Arcade cabinet

Upright cabinets are the most common in North America, with their design heavily influenced by Computer Space and Pong. While the futuristic look of Computer Space's outer fiberglass cabinet did not carry forward, both games did establish separating parts of the arcade machine for the cathode-ray tube (CRT) display, the game controllers, and the computer logic areas. Atari also had placed the controls at a height suitable for most adult players to use, but close enough to the console's base to also allow children to play. Further, the cabinets were more compact than traditional electro-mechanical games and did not use flashing lights or other means to attract players. The side panels of Atari's Pong had a simple wood veneer finish, making it easier to market to non-arcade venues, such as hotels, country clubs, and cocktail bars. In the face of growing competition, Atari started to include cabinet art and attraction panels around 1973–1974, which soon became a standard practice.^[6]

Arcade cabinets today are usually made of wood and metal, about six feet or two meters tall, with the control panel set perpendicular to the monitor at slightly above waist level. The monitor is housed inside the cabinet, at approximately eye level. The marquee is above it, and often overhangs it.

In Computer Space, Pong and other early arcade games, the CRT was mounted 90 degrees from the ground, facing directly outward. Arcade game manufacturers began incorporating design principles from older electro-magnetic games by using CRTs mounted at a 45-degree angle, facing upward and away from the player but towards a one-way mirror that reflected the display to the player. Additional transparent overlays could be added between the mirror and the player's view to include additional images and colorize the black-and-white CRT output, as is the case in Boot Hill. Other games, like Warrior, used a one-sided mirror and included an illuminated background behind the mirror, so that the on-screen characters would appear to the players as if they were on that background.^[6] With the advent of color CRT displays, the need for the mirror was eliminated. The CRT was subsequently positioned at an angle permitting a typical adult player to look directly at the screen.

Controls are most commonly a joystick for as many players as the game allows, plus action buttons and "player" buttons which serve the same purpose as the start button on console gamepads. Trackballs are sometimes used instead of joysticks, especially in games from the early 1980s. Spinners (knobs for turning, also called "paddle controls") are used to control game elements that move strictly horizontally or vertically, such as the paddles in Arkanoid and Pong. Games such as Robotron: 2084, Smash TV and Battlezone use double joysticks instead of action buttons. Some versions of the original Street Fighter had pressure-sensitive rubber pads instead of buttons.

If an upright is housing a driving game, it may have a

Upright cabinet shape designs vary from the simplest symmetric perpendicular boxes as with Star Trek to complicated asymmetric forms.

Games are typically for one or two players; however, games such as Gauntlet feature as many as four sets of controls.

Sit-down or table cabinets

Cocktail cabinets

Cocktail cabinets are shaped like low, rectangular tables, with the controls usually set at either of the broad ends, or, though not as common, at the narrow ends, and the monitor inside the table, the screen facing upward. Two-player games housed in cocktails were usually alternant, each player taking turns. The monitor reverses its orientation (game software controlled) for each player, so the game display is properly oriented for each player. This requires special programming of the cocktail versions of the game (usually set by dip switches). The monitor's orientation is usually in player two's favor only in two-player games when it's player two's turn and in player one's favor all other times. Simultaneous, 4 player games that are built as a cocktail include Warlords, and others.

In Japan, many games manufactured by Taito from the 1970s to the early 1980s have the cocktail versions prefixed by "T.T" in their titles (eg. T.T Space Invaders).

Cocktail cabinet versions were usually released alongside the upright version of the same game. They were relatively common in the 1980s, especially during the

Owing to the resemblance of plastic to hard candy, they are often known as "

Deluxe cabinets

Deluxe cabinets (also known as DX cabinets in Japan) are most commonly used for games involving gambling, long stints of gaming (such as

A motion simulator cabinet is a type of deluxe cabinet that is very elaborate, including hydraulics which move the player according to the action on screen. In Japan, they are known as "taikan" games, with "taikan" meaning "body sensation" in Japanese. Sega is particularly known for these kinds of cabinets, with various types of sit-down and cockpit motion cabinets that Sega have been manufacturing since the 1980s.^[7][8] Namco was another major manufacturer of motion simulator cabinets.

Acquiring these pieces is harder than installing them. Many hobbyists trade these items via newsgroups or sites such as eBay (the same is true for side art). As with side art, some replication art shops also produce replication artwork for these pieces that is indistinguishable from the original. Some even surpass the originals in quality. Once these pieces are acquired, they usually snap right into place.

If the controls are worn and need replacing, if the game is popular, they can be easily obtained. Rarer game controls are harder to come by, but some shops stock replacement controls for classic arcade games. Some shops manufacture controls that are more robust than originals and fit a variety of machines. Installing them takes some experimentation for novices, but are usually not too difficult to place.

Monitors

While both use the same basic type of tube, raster monitors are easier to service than vector monitors, as the support circuitry is very similar to that which is used in CRT televisions and computer monitors, and is typically easy to adjust for color and brightness. On the other hand, vector monitors can be challenging or very costly to service, and some can no longer be repaired due to certain parts having been discontinued years ago. Even finding a drop-in replacement for a vector monitor is a challenge today, as few were produced after their heyday in the early 1980s.^{[citation needed]} CRT replacement is possible, but the process of transferring the deflection yoke and other parts from one tube neck to the other also means a long process of positioning and adjusting the parts on the CRT for proper performance, a job that may prove too challenging for the typical amateur arcade collector.^{[citation needed]} On the other hand, it may be possible to retrofit other monitor technologies to emulate vector graphics.

Some electronic components are stressed by the hot, cramped conditions inside a cabinet. Electrolytic capacitors dry out over time, and if a classic arcade cabinet is still using its original components, it may be near the end of its service life. A common step in refurbishing vintage electronics (of all types) is "recapping": replacing certain capacitors (and other parts) to restore, or ensure the continued safe operation of the monitor and power supplies. Because of the capacity and voltage ratings of these parts, it can be dangerous if not done properly, and should only be attempted by experienced hobbyists or professionals. If a monitor is broken, it may be easier to just source a drop-in replacement through coin-op machine distributors or parts suppliers.

Wiring

If a cabinet needs rewiring, some wiring kits are available over the Internet. An experienced hobbyist can usually solve most wiring problems through trial and error.

Many cabinets are converted to be used to host a game other than the original. In these cases, if both games conform to the JAMMA standard, the process is simple. Other conversions can be more difficult, but some manufacturers such as Nintendo have produced kits to ease the conversion process (Nintendo manufactured kits to convert a cabinet from Classic wiring to VS. wiring).

See also

• Arcade controller
• Arcade game
• Slot machine
• Video arcade
• Arcade system board
• JAMMA
• MAME

References