Major retailers selling Arcade Machine

[ChadTower]

When doing custom cabs for people, it's always the sideart that is the problem.  The people want custom artwork, but then when I quote a price, they don't want to pay it... then, when I quote prices (with like 5% profit) for premade, well printed artwork (like from arcadegrafix), they balk at that too...

..."What do you mean, $175 more with new artwork?  WTF are you trying to do here, make hundreds off me?"


"Uh, it's expensive to have adhesive vinyl printed"

"no it's not"

"yeah, saying it is not does not make it not"

"I don't want to pay that, then"

"But I already stripped off the existing artwork"

"forget it all, too much hassle"

[More Cowbell]

I can't imagine anyone buying this for for any other purpose than for their kids. The price point reflects that as well. No adult of normal proportions could stand at that thing for more than 5 minutes without feeling it in their back (no offense to you short people out there)and if you plan on sitting down to play it, you might as well go with the tabletop version. However, I have to agree that anything that raises interest in the hobby is a good thing. This might be just what someone needs to say to themself, "This is a piece of crap, I could do better. If only there was a website devoted to building you own arcade controls...."

[rlemmon]

If you ask me it's just a  toy version of a real arcade, like those toy pinball machines walmart was selling last x_mas for 80 bucks or so . I do agree that it would be cool for kids though.

[ChadTower]

You guys act like you can't put it on a box or something and make it taller.

[rlemmon]

I wasn't really talking about the height. I was talking about the  quality. First off it seems like there using a 13" TV w/out s. video ( to the best of my knowledge 13"
TVs do not have s video). That would be really hard on the eyes.  I would also bet the sticks and buttons are cheapo ones look at the pic below They don't look like real arcade parts. It's also  likely to use hacked games like the jakks unitsand the thing is probably made of particle board. I would also think  that the side art is just a  cheap sticker set instead of vinyl. Ofcourse I could be wrong about everything. I doubt it though.

[ChadTower]

But something like that would easily stand up to average home use.

[rlemmon]

your right about it holding up to home use. The cheap controls would kill it for me. I played a jakks pacman at walmart and it was frustrating as hell. Personally Im not crazy about any of the games in it, but if it were a namco pac or ms pac cab  with original arcade roms and really nice artwork i would be tempted. It is cool for people who dont know how to build mame or arcade machines though. If i was into those particular games and didnt know about mame or have a mame cab . I would have to get one unless i saw it in person and the quality was awefull.

[Crazy Cooter]

[off topic]

( to the best of my knowledge 13" TVs do not have s video).

Advent 14" TV (Q1435A) ~$100
I have it my kitchen.  Componant, s-vid, AND composite.  Nice sound/pic too.

[/off topic]

[MaximRecoil]

I'm with wade.

Oh yeah?

[ChadTower]

That's the same crappily laminated, thin particle board you see cheap office furniture made from at chain stores.

This thing is junk, probably cost them $40 each to make.

[quarterback]

The only other thing I noticed was that the cab is listed as being 62" tall but the shipping info on Target says the box is "42 inches length x 31 inches width x 29 inches height"   I guess it's possible that the 62" tall sides are at an angle inside the box, but it seems odd that there would be 5'2" sides inside of a 3'6" box.

The sides are in two pieces. Someone posted these images that were scanned from a magazine on RGVAC - http://www.bigbadwoolf.com/images/wired_2005_nov_pg107.jpg

And - http://www.bigbadwoolf.com/images/wired_2005_nov_pg107_close.jpg

Man, that had crossed my mind, but I really couldn't believe they'd do that.  BLECH! 

That's terrible and even more fully opens the door to this whole cab collapsing.  Even the cheap WalMart shelves don't require you to stack 1/2" edges together to make the sides of the bookshelf.

In my Project Announcement for "The $30 Wal-Mart cab" I tried to come up with ways to build a cab out of a bookshelf unit.  Of course it crossed my mind to cut & then attach pieces of wood in this manner (edge to edge), but it's so patently ridiculous that I avoided it completely.

I still can't wait to see one of these in a Target B&M, but even moreso because it'll be like watching a train wreck.  I can't believe these will withstand even basic home use.

Thanks for the pics, MaximRecoil.

[Crazy Cooter]

And - http://www.bigbadwoolf.com/images/wired_2005_nov_pg107_close.jpg

LOL! The thing is already falling apart during the photoshoot!

[More Cowbell]

You guys act like you can't put it on a box or something and make it taller.

I can put a Gameboy on a tall box to bring it up to chest level too, but it doesn't make it a full size arcade machine. 

[ahofle]

LOL why are all you people getting so up in arms about this?  It's like someone posted an ad for a Hyundai in a Rolls Royce board and everyone is barking off all the reasons the Hyundai sucks.  Of course none of us would buy it, we all are into building real arcade cabinets.

I think it's pretty neat myself, even if it's made of 'target wood'.

[rchadd]

what no gorf???

i wonder what foley thinks about this?

[versapak]

what no gorf???

i wonder what foley thinks about this?

Probably thinks the same thing we do. Cheapo pos that barely passes as a cab.

I doubt it hits any of his target audience (no pun intended), especially seeing as it is not even a full size cab.

[RayB]

Probably thinks the same thing we do. Cheapo pos that barely passes as a cab.

I doubt it hits any of his target audience (no pun intended), especially seeing as it is not even a full size cab.

At that price point and in a chain like Target I bet you it will sell a hell of alot more units than you think. I believe there are lot more "rich dads" who can afford a $500 machine for their spoiled kid than there are Arcade Legends customers.

(Target has 1,330 stores. Think they can sell at least one in each store?)

Let's wait and see... 

[missioncontrol]

I think they will sell quite a few of them also.

It would actually be funny to see someone I know start bragging on how the got one of these at Target and all of a sudden start conversations about arcade games and think that they are now some kind of arcade guru for owning one...



 

then I'll have my turn at rolling my eyes and thinking, oh no not this again.....

[versapak]

Probably thinks the same thing we do. Cheapo pos that barely passes as a cab.

I doubt it hits any of his target audience (no pun intended), especially seeing as it is not even a full size cab.

At that price point and in a chain like Target I bet you it will sell a hell of alot more units than you think. I believe there are lot more "rich dads" who can afford a $500 machine for their spoiled kid than there are Arcade Legends customers.

(Target has 1,330 stores. Think they can sell at least one in each store?)

Let's wait and see...

I never said it wouldn't sell.


I just said it is not going to be cutting in to Foley's target audience.


That $500 cab is a kids toy. His cab (like him or not) is a real arcade machine, and I doubt he really expects all that many sales to kids or people looking for a budget cab.

Offering em through Target certainly doesn't hurt his company, but I doubt it sustains much of his companies life, if any.

[missioncontrol]

it doesn't have a coin door 

[quarterback]

it doesn't have a coin door 

But it does seem to have some kind of door on the front (see the CU picture MaximRecoil posted).  My guess is it opens up for your VCR, DVD player etc.

But no, no coin door.  But not surprising considering these are basically glorified Jakks TV game things and certainly not intended to accept money.

[missioncontrol]

yeah I noticed the hinges too. wasn't sure what they were for but yeah I guess for the DVD, VCR etc. that does make sense

[RandyT]

I especially like the poorly vectored Midway logo and banged up edges.....yeeesh!

I'm not sure I see these as a "good thing".  They will make it tougher for someone who is putting in the time and effort to make quality stand-up machines to market and sell their products.  And some of these people come up with innovations that the community as a whole can, and does, derive advantage from.

The inevitable "But I can get one at Target for $500"  or "Yeah, I've seen products similar to those sold by (insert favorite cabinet vendor here) at Target and they are junk" will be spoken a gazillion times by the vocal clueless.  IE. it muddies the waters.

It will be really interesting to see how well these do.  Anyone who builds Arcade machines for people would never be able to get away with the quality shown in the pictures, even at a $500 price point.  Why would those same people change their expectations just because Target is now the seller?

It reminds me of the dome hockey table I saw at Sears recently.  While it might be fun to play for a while, it was expensive and felt very cheap in construction.  It was like Chexx (I think that was the name) but nowhere near the feel of the arcade machine.  I wouldn't buy it because I didn't feel it had enough value for the cost.

Something else to consider is the following:

A) Almost everyone has a PSX or better game system nowadays

B) I think most, if not all of those titles are available in the Midway Arcade packs which are going quite reasonably and are available for just about every system.

C) This thing costs about $450 more than the above, just so you can play it on a "flatpack bookshelf quality" cabinet and a 13" TV.

I think even rich little Johnny will be pissed on Christmas  morning when he sees this one, but that's just my opinion

RandyT

[MameMaster!]

....you know the "sick" collector in me is interested in getting one of these just to have for the sake of having it.

But based on the photos and their horrible website....I'm pretty sure this is a super cheap gadget as you're all already guessing it is.

For a collectible (and at least an effort to put "arcade" machines into people's home) they do get credit for that no? Think about how cool you would have felt with this in your room when you were 10?

......I will definitely buy one of these when it's 50% off on 1/1/06.

the MameMaster!

[chopps]

any 10 year old kid i know wouldnt know these game anyways, and be much more intersted in an Xbox or something.  I really cant see kids being the target audience for this.

[ChadTower]

Depends, my kids would love it, but they already have real cabs in the house...

[BobbyG66]

I had the pleasure of seeing one of these last night at a Target.

I don't think it's worth the $500.00

1)  The sides are two peices and made out of something that looks to be 3/8" thick!

2)  The monitor is about 13" and the picture quality is poor.

3)  The controls are cheap and do not feel very durable.

4)  The sound was awful, maybe using one small plastic speaker.

I tried Rampage, one of my old fav's and could only play it for about 20 seconds,. It was not fun...

I would not reccommend this cab for anyone. It will not last that long and will not make a good cab for a 'conversion'.

It's kinda like buying a cheap air hockey table, just not the same as the real deal.

[RayB]

Did it look like it was re-programmed, or was it a perfect arcade emulation?

[BobbyG66]

Sorry for not too much detail on this, but...

It had a 'Frontend' to it that let you select the games by moving the joystick left or right.

It has player one and two buttons on it, but that did not start the game. I just kept hitting buttons 'til the game started.
When the game started (from what I remember) it jumped right into the game without the normal intro screen.

It may be built like those little joystick games that plug directly into a TV.

[ChadTower]

So they do have them at retail... I'll go check it out.

[BobbyG66]

Are you talking price? Not sure.

Like I said, played it for 20 seconds, got dissapointed, left.

[G@M3FR3@K]

So they do have them at retail... I'll go check it out.  There is a Target 3 minutes from my house.

Are you talking price? Not sure.

Like I said, played it for 20 seconds, got dissapointed, left.

I, believe Chad meant having them in location in Target's retail stores (as opposed to having them online only).

I have a Target about 1 minute from my house, will stop by later and see if they have it on display.  Will see if I can measure the thickness of the build material (if someone else doesn't beat me to it).  BobbyG66, what department did it happen to be in?

[BobbyG66]

At my Target it was in the electronics section.
They have all the console games, cameras, etc.
Along the wall are the TV's, it was at the end of the row next to the TV's.

They had it on the shelf with the TV's so it was sitting about 4-6" off the ground. I am 6'4" and it was still a few inches shorther than me.
The control panel was a little low, but would be even lower sitting on the floor.

I was there again last night and noticed that the side panels of the cab were actuall three (3) pieces!
There were volume controls (two buttons not labeled) that directly controlled the TV' volume up and down, no mute.
The monitor is 13".
There was some instructions printed on the monitor bezel.
The bezel is huge, half of it is listing all the games, it makes the small monitor look smaller.

See ya
BobbyG66

[brophog]

At that price point and in a chain like Target I bet you it will sell a hell of alot more units than you think.

Have you seen this? I was seriously underestimating the crappiness of this puppy before I saw it. It's out of this world bad, by any standard. I know there is a sucker born every minute, but I sincerely hope they aren't gullible enough to drop 500 on this thing.

It's really like an original gameboy blown up from a 2 inch screen to a 10 inch screen, stuck in a cardbox box, using twigs as controllers. Yes, it's that poor. Every stage of this thing just reaks of doing it as incredibly cost effective as possible.

I'm not sure there is even $40 into it considering volume pricing.

[SirPeale]

I also saw one today.

It's not *that* bad.  That said, I wouldn't spend $449 on it.  More like $200.  And that's being generous.

[ChadTower]

Dude, I went and saw it.  I tried to play Robotron on it and the thing nearly tipped over.  That's how crappy it is.

[tbombaci]

Stopped off at Target yesterday. The game was not plugged in. I found power and fired it up. Had a blue screen. Turns out, the cartridge wasn't installed! In the center of the game titles above the monitor is a cartridge slot (last pic). Looks like three RCA jacks???


Actually, it is not that bad for a toy. Anyone expecting this thing to feel like a real arcade machine will surely be disappointed. As a toy, however, it is very cool.

I think the $449 price point is a bit high for what it is. $329 would have been a perfect starting point. IMHO.

Pics from my Treo:











-tom

[RandyT]

Looks like the earlier pictures of this thing were of a prototype.  At least the lines on the Midway logo were cleaned up for the final production model.

Remember how sleazy the old home foosball tables were?  I've seen about a dozen different ones out there now, most of which are pretty high quality and not outrageously priced.

If this does even moderately well. expect to see other, most likely better versions to follow. 

RandyT

[ChadTower]

I suspected it was cartridge based when I saw it... that could, possibly, lead to more cartridges.  That would make it more worth the money depending on cost of cartridges.

[MaximRecoil]

It takes cartridges?? Now that is interesting. There hasn't been a cartridge-based game system released in what, 10 years? Chad, you played this thing right? Is it emulation or are the games ported? If it is emulation, beyond the fact of the cheap controls, cabinet construction and video connection, how is the emulation for accuracy? I wonder what kind of video signal could be tapped from it if it were to be hacked.

Anyone have any pictures of the cartridges? Do they have cool labels and stuff?