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iCade, an Arcade Cabinet Docking Bay For Your iPad

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the i'd-buy-one dept.

schmidt349 writes "ThinkGeek has announced a cool new accessory for that iPad you're too ashamed to be seen buying in the Apple Store. iCade is an arcade cabinet/dock that lets you play all your favorite vintage arcade games at your desk, on the airplane, or in the bathroom with an authentic look and feel. Games are still being licensed, but iCade's launch titles include Dig Dug, Donkey Kong, Q-Bert, and everyone's favorite, Super Steve Brothers. Quarters, thick veil of cigarette smoke, and annoying eight-year-olds are not included."

55 comments

  1. Re:first post by Lumpy · · Score: 1

    Jobs loves you..... He really does, and is sad you dont call anymore...

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  2. I'll stick with the do-it-yourself crunchpad by tomhudson · · Score: 1

    The Do-It-Yourself Crunchpad Kit

    1. Re:I'll stick with the do-it-yourself crunchpad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      slushdot is ghey.

  3. Re:first post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wow, slashroulette is SO COOL!!! Lamest site on the interwebs now.

  4. mod me +5 troll by Shakrai · · Score: 2

    I've always wanted to try this.....

    --
    I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
    We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
  5. The sad thing is by Ricken · · Score: 1, Funny

    I really want one.

    1. Re:The sad thing is by Hatta · · Score: 1

      Nice idea, but you can run MAME on pretty much anything. Putting together a mini-MAME cabinet would run you less than the iPad to begin with.

      --
      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
    2. Re:The sad thing is by compro01 · · Score: 1

      Actually, it shouldn't be too hard to build something like that thing for real.

      I would bet that someone at arcadecontrols.com is going to start drawing up plans for a cabinet like that. Building it around a mini-ITX board and a small LCD (One of Dell's doublesight displays seems about right, though you could probably find something cheaper) or maybe a netbook would probably work nicely and give more flexibility than an ipad, though you'd probably want to enlarge it a bit to add more buttons so you can use it for more games.

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      upon the advice of my lawyer, i have no sig at this time
    3. Re:The sad thing is by 4phun · · Score: 1

      Nice idea, but you can run MAME on pretty much anything. Putting together a mini-MAME cabinet would run you less than the iPad to begin with.

      Clever idea

      Why hasn't anyone ever done it?

    4. Re:The sad thing is by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 1

      Putting together a mini-MAME cabinet would run you less than the iPad to begin with.

      It's not like you'd have to glue it in place. You could still use it for other things.

  6. Even if this is April Fools Joke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I just came so hard thinking about it.

  7. A Fool, but cool by mccalli · · Score: 1

    OK so it suffers from the tinsy problem of being fictional, but that would be cool if made. Thinking about it, perhaps there really is a market for something like that made from a Mini-ITX board? Cheers, Ian

    1. Re:A Fool, but cool by rtobyr · · Score: 2, Interesting

      It's too bad this isn't real. It could be done relatively easily, and people would buy it. I don't imagine that Apple would want MAME on their App Store, though. You'd have to do it for jailbroken iPads.

  8. Brilliant! by whisper_jeff · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I know I'll (rightly) be labeled an Apple fanboi for this but THAT IS FUCKING BRILLIANT!!

    That is easily one of the coolest damn accessories I've seen for a computer device! Gawd damn, the 10 year old geek that hung around arcades who still lives in me is jumping up and down with glee over that while the Apple fanboi in me is saying "yeah. I know. I want to get it already. Calm the hell down kid!"

    Too! Fucking! Cool!

    1. Re:Brilliant! by uncledrax · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I have to agree.. I know it's a Thinkgeek AF product, but I think they can/should actually make this one..

      --
      ----- The internet has given everyone the ability to have their voice heard equally as loud.. even if they shouldn't be
    2. Re:Brilliant! by whisper_jeff · · Score: 1

      I know it's a Thinkgeek AF product...

      LA!LA!LA!LA!I'M_NOT_LISTENING_TO_YOU!LA!LA!LA!LA!

      :)

      Seriously, it almost certainly is an April Fools joke, I know, but I still think it's f'ing awesome. Too pricey, but gawddamn cool.

    3. Re:Brilliant! by MistrBlank · · Score: 1

      It won't surprise me when it does become real. To be honest this seems like a weak prank and more like something that someone should jump on quick to make money.

    4. Re:Brilliant! by Above · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yes, I would totally buy one. This would be awesome on my desk.

    5. Re:Brilliant! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It certainly is. Click "Buy"

    6. Re:Brilliant! by sootman · · Score: 2, Informative

      They managed to turn last year's Tauntaun sleeping bag into reality, right?

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    7. Re:Brilliant! by Hillgiant · · Score: 1

      Every year, ThinkGeek has an AFJ that makes me think, "Yes, it's a joke... but I totally want one."

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      -
  9. Damnit April Fools Day I Hate You by grapeape · · Score: 1

    I would so buy that...hell I'd buy an ipad just to get one of those.

    1. Re:Damnit April Fools Day I Hate You by gravis777 · · Score: 1

      I know. I was so hoping it was real as Slashdot didn't tag it as AprilFools. This is a pretty cool idea, but I am pretty sure a charging station / gamepad for the iPad could probably be made for less than $150. Shoot, could probably license a few dozen games and still get the device in for around $50.

    2. Re:Damnit April Fools Day I Hate You by Rary · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I would so buy that.

      So tell them. If enough people want it, they'll make it.

      --

      "You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war." -- Albert Einstein

    3. Re:Damnit April Fools Day I Hate You by aztracker1 · · Score: 1

      That was my thought, had to hit the order to confirm it was fake. It's like the ton ton sleeping bag, it's actually a pretty cool idea. Was actually enough to get me to consider an ipad thing. Now, would need a few more titles working for the cabinet, but it is a really cool idea.

      --
      Michael J. Ryan - tracker1.info
    4. Re:Damnit April Fools Day I Hate You by jackpot777 · · Score: 1

      The what what sleeping bag? C'mon, this is slashdot. Kick it up a notch and Google it if you don't know it! /taunaun

      --
      Shiny. Let's be bad guys...
    5. Re:Damnit April Fools Day I Hate You by CoffeeDog · · Score: 1

      ... And whoever at Apple looks at the submission "iCade MAME Emulation App" will laugh maniacally as they hit the giant red DENIED button.

    6. Re:Damnit April Fools Day I Hate You by compro01 · · Score: 1

      'Tis the sport to have the engineer hoist with his own petard! /tauntaun

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      upon the advice of my lawyer, i have no sig at this time
    7. Re:Damnit April Fools Day I Hate You by Yvan256 · · Score: 1

      You never built an arcade cabinet, have you. The parts alone would probably be around 50$ minimum, even in volume. The sides are CNC'ed laminated particle boards, the edges need T-molding, the joystick and buttons have to be arcade-grade, etc.

      Yes there is a market for that, but even ThinkGeek couldn't expect to sell 100K or even 10K of these, so also think about that when you think about volume pricing.

    8. Re:Damnit April Fools Day I Hate You by dissy · · Score: 1

      ... And whoever at Apple looks at the submission "iCade MAME Emulation App" will laugh maniacally as they hit the giant red DENIED button.

      Actually, MAME has already been ported to the iPod/iPhone, and runs fully.
      My fully, I mean it has no emulation issues that the full version doesn't also have, not that it is actually fast enough to be playable.

      At least on my 3G iPhone it is too slow to actually play.
      However it is fast enough to show that it works. In Golden Axe I was getting almost 1 frame a second, but at times it dipped down to what felt like 1 frame every 2-3 seconds for a few moments.

      The reasons I even mention this are:
      a) The iPad is faster. Fast enough? Dunno.
      b) This MAME port is a flat port. no optimizations or assembly enhanced updates (or very few)
      c) The code is there and functional. Anyone can pick it up and run with it.

      Obviously touch screen controls will suck for emulating a console or arcade of any sort, but that is exactly what external controllers like this are for!

      I also know it is possible to actually build a controller like this. When I was pondering the problem of how to use a console controller, I knew I could access the docking station serial port on my iPhone, so it was just a matter of a 'driver' that polled the controller on the serial port, and translated it to touch points on the screen.

      Now I just use either my wiimote or PS3 wireless controller with my iPhone over bluetooth. Much better way of doing things.
      In fact if I had to build a joystick for my iPhone now, I would only use the dock connector for anchoring the phone to the joystick, and if the joystick is an arcade cabinet like this as so plugging it in the wall is an option, that will probably charge the iPhone.
      The data will go bluetooth.

    9. Re:Damnit April Fools Day I Hate You by CoffeeDog · · Score: 1

      Actually what? I said Apple would deny this app on sight. Jailbreaking your iPhone and installing MAME is completely unrelated and something the average user would probably not do. Not to mention that making a peripheral intended for jailbroken phones is a good way to incite Apple's wrath, just look at the iControlPad battle brewing.

  10. If you like that, you're really going to like this by tomhudson · · Score: 1
    Apple To Offer iPad Upgrade To Windows.

    Apple has announced that, while iPad users won't be able to run OSX, they will be able to run Windows 7 Mobile. The cost of the upgrade wasn't available, but a source inside Apple said that it would be "reasonably priced for an Apple ... an extra $1,500 to $2,000."

    This may be the only way for iPad owners to run essential apps such as Youtube unless they want to stick with the new YouTube TEXTp ASCII-art display mode

  11. The other ThinkGeek April Fool items by knarfling · · Score: 1

    If you look at the bottom of the iCade page for suggestions, you will find things like a knife that makes noises depending on what you cut, canned unicorn meat, a secrets bear that lets you spy on kids, and my personal favorite, the Tribbles'n'Bits breakfast cereal. It has to be the ultimate Geek breakfast. Unfortunately, under availability it shows that it is only available on Sherman's Planet.

    --
    Great civilizations have lived and died on false theories. Don't mess up mine with a few facts.
  12. please... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...fucking stop with this shit. thanks.

  13. Build your own by IceFox · · Score: 1

    There are development board that come with a ipod connector. http://hackaday.com/2010/03/29/microchips-pic-development-for-iphone-and-ipod/ Combine with some buttons and wood and it doesn't look like it would be that hard of a project.

    --
    Do you changes clothes while making the "chee-chee-cha-cha-choh" transformation sound?
  14. Not user friendly by cmiller173 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Ignoring the obvious April fools' part of this, I think the screen would need to be angled back a bit for for usability sake.

  15. No Pac-Man? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No text.

  16. This just as good as the Tauntaun Sleeping Bag by mveloso · · Score: 1

    Heck, I'd buy Mame for the iPad.

    1. Re:This just as good as the Tauntaun Sleeping Bag by pandrijeczko · · Score: 1

      Uncle Steve isn't going to let you have MAME.

      That's because you might be tempted to download and play illegal ROMs on his... sorry, I mean your iPad.

      --
      Gentoo Linux - another day, another USE flag.
  17. I want to play Super Steve Brothers by argent · · Score: 1

    I don't want the iPad or cabinet, I just want the game.

  18. Call me crazy... by Nightclaw · · Score: 1

    ...but I'm actually kinda disappointed this is just an April Fools gag. I really think this is a pretty neat idea (despite questionable licensing issues).

    1. Re:Call me crazy... by CrackerJackz · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Its always a little sad to me that in this day and age, a neat idea can't happen not because of a technical reason, but because of a licensing / legal problem.

  19. ThinkGeek mocks the world again by Captain+Spam · · Score: 1

    Look, I KNOW it's a ThinkGeek April Fool's joke, and I'm still not really that thrilled over the iPad and probably won't wind up getting one.

    But really, that DOES look like it'd be pretty awesome. And technically feasible.

    --
    Demanding constant attention will only lead to attention.
  20. Sinistar by Princeofcups · · Score: 2, Funny

    Hate to bitch, but unless it has a 49 position joystick for Sinistar, I'm not interested.

    --
    The only thing worse than a Democrat is a Republican.
    1. Re:Sinistar by idontgno · · Score: 1

      Sinistar says "Beware, I live! And not on some crappy iPad either!"

      --
      Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
  21. tribbles and bits by OlRickDawson · · Score: 1

    I would buy their tribbles 'n' bits cereal, and I'd give serious thought to the moodINQ (other jokes on the website. Scroll down on the iCade page to see the others).

    --
    Ol' Rick Dawson had a farm EIEIO
  22. Re:If you like that, you're really going to like t by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    lol..except that all iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPad's have YouTube build in with h.264.

    It would have been funnier if it was at least based in some sort of fact.

  23. Products that they could actually sell... by JoshNorton · · Score: 1

    I'm assuming this will go the way of the Tauntaun Sleeping Bag, along with the Dharma Initiative Alarm Clock and the Monolith Action Figure.

    --
    "Stupid! Stupid stupid stupid stupid! I touched the hot wire right there - I'm an idiot!"
  24. Maybe they need to beta test it a little bit by joeflies · · Score: 1
    before going into production. The screen looks awfully vertical, making it hard to see when it's down at your hands on the tabletop. A little angle on the screen would be nice.

    The controls look like it covers up the bottom part of the screen, making you miss a lot of the action.

    Maybe after they rework this a bit from the april fools prototype, it might turn out to be a great idea.

  25. Re:If you like that, you're really going to like t by Gizzmonic · · Score: 1

    Wow. That site breaks the lame-o-meter.

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  26. Re:If you like that, you're really going to like t by tomhudson · · Score: 1

    Come on, it's only been set up since 4:54 AM today - just in time for April Fools. Submit stuff if you think you can do better :-)

  27. Joanjett by joanjett · · Score: 1

    it is really a very clever decision http://www.squidoo.com/womensera