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Arcade Console Looking for Games.
Arcade Console Looking for Games.
| Name: | Ed Farias | |
|---|---|---|
| Date Posted: | Feb 16, 2006 | |
| Rating: |  Not Rated | |
| Public: | YES | |
| Comments: | YES | |
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| Profile Page: | View profile page for Ed Farias |
Blog post
Well this is my first post in this blog and I just wanted to say how excited I am to have the opportunity to work with many of the great developers here.
My plan is to get a good list of games that would work well with an Arcade style control set, and would bring that arcade feel back most of us had in our youth.
We are not really in the business of buying or producing games, at least not yet. What I want to try and do is get more of these great game out there, and the only way I know how is using my Arcade Boxes :). Below are a few simple guidelines that are important to the success of a game in this type of setup.
First, the layout of the controller: (www.arcadeinabox.com/paul1.jpg this is an example of common arcade control panel layout)
1 and 2 player 8 way joysticks (non analog).
6 buttons per player
1 and 2 player start buttons
1 and 2 player coin in buttons
ESC button to exit game and return to the game list.
3" Arcade Style Trackball with 3 mouse buttons (LMB, MMB, and RMB)
Arcade Spinner.
All of these parts come from Happ Controls, the leader in arcade quality controls and buttons.
The buttons interface to the computer with a keyboard interface board. These boards mimic keyboard presses, but at a much with a higher throughput and no chance of ghosting. The standard button layout is as follows
Player 1 Joystick uses UP, DOWN, LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys for directions.
Buttons 1-6 uses Left Control, Left Alt, Space, Left Shift, Z, X (In that order 1-6)
1p Start uses 1 (normal keyboard 1, not numpad)
1p coin in uses 5 (normal keybard 5, not numpad)
Player 2 Joystick uses - R (up), F (down), G (right), D (left) for direction
Buttons 1-6 uses A, S, Q, W, I, and K (in that order 1-6)
2p Start uses 2 (normal keyboard, not numpad)
2p Coin in uses 6 (normal keyboard, not numpad)
ESC is used to exit the game.
One big draw of the Arcade-in-a-Box is the ability to plug the box into any TV via Composite or S-Video, although VGA is also an option, but we want to work with the lowest common denominator here. 640x480 is the best with those TV connections, although 800x600 will work pretty good as well. The game should be locked into one resolution.
All options screens should be removed as the game should just start right up. Having the user insert coins would be a great addition, but not needed at all. Just helps add to that arcade feel.
You know all the buttons (keypresses) you have to work with, so you could do anything you like. If you want the player to have the ability to save, you could have a quick save on one button and quick load on another Just remember, that the whole purpose of an arcade style game, is there is no keyboard hooked up except for initial configuration.
I am also looking for ideas on designing a way, in windows, to make these game available via download from the game menu itself. Sort of like Xbox Live Arcade, any ideas or help with that would be much appreciated.
I don't want to put out the impression that I am a large company, that simply isn't true. I do the construction of all the boxes myself (with the help of computerized routers). I've been doing custom arcade cabinets and boxes for about 5 years now.
I take great pride in my arcade boxes.
Thanks for reading all of that :).
Ed
My plan is to get a good list of games that would work well with an Arcade style control set, and would bring that arcade feel back most of us had in our youth.
We are not really in the business of buying or producing games, at least not yet. What I want to try and do is get more of these great game out there, and the only way I know how is using my Arcade Boxes :). Below are a few simple guidelines that are important to the success of a game in this type of setup.
First, the layout of the controller: (www.arcadeinabox.com/paul1.jpg this is an example of common arcade control panel layout)
1 and 2 player 8 way joysticks (non analog).
6 buttons per player
1 and 2 player start buttons
1 and 2 player coin in buttons
ESC button to exit game and return to the game list.
3" Arcade Style Trackball with 3 mouse buttons (LMB, MMB, and RMB)
Arcade Spinner.
All of these parts come from Happ Controls, the leader in arcade quality controls and buttons.
The buttons interface to the computer with a keyboard interface board. These boards mimic keyboard presses, but at a much with a higher throughput and no chance of ghosting. The standard button layout is as follows
Player 1 Joystick uses UP, DOWN, LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys for directions.
Buttons 1-6 uses Left Control, Left Alt, Space, Left Shift, Z, X (In that order 1-6)
1p Start uses 1 (normal keyboard 1, not numpad)
1p coin in uses 5 (normal keybard 5, not numpad)
Player 2 Joystick uses - R (up), F (down), G (right), D (left) for direction
Buttons 1-6 uses A, S, Q, W, I, and K (in that order 1-6)
2p Start uses 2 (normal keyboard, not numpad)
2p Coin in uses 6 (normal keyboard, not numpad)
ESC is used to exit the game.
One big draw of the Arcade-in-a-Box is the ability to plug the box into any TV via Composite or S-Video, although VGA is also an option, but we want to work with the lowest common denominator here. 640x480 is the best with those TV connections, although 800x600 will work pretty good as well. The game should be locked into one resolution.
All options screens should be removed as the game should just start right up. Having the user insert coins would be a great addition, but not needed at all. Just helps add to that arcade feel.
You know all the buttons (keypresses) you have to work with, so you could do anything you like. If you want the player to have the ability to save, you could have a quick save on one button and quick load on another Just remember, that the whole purpose of an arcade style game, is there is no keyboard hooked up except for initial configuration.
I am also looking for ideas on designing a way, in windows, to make these game available via download from the game menu itself. Sort of like Xbox Live Arcade, any ideas or help with that would be much appreciated.
I don't want to put out the impression that I am a large company, that simply isn't true. I do the construction of all the boxes myself (with the help of computerized routers). I've been doing custom arcade cabinets and boxes for about 5 years now.
I take great pride in my arcade boxes.
Thanks for reading all of that :).
Ed
Recent Blog Posts
| List: | 05/08/06 - iRetroGames.com Goes Live 03/29/06 - AIABGames.com Goes Live 03/15/06 - New Website Launched 02/17/06 - Webstore Development has begun 02/16/06 - Arcade Console Looking for Games. |
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Submit your own resources!| Matt Troup (Feb 16, 2006 at 06:58 GMT) |
Good to see another arcade gamer.
| Ed Farias (Feb 16, 2006 at 07:01 GMT) |
It IS good to see another arcade gamer. So much potential here for some great arcade style games. I am excited to see what comes of this.
| Chris Labombard (Feb 16, 2006 at 12:14 GMT) |
| Chris Labombard (Feb 16, 2006 at 15:21 GMT) |
I would suggest doing the same.. Purchasing a MS sidewinder and modding it.
| Ed Farias (Feb 16, 2006 at 15:37 GMT) |
I also feel that more games written by smaller developers have a better chance of having keyboard support than joystick support. Lowest common denominator again. The Keywiz and iPac are both very high quality keyboard to joystick interfaces, and I use one or the other.
Now building a joystick for your own, yes the sidewinder works perfect.
However, I'm not really here to discuss the construction of the boxes (I've been doing it for about 5 years now so I am pretty set in my ways :) ), but more of what kind of great games can we get to work on it. And not just my boxes, but the thousands of home built arcade cabinets out there.
Edited on Feb 16, 2006 15:40 GMT
| Chris Labombard (Feb 16, 2006 at 15:55 GMT) |
I'm not talking about a hacked joystick. Running the actuators from the joystick to a barrierstrip is pretty universal. And games don't need joystick support, they just need basic gamepad support, for which drivers come standard in windows boxes, assuming youre using a windows box and not a modified Linux set up or anything.
Keyboards, as Im sure you know, can have their issues.
How are you interfacing the trackball? Does it act as a mouse? How are you interfacing sound to the tv's?
EDIT: If you really don't care to discuss your boxes, just tell me and I'll shut up.
Edited on Feb 16, 2006 15:55 GMT
| Ed Farias (Feb 16, 2006 at 16:09 GMT) |
I just didn't want people to feel they are out of place by commenting on the topic at hand, but I would be more than happy to discuss the boxes.
Most, if not all of the issues you are thinking about with keyboards are erased using keyboard interfaces such as the iPac (www.ultimarc.com) and the keywiz (www.groovygamegear.com). There is 0 ghosting issues and speed at which they communicate with the PC is much higher than a standard keyboard. There is a reason Ultimarc has been in business for 5-6 years.
The trackball does act as a mouse in windows (or any other OS for that matter). The buttons near the trackball act as the three common mouse buttons by default without any drivers needing to be installed. It plugs into the PC via USB or Ps/2 port.
Back on the joystick issue, I hear your argument, but soldering to the gamepad PCB would still need to be done for each controller. Although feasible, I would rather spend the time on something else. Also, with the addition of the single USB port on the backplate, and two in the front. 4 usb ports are used by default (1 for the spinner). That would leave finding 2 more usb ports to support the joysticks. Which can be done, but a new motherboard would need to be researched and then I get into another stage of testing out hardware with the setup :).
Like I said, I am pretty set in my ways. I've done hours and hours of research on every single part that goes into each box :)
So please don't think I am coming off like a conceded know it all, because I'm really not. I'm just stating that I have looked into many alternatives to doing things, and found the way that seems to work the best.
| Chris Labombard (Feb 16, 2006 at 16:19 GMT) |
Only thing I'm curious about is how you're interfacing the sound to the tv. Are you using a standard audio output to AUX or something like that? I've never seen a cable to do that, though Im sure if I looked they're around.
| Ed Farias (Feb 16, 2006 at 16:24 GMT) |
Basically buy a .35mm (earphone jack) male to Dual RCA (Red,White) male cable. You plug the .35mm into the speaker out port on the sound card and the RCA jack go into the RCA ins on the tv. I take it a bit further by including the ports on the back plate, but basically, that is all it is.
| Chris Labombard (Feb 16, 2006 at 16:59 GMT) |
| Ed Farias (Feb 16, 2006 at 18:47 GMT) |
Here is a link to one www.cyberguys.com/templates/searchdetail.asp?T1=190+0543&dept=&search=&a...
Although it's not the one I use, I get them locally.
| Phil Carlisle (Feb 17, 2006 at 10:50 GMT) |
I'm thinking of making a flight sim arcade box for a bit of fun.
Phil.
| Ed Farias (Feb 17, 2006 at 13:31 GMT) |
| Chris Labombard (Feb 17, 2006 at 13:42 GMT) |
There are analog joysticks available that could be used for Air Ace. I haven't worked with them, and from what I've heard they are difficult to get running properly.
I've never seen an arcade-made flight stick with all the buttons and doohickeys on it.
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