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How Did Everyone Get Into This Hobby... and Get it Past Your Wives? haha
AndyWarne:
I remember in 1978 the first time I saw a Space Invaders machine and being completely hooked. Just poured coins into the thing and mastered the "all or nothing" method where you hover in a gap and wait until they reach the last row. That very last hit I reckon involves more skill than any other move in any game since, and you only get one chance if you are using the "Nagoya" method (as the author of the game refers to it as).
I wrote a version of SI for one of the first home computers, the Ohio Scientific Superboard, which was bundled with the board by one of the dealers.
Shortly after that, Galaxian came along and then all the other games which ran on the same hardware, and ROM copying was born! I hooked up with a guy who did board repairs and bought some stuff from him including a Moon Cresta table top which practically filled my apartment.
Then added a Galaxian table and I could not move in there!
I got hold of most of the ROMs for Galaxian hardware-based games. I still have some of them actually including a couple which have never appeared in Mame. Must do something about that.
Looking through the box, there are Pisces, Spiders Web, Donkey Kong (hope no-one from Nintendo reading!), Pool, a set marked "T" ?? plus a lot of unlabelled ones.
I really wanted an Invaders table top though and did manage to acquire one by the back door. An operator I knew had bought a load of machines including a Taito game called Lupin 3 which was total rubbish. Fortunately it ran on Space Invaders hardware except for the sound board, which I replaced with a repaired one, and I was all set! So I still have that table which I have owned from new.
For nostalgia value I still have a Galaxian schematic on my workshop wall in one long sheet. An amazing design, I never did work out how those stars in the background worked....
Andy
RikaKazak:
my wife is glad I started this hobby...she thinks it's a good stress reliever (I'm a professional poker player, so as you can guess, high stress)
also...I play a ton on pokerstars...and they're paying for everything...so costing me nothing :D
DeLuSioNal29:
Here's another argument to help those who are facing the "wifey" not buying in:
My wife and I once passed a golf store and I suggested that we go inside so that I can buy a set of golf clubs. She looked at me and said, "Why? You don't play golf." In which I replied, "Exactly."
In other words, there are people who love sports, spend tons of money on tickets, etc. There are others who hang out at bars and spend money (nothing wrong with that by the way...). There are others who like to golf and buy expensive golf clubs, etc, etc. So my point in the golf store thing was that MY hobby is arcade games. And if you budget yourself properly, it can be way cheaper than season tickets to football games.
~ DeLuSioNaL
Extreme8:
--- Quote from: javeryh on March 13, 2008, 11:30:16 am ---At least we aren't spending money restoring cars or something REALLY expensive or blowing it all on beer or at the strip club. There are worse things than building arcade machines at home.
--- End quote ---
I didn't know those things are mutually exclusive...
Anyway, I overheard a conversation at work about MAME 6 or 7 years ago. Did some internet searching and discovered BYOAC.
My parents owned a roller skating rink in the late '70's and had games supplied by the local operator. I fell in love with Radar Scope (we also had a Fire truck, Gorf, & Space invaders) and decided that some day I would have one.
Now I do!!
My wife is pretty much OK with my silly hobbies-- as long as she has no idea what they cost. A couple of consulting jobs here and there, send a paypal payment to Randy or Andy and it's all done.
RoninEditor:
--- Quote from: DeLuSioNal29 on March 13, 2008, 04:46:39 pm ---Here's another argument to help those who are facing the "wifey" not buying in:
My wife and I once passed a golf store and I suggested that we go inside so that I can buy a set of golf clubs. She looked at me and said, "Why? You don't play golf." In which I replied, "Exactly."
In other words, there are people who love sports, spend tons of money on tickets, etc. There are others who hang out at bars and spend money (nothing wrong with that by the way...). There are others who like to golf and buy expensive golf clubs, etc, etc. So my point in the golf store thing was that MY hobby is arcade games. And if you budget yourself properly, it can be way cheaper than season tickets to football games.
--- End quote ---
--- Quote from: GinsuVictim on March 13, 2008, 12:43:24 pm ---Same strategy as a few of you.
Had to buy a house first. (We were in an apartment with no room)
Bought a house in November '07 and I started showing her overpriced cabinets.
An empty cabinet turned up in Feb for $50 and she was cool with it.
She even gave me her craft room to turn into a game room. (I already have my computer room, so I was lucky to get this)
She's been cool about the fact that I'm way over budget on this machine, but she loves games and always wants to play together, so this will be great when finished.
It was easy for me to buy sideart because I'd shown her the regular price at MameMarquees, then some bargain bin art came up and she was fine with it.
She also helped pick the marquee.
--- End quote ---
EXACTLY! #1, I don't golf but I play a lot of sports, fortunately, "free ones," except for snowboarding. I'd already been riding 15 years before I met my wife so she knew to give up on that avenue. But you're exactly right, the "what we COULD be spending our money on" is perfect. My wife didn't give me too much static but I reminded her (after I told her the bill for all of my parts, haha) that I'm not out rebuilding motorcycles like some people, or playing $150/round golf... I reminded her that this was something I've always wanted since I was a kid and now I have the means to have it.
#2 - the room. It's not my only reason for us buying our new house but we're going to have five bedroom, one of which will be my "guy room/office." When I edit projects at home (vs. on the lot), I need a creative environment... so I want my Avid against one wall, a foosball table in one area, and my cabinet in the back corner for when I need to 'zone out'. She's, right now, not having that, saying it needs to be in the garage - um, no. So that's my hold-up right now, the space. But I'm just working in the angle of office right now... but it'll happen ;)
The trump card? Don't complain when wifey wants to buy $100 shoes, the leverage will come in handy later... especially when she has a wall rack of shoes (literally) seven feet hugh. When you need it, add up ALL of those shoes ;)
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