Family Arcade project just starting out...

[bynkan]

I am starting my project, building an arcade, I have not a clue about what I do this will be fun lots of learning, lots of challenges. To make things even more difficult, I am living in Cambodia where it's hard to get a hold on any regular day to day products so all has to be imported by my self. And then we got the second problem, no space, no tools and no way to build the cabinet, I need to find some company here that are willing to do it for me, while I instruct them to give them plans and try to get them to do it all my way! That will be the hardest of all, since most just nod and say yes... and you get something completely different from what you asked for from start.

I will try to document it all, something I have done that I will adhere from start is:

I build a basic computer to run the system on, Pentium i5, 8 MB memory, Windows 10, 1 M2 256 drive for the operating system, 1 4 TB drive for the game system. My machine will be based on LaunchBox and BigBox as soon as it gets into the Arcade cabinet.

I first thought I will try to get hold on plans to build the cabinet, I am no handyman, no designer... but since this is a challenge I challenge my self, have started to learn SketchUp where I start to design a Full-size Arcade, I was planning to use a 27" monitor, but my wife told me I want you to have so it can be 4 players at the same time, so I went for a 32 Inch TV. And now my latest design becomes a 40" LCD Tv since I get to hold on them cheap secondhand here.

Now, as a start, I build this since I love arcade games but also as a way for me to change the family children's behavior. Whenever they do something good, ie good in school, help out home, and so on I will give them tokens, that give them a playtime of 15 minutes per token. I set it up with a timer! I also by doing so can control they don't play too much, too long that is important to me.

So as a beginner, hope some of you talented people out there have great suggestions and great advice, I am always open and truly grateful for any information that might help me on the path to this arcade cabinet and system.

Things I look for are:

Vector-based arcade images that I can use, combine to make a nice fun happy design, I will be using Illustrator to design the graphics.
great tips on how to build, what materials I should use and things I have to think about.

[PL1]

Things I look for are:

Vector-based arcade images that I can use, combine to make a nice fun happy design

There are many links to arcade artwork sites in this post.

The vectorlib.free.fr site would be a great place to start looking.   


Scott

[Felsir]

Things I look for are:

...
great tips on how to build, what materials I should use and things I have to think about.

Have a look at the Wiki: Basic Guide, it has a few pointers to get you started. Also the building section has a few hints and tips on tools and materials to use.
The wiki also has an example step by step build which is a collection of posts by Ond Build an OND designed cab Metropolis. It may serve as inspiration and common steps if you build a cabinet from scratch.

Now, as a start, I build this since I love arcade games but also as a way for me to change the family children's behavior. Whenever they do something good, ie good in school, help out home, and so on I will give them tokens, that give them a playtime of 15 minutes per token. I set it up with a timer! I also by doing so can control they don't play too much, too long that is important to me.

Tokens are a way of limiting game time; do you have an idea to track the time each token provides? If you plan to use arcade games only, there may not be a need to track time- it is rare to play a game for 15 minutes with one coin- unless you have trained for the game.
There may be ways with some frontends or launch scripts that can end a process after certain time (Auto Hotkey can do this) but it may be a hassle to get it working as you'd like.
If you want to make fancy tokens; check out this build by JudgeRob.
 

[jennifer]

I can appreciate what your thinking with those tokens, But would think you would be far better served by letting them help you build/design the machine and rewarding the experience of dedicated persistence with unlimited free play.

[Gilrock]

Well it will be a test of how smart the kids are.  Really smart kids will figure out how to bypass the tokens...lol.

[jennifer]

Well it will be a test of how smart the kids are.  Really smart kids will figure out how to bypass the tokens...lol.

They may have to be really smart to bypass restricted interwebs there in Cambodia (So one may guess anyway) But a Mame, with a keylogger, and assorted spywares, trying to trick dad, That is kinda funny...But seriously, Building  a cab there sounds a bit challenging, And I for one would be curious to follow the progress.