Slashdot Mirror
Rotating Arcade Game Control Set-Up Exposed
Ant writes "Over at the 1UpArcade site they've been making a rotating game controller, including a normal arcade stick, as well as '...a 3" trackball, a Discs Of Tron-style up/down spinner, and two 8-way trigger joysticks.. [and] a genuine Star Wars yoke', all in the same arcade cabinet." Other interesting projects on the page include replacement joystick handles for 'Tron' and hacking a Crayola Kidsball into a MAME cabinet as a trackball.
Assuming that this remains the first post-
None of my brethren (all of you) have posted ahead of me because when they click on the article (the few that might) they see the most ridiculous contraption imaginable.
The project could have been done with super-glue, joysticks, and a bingo ball spinner.
I don't like being negative (bad for your karma) but this one really is pointless.
No reason to lie.
The other ways are to make 1 set of controls with as many buttons/dials/joysticks as possible (this is typical), or make a drop-in module that is specific to each type of game (I've not seen this yet, though I think it's obvious).
A firewall can not protect you from yourself. Turn off what you do not need. Do not use the firewall to do your work.
It assumes that all input devices can be mapped to one input cable, I haven't done the reserach yet. But basically, it works like this:
The buttons (probably 6 of them, Street Fighter style) stay where they are. Want to play Street Fighter? Drop the joystick box in the control panel and play. Want to play Centipede? Drop the spinner ball box into the control panel. I want to support four players (for games liek TMNT) so having that godawful big rotating contraption is out. I also want it to look like furniture, not something Sanford & Son built.
So you know all the wasted space in the body of a (mame--the real cabs have guts) cabinet? I'm envisioning that as a cupboard that has 6 or 8 different style control boxes in it, any of which can be dropped into the slot at any time.
I know, there are problems here (some are analog, some are optical; are they able to be hot-swapped; can all of the interfaces be mapped to one input line, etc.) but I'm working on it. If there's interest I'll post a design drawing somewhere sometime, then let the y'all critique it.
Regards.
this site has been mentioned before (it was even slashdotted previously.)
However, in regards to it being an unfinished product, the page linked in the story goes to the prototype page, which indeed is unfinished. However, going to the rotating control panels page, shows what looks like a fully operational rotating control panel mame cabinet. He's done with it, in terms of getting it to work. It just looks like he wants to tweak it and add a set of removable controls to one of the sides so he can play Terminaotr 2.
This guy has serious skill. There's even a section where he describes how to destroy current game controllers (like a sidewinder) and reincarnate them as 80s classic controllers.
It's actually been more finalized.
1up is not the first rotating panel design, just the first to make it look nice in a cabinet. Another BYOACer (www.byoac.com) who made the first known panel has a 6 sided panel but not inside of a cabinet.
Plus this cabinet has been around for awhile. There are a couple of people using his idea on their cabinet. http://arcade.tomvanhorn.com/
It's innovative to say the least for this hobby.
For my cabinet I am opting for the modular design to get the controls I need. But to each his own.
http://www.1uparcade.com/arcade-const-panels.html
This is a better link which they should have linked to.
http://www.the-mametrix.com/index2.htm
Rotating Control Panels
Dual Tron Joystick Handles
Lighting
ARTWORK
I've been slashdotted once, and the feedback was much more positive, although it blew my bandwidth. Apparently, most of you only clicked on the "rotating control panels" link, without looking at the rest of the site. Those pictures are almost 2 years old, and they are of a throwaway PROTOTYPE panel that was made solely to test the concept, without regard for fit and finish. The final cabinet was finished about a year ago. It can be seen in the above links.
I expected people to be a little more civil than this. Don't start ripping on stuff before you do a little looking around. Everytime someone links to my site here, my monthly bandwidth is gone within a few days. Have a little consideration, I didn't ask for the publicity, and I certainly don't appreciate coming here to find everyone burning me in effigy. Thanks. 1UP
None of you read, do you? Look around the Mametrix site, and you'll see that he credits ME for the inspiration. Not only that, look at my links page for several other designs that have followed in my footsteps. Who wou'dn't want a machine that can play everything without disconnecting a single cable? ;)
BTW, Look around MY site a little more 1UPArcade and you'll see what the finished cab looks like. What you saw was a throwaway prototype. Why is everyone so eager to rip into me? Did I cut y'all off on the expressway? Or is the green eyed monster rearing its ugly head?
Your idea sounds workable, however similar plans have been batted around by many others, and I have yet to see one of these designs completed. My design (you did see the finished design, not the prototype, right?) can easily be modified to allow 4 players. I personally would rather have all the controls available at a moments notice, without any plugging and unplugging. Also, I don't have to explain to friends how to get the modules plugged in.
If you're criticizing my design for looking like Sanford and Son, you must be looking at the prototype, which is long gone. My cab does have something yours doesn't--it works.
Thanks
1UP
You're right, mine doesn't work, and might not ever see the light of day, depending on my motivation level. So congrats, it's a working design. May I suggest you develop a little confidence in your work (and yourself), and you won't get so flustered when someone criticizes you. It allows comments to roll off your back, rather than get under your skin.
Oh, and, yeah, I saw the finished product. I just can't stand laminated surfaces of any kind. That's what I meant by "furniture," as in handcarved, finished wood. No rip on your design in particular, but on laminated plastic surfaces in general. It's just a personal preference.
You're Welcome,
WTFMonkey
Carved hardwood tacky? Compared to MDF with a piece of plastic ironed on to it? How is that not Fred Sanford?? "I'm jess goan iron this goddamm piece a yella plastic onta that there piece a particul bord, make 'er purty." You shop at Ikea, don't you?
That's better, though! Good points: you got a link on slashdot, I didn't. Your have the respect of hundreds of anonymous people, I don't. Way to stop whining, stand up for yourself, and prove your point! You probably could have turned that rather hissy "I just don't like folks that..." clause into something more personal rather than softening the comment by impersonalizing it. But, progress is progress, so I'll take what I can get. We'll grow you a pair yet!
OK, I'll take the nuetral person's advice here, although I was hoping to get him up to six or seven posts.