So close to complete.

Here's a few pics of CrypticCats joystick after the new paint job, artwork trimmed and the plexi glass mounted.

(click images for full view)

Gonna wire everything up tomorrow and then give it a good test run. Then adjust if needed and get it ready to ship.

- Gats

More arcade joysticks!

Well here's a much nicer set of photos of the Silent Hill arcade stick:

I've got it up on Ebay, and in the Game Trades forum if anyone is interested. Its cheaper if you get it through the game trades.

I've gotten an order from CrypticCat here on 2old2play, and I thought I'd post a couple of WIP pics to show everyone how thats going. Lemme just say, I hate Rustoleum spray paint. It goops up way too easily. GOD BLESS KRYLON! I will never use another brand spray paint ever again. Krylon is my salvation.

The top piece has been sanded and is ready for a new coat of paint. The rest of the stick has 2 more coats of gloss black and then a sealer before its done. That'll take place today thanks to Krylon's freakishly quick drying times. (15 minutes max).

(stick unfinished, with plexi)

The Silent Hill stick & Cryptics stick for size comparison. Cryptic got the "Grande" style stick which is about an inch or so bigger all around to accomodate more buttons.

With the awesome blue Happ competition buttons set in. This is really coming together nicely.

So steps to finish -

-Paint
-Seal
-Attatch bottom plexi & rubber feet
-Mount hacked controller & wiring strips
-Apply artwork
-Apply Plexi
-Place buttons & mount the joystick
-Enclose case

Sound like alot of steps....but those last few are just the finishing touches and actually putting the case together.

Thats it for now. You all have a good weekend.

- Gats
 

FINISHED!

Well sort of.

Here's a few crappy photos of the finished prototype arcade stick. It works with the PSone, PS2 and PC (mame with usb adapter).
 

This one will be for sale at a huge discount since its a prototype and everythings not 100% perfect on it. But the buttons all work and the joystick is smooth and works great as well.

(click for larger view)

A non-arcade oriented blog.

The past week or so has been more than a little stressful. Been stuck in this interesting financial problem and not sure we're 100% gonna be able to get out of it. I'd explain more...but I dont wanna.

But been feeling down and out about it. Haven't wanted to do much physically. So just been slumping around the past few days. Work has been stressful as well. So when I get home I just shut off and do nothing.

I wish some good would finally come along and bring some relief. I could sure use it.

- Gats

Stir-crazy weekend.

OH MY GOD IM SOOOOOOOO BORED!

Sad thing is when I think of something to do....I just say....meh.....and go back to being bored. Whats up with that?

So all weekend I've spent in the game room on my computer....planning and designing my arcade cabinet. I don't think I'm gonna be able to wait till next summer to start this thing. Especially since I've got all of the electronics already put together and built. Just gotta get the wood, paint, 2.1 stereo & LCD tv mounting plate. I've got the PC hooked up and ready to go...which I'll post a little demo of once I get the joystick setup again.

Basically the guts are gonna work like this. I'll have my miniPC hooked up to the HDTV via DVI-to-HDMI cable, the joystick, buttons and coin door will be wired through an i-Pac keyboard passthrough like this:

This way I won't have to worry about waiting on USB drivers to load my controller. Its instant.
The computer runs Windows XP Pro SP1, with MaLa as a frontend for Mame. Frontend? Mame? Whats that?

Well....Mame is an arcade machine emulator. It allows me to play old school (and some new) arcade games just like they are in the arcade, but from my computer. Theres no GUI...so thats where MaLa (the front end) comes in.

The front end boots when Windows does, but hides windows so you think it runs just like a real arcade machine. Only by exiting the frontend will you see that its Windows. But the way I'll have that setup, only I will know how to do that.

The games will take coins just like a real arcade machine, and the GUI will be in hi-def (720p).

The only problem I see is later on when Street Fighter IV comes out, I will need to upgrade the PC to handle it. Which won't cost too much I don't think. Just means I'll have to basically remake the current arcade PC. Unless I use 2 PCs in the case....which is just a waste of space and electricity. And it would get really complicated......I'd have to rig a way to switch between the two on the fly, or rig seperate power switches for each one.

Or maybe by the time the game comes out on PC, someone will have gotten a hacked version to run on regular Windows XP....because the Taito X2 board SFIV runs on is pretty much a store-bought PC with XP embedded.

Ok...so for the most part I've got the guts, the tv and the controller.....just need a cabinet design. So I went searching for all kinds of different styles...and decided to narrow it down. I'm a lazy fucker....so I want a nice sit-down style 2-player fighter cabinet. Something like the newer Tekken 6 machines, or the Sega Lindberg cases.

(Tekken 6 style)

Would be great....but doubles the cost because of the 2nd HDTV. And i've have to get a 2nd one identical to the one I already have...probably not possible unless I got hunting online.

And finally....I found a DIY cabinet that I really liked. I plan on taking the design and adding a gallon of awesome to it. Since its kinda simple....

I'll probably laminate it instead of painting it, and it won't be all black...and there will maybe be 2 button colors....not 6. And no swinging doors on the from....that'll be a solid piece with a hole for the coindoor to sit. I also want to add a case that goes around the main body of the TV that has 2 spots on the sides for the Speakers to go (with the sub in the bottom of the case), and a lighted Marquee Box to go ontop.

Not sure what color scheme yet. Probably black and dark red. Not sure yet.

Suggestions and ideas? So far I'm just gonna have fighting games on the PC. I also might snag a 360 arcade with a small hard drive, get it modded and have that in there as well for games like DOA4 and Soul Calibur IV. Not sure yet.

But any input is welcome.

-Gats