lights inside and the light gets stuck bouncing backwards and forwards creating a tunnel that appears to go forever.i was thinking what would happen if you etched an image of the xbox logo in the centre of a clear peice of perspex and placed it somewhere between the mirrors.i wonder if it would look like it was floating or if the perspex would be enough to disrupt the light.surely someone her could answer that.it would definitly be different to the averge marquee.
oh yeah and i prefer the first one by the way.

here is a picture of my ps2 window.sorry its a bit crap because im only using one led as i havnt hooked up lighting yet.

[walls83]

wooooo aahhhhhh.

I want them to do my Fan Grills..