As we more closely approach the end of this exhausting project, it is time to measure for the glass.
I achieved this by using a piece of soft cardboard and cutting to the measurements of the PC monitor.



I placed this card into the glazing strips (that will actually be used to retain the glass) to determine a tight fit.
Through trial and error, folding and unfolding, I got the card to successfully cover the entire screen area. I noted down the measurements as they will form the basis for the dimensions I will supply when ordering the glass.



Although I have no picture as example, I actually duplicated the measurement of the card to cut out a piece of transparent film. I placed this film in the area in front of the PC monitor via the glazing strip retainer and marked out the boundaries of the actual monitor screen area with blue masking tape, again making a note of these measurements for ordering the bezel that will border the screen.

Now we get to work on the Arcade's coin door. I gave the door a clean lick of Black Hammerite paint, to cover over minor scratches and areas of rust. I also replaced the Camlock for access to the top door.



We cut a hole in a piece of painted MDF and attached the coin door from behind, securing it with Timber Mending plates.



As you can see, the coin door opens to reveal the PC's power switch. You will need to have the keys to the Arcade in order to switch it on and off.

Continued work on the Arcade today. We are closing in on the finishing stages of construction - How exciting!!

Covered the holes where the Speakers are to be placed internally (and the grills
externally) with accousticaly-transparent felt. The material had to be stretched tightly and stapled down onto the MDF surface. Unfortunately I didnt have a staple gun at hand, so I used the more colourful solution of Drawing Pins! Worked a treat!!



Drilled small holes through the flat plastic wings of the Creative PC Speakers and mounted tight to the MDF panel using regular screws.



Next stage was to use the Straight-Edge to level and mark where the runners for the hidden drawer will go.



The actual MDF drawer is constructed and ready to fix onto the runners.



The Hidden Drawer houses a mini-keyboard and mouse for emergency administrative purposes and should be camoflaged as unnoticable when closed.



Next, we mount one of the most useful and essential parts of the Arcade Cabinet - the beverage holder! I bought two of these babies from ebay for the dirt-cheap price of £1.50 each! They were originally designed for Golf Trolleys and came with a metal clip that is supposed to hang off the edge. I removed the clip and mounted to my cabinet with screws. When closed, the drinks holder blends seamlessly with the Black Hammerite painted finish. When opened, the holder itself can expand and retract to suit your beverage container, be it cup, glass or can!



Let there be light! The two 10watt florescent bulbs are mounted within the marquee panel with plastic brackets - Incredibly bright!

NOW it makes sense!

For all those who were doubting Nintendo's plans to sell classic controller shells to allow more traditional gameplay on the Revolution, cast your eyes on THIS!...




This add-on makes it possible to play Revolution games in a more traditional manner. The shell is designed to look and function like accepted "regular" controllers, such as the Wave Bird. After its bottom casing is removed, the Revolution's free-hand-style remote is inserted into a gap in the middle of the controller shell. Gamers can then use the shell as they would a traditional controller, with a notable difference: the pointer remote's sensory functionality remains active. As a result, gamers get the best of both worlds: more buttons and two analog sticks along with motion-sensing operations. In a Revolution version of Madden Football, gamers might be able to use the combo to control players with the shell's analog sticks and execute pinpoint passes with the pointer's improved accuracy.

How easily people have forgotten that the ancient ideas we've all become so used to, were all revolutionary once - and that it was Nintendo who brought them to us. D-pads, sholder buttons, analog sticks, controller vibration, wireless controllers... all brought to us by Nintendo. It's ironic to see people say, "Why can't Nintendo just give us a normal controller, like Sony and MS?" when Sony's and MS's controllers wouldn't be what they are today without Nintendo.

So kudos to Nintendo for doing what they've always done - making gaming better for us all.

The Revolution's controller - Demo'd!

Source: revo-europe.com

You've seen the controller. You know it is different. Now discover the first uses of the controller in potential gameplay situations...

So the wraps have come off Nintendo's revolutionary new controller. However, with all the new features and unorthodox design, just how will the controller translate to gameplay in next generation titles? Here is a summary of various hands-on tech demos that illustrate its functionality. Note that the graphics used in most of these demos were extremely simple representations, as the express purpose was to highlight the ways the controller could be used.

1. Aim and Fire: This demo allowed the user to see how the device can work as an accurate pointing device. Simply using the controller to locate an on-screen cursor, the player could fire at blocks for points. Two players competed on one screen for the high score.

2. Fishing: This demo showed off just how sensitive the controller gyroscopic-like detection will be in 3-D space. Not just left, right, up and down...but forward and back as well. Essentially, the player is engaged to utilize the controller to "pick up a fishing rod" and "cast" it into the water using simple intuituive movements. When the player feels a "bite" on the end of the line (represented by force feedback which will be present in the final controller), simply pulling back on the controller would reel the unlucky fish in. You can bet the next NEXT Zelda will be building off of this.

3. Irritating Stick: In this demo, the controller was used again to guide a cursor onscreen, this time represented as a rotating stick, through a 2D maze of obstacles. The player does not want to hit the walls for fear of "shock" and thus must keep a steady hand. Very reminescent of the (once?) popular japanese game Irritating Stick. If anything, this demo made me imagine how shmups (shoot-em-ups like Gradius) would play on the Revolution.

4. Air Hockey: Air Hockey is just like you would imagine...with a twist. Literally. This demo allowed the player guide their "paddle" onscreen as with previous demos, but the puck's direction could be altered by simply twisting the wrist in the desired direction. Needless to say, sports games like tennis may suddenly have a very compelling reason to reside on the Revolution.

5. Basketball: The Basketball demo was actually multi-player. Predictably, two players face off on a basketball court trying to guide the ball into their opponent's hoop. The catch is that the player moves the ball by using the B-trigger on back of the controller to create indentations in the court that the ball could be dragged toward, and then using the A button to reverse the recession into a bump that could launch the ball toward the hoop. Strange as it may seem, maneuvering despite the two players was apparently very easy to the point that blocks and steals could be pulled off.

6. Toy Plane: Pilotwings, anyone? Essentially this demo manifested one of the most common ideas for a controller that could sense actual movement. And the results are predictably very natural. The "pilot" holds the controller as he would a toy plane, raising and lowering the controller to make the on-screen plane dip and rise. Turning is achieved by twisting the controller in the appropriate direction. On a side note, Miyamoto wondered aloud how amusing it might be if a special plane-shaped controller was made for just such a game. Anyway, hopefully this is compelling evidence that Pilotwings will be making its anticipated return. Dogfighting could be very cool as well...

7. Where's Waldo?: Displaying a flat board populated by many various pokemon, the player is engaged to pick the wanted monster out of the bustling crowd. The idea is essentially the same as the mini-game "Wanted" in Mario 64 DS. The catch, as each of these demos possess, is that the camera could be panned and zoomed in unique ways. To look left or right the player would need only point to that direction on the board, whereas zooming in or out requires moving the controller closer and further from the board. The demo served as a compelling glimpse into next-generation dynamic user-controlled cameras...as well as teasing with thoughts of sniping in a first-person-shooter.

8. First Person Shooting: Speaking of first-person-shooters, the FPS demo represented the most cohesive and graphically complex of the otherwise simple game demos. In fact, it was basically Metroid Prime 2: Echoes rewired for Revolution-style control. Quickly scratched together by the folks at Retro Studios, the analog control attachment is held in one hand to allow player standard and strafing movements. The main controller base meanwhile could be utilized similarly to how a mouse is used in FPS games to aim and fire...all working very intuitively as FPS fans can imagine. No doubt the possiblities are very provocative for a FPS game...and it will be interesting to see just what Retro will have in store for Metroid Prime fans come launch time...or if in fact they are hard at work on another brand new FPS as well.

Nintendo reveal the next REVOLUTION of Gaming!!!

This is going to change the way we play and enjoy games.. FOREVER!

This is it. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has revealed the Revolution controller at the Tokyo Games Show. Pictures inside.

The controller has been revealed. On first glance it looks like a television remote, but one with a big "A" button, a "B" trigger underneath (reminescent of the N64 z-trigger), a D-pad, 2 normal A and B buttons (also labelled "X" and "Y" in some pictures), plus buttons for Start, Select and Home. At the top is a power button that can shut down the console and at the very bottom are four lights that designate the numbering among multiple players (currently allowing for up to four.) The sleek, rectangular remote-like controller comes in various colours as well (including white, black, silver, gray, red and lime green). Most visible in the pictures is certainly the glossy white design, which matches the Revolution console's new iPod-inspired look.

The ergonomically shaped controller is held in one hand, while attachments will be held in the other. Attachments connect to the bottom port of the controller. One of these is an analog stick attachment that also features two trigger buttons - named Z1 and Z2 - on the underside.

Now here is the Revolutionary bit: the controller acts like a mouse in real 3D-space.

Gaming legend Shigeru Miyamoto was called upon to demonstrate the new technology - where small sensors placed near the TV and a chip inside the controller track its position and orientation, allowing the player to intuitively manipulate the action on screen by physically moving the controller itself.

For example, you could slash an in-game sword by actually swinging the controller from side to side, turn a race car just by twisting your wrist, or aim your gun in a shooter by pointing the controller where you want to fire.

Sensors understand up, down, left, right, forward and backward, while the pad is also tilt sensitive. The controller can be rotated or rolled from side-to-side. For more traditonal style games however, like a freshly downloaded NES classic, turned on it's side the Revolution controller has the same button configuration as the classic NES controller! The expansion port can be used with many different types of controller peripherals apart from the control stick, more of which are sure to be revealed later.

The controller will of course be wireless, though there are currently no definitive measurements on the max distance, source or power. Nintendo has said that the controllers are already tested to be fine from 10-15 feet, and that the battery life should at least mimic that of the Wavebird (they are still undecided if it will utilize traditional batteries or rechargeables.) Finally, rumble will be included as a standard in all the controllers.

First sneek peek at a REVOLUTION game??

Just check the funky logo! Incorporates a regular DVD disc and mini Gamecube DVD disc. Also at the bottom of the screen there is an icon representing a controller.. looks fairly standard/boring..

Its just a matter of hours now until the Revolution is revealed in its full glory!

Happy Birthday Mario!

Another weekend flies by and yet more modifications are made to my Arcade construction that just won’t quit!

Today we screwed on the Castors to the base of the beast to ensure that I will be able to actually move this thing if need be, in the future.



All four castors can swivel yet the back two wheels have foot locks to secure the cabinet in place.





The castors add just over two inches of height to the Arcade which surprisingly makes game play (or at least at this stage, holding the Joystick) a far more comfortable experience.



Next we attached the speaker grilles to the front speaker panel. No electric screwing required here, the MDF is so soft that we used a conventional screwdriver.






I still have to stretch and pin/staple-down Black speaker fabric (£1.99 for a square metre from Maplin) in place to the rear of the panel.



..and finally (for this week at least anyway!), we attach the florescent light fixture to the marquee panel. Notice I have attached two florescent bulbs; well that is because it is recommended to use a 16-18 watt bulb, however no matter which DIY/Lighting store I went to, I could not find such bright bulbs in the length I required (all were too long), therefore my only viable option was to use two 10 watt bulbs (got a great deal in B&Q on these for £17) in the hope that they will do the trick just as well as a more powerful single. Only time will tell I guess...



So the Arcade is edging ever closer to its completion...




This weekend I also purchased the runners for my hidden keyboard/mouse shelf-drawer, so next weekend I aim to paint and attach the draw and cut a hole in the front MDF panel (which also needs painting) for the coin door.

I finished ironing-on the pre-glued Black Melamine edging today. Looks and feels a treat.
All thats left for me to do before I move onto the glass installation stage is to touch up various areas of small imperfection with Black Paint and a fine brush.

Left the painted Arcade cab to dry outside my flat door last night.
Went to check on it this morning, the texture of the finish still impressed me, plus the awful smell had cleared.
I immediately moved that baby into my lounge and put it into place.





However to my horror I discovered that some fine fibres had managed to get stuck into the paint in various areas on the side.
Its only really noticable if you go looking for it, and providing any light hits it just on the right side.
However it bugs the hell out of me (especially after all of the hours I have put into this thing) and I will be ordering vinyl side artwork to be applied on the sides in an effort to disguise the most affected areas.
I got a quote on the artwork today - its gonna set me back £30 - OUCH!

Tomorrow -I will apply the edging and hopefully put some Castors on the base. My next major confrontation is with Glass..... but more on that when I get to it!

Well, i've got a full week off work starting today, so I've decided to get back to this Arcade construction lark to get the job done sooner rather than later.

The main MDF frame has already been constructed, so all that is needed to do now is to paint!

First of all, I covered the areas I did not want paint to touch with cheap Painter's Tape from B&Q (only cost a quid!).
I will apply the pre-glued Melamine edging on these areas, and to do so sucessfully, no paint much touch the surface.



Secondly - I wanted to attempt to hide some of the protuding wood screws on the sides of the cabinet, (This would be an area I eventually bugger up) so I applied wood filler on the surrounding area of the screw head, with the plan (once dried) to sand to as near surface level as possible.
I didnt get this right and ended up making the screw areas more lumpy than usual. This would eventually show through my paintwork and I am currently considering using Vinyl artwork to hide some of the imperfections.





Next I was ready to Prime. Reason why you HAVE to put primer on MDF is to hold the paint. MDF is basicly like paper or a sponge.
I bought a tin of MDF Primer from B&Q for around 8 quid. The plan was to apply two coats with light sanding between both coats.
We used a foam roller to apply - the process was straight forward enough with a 30 min wait until touch dry and a hour wait before the second coat could be applied.
Stuff smelled like Glue...



After a couple hours, Primer was done. The Cabinet looked a pale and pasty white and quite frankly, an uneven mess. Although I was reassured that this was the typical effect of Primer.
Anyhow, at this point I was really psyched to paint the thing Black, to finally see my construction take some real resemblance of a real Arcade Cabinet.
I had decided that I wanted a textured, yet shiny finish to the paint for the cabinet to look that more authentic. I opted to use a paint actually designed for metal (dont worry, it still holds on MDF!) called Hammerite, with a 'Hammered Finish' Effect. Damn thing cost me £13 from B&Q!
Although the picture below giveS a slight indication to the texture, it does it no real justice. The best way to describe it is to compare it to the texture of an Orange Peel.



With the foam roller, the paint came on beautifully - however the paint seemed as thick as tar and stunk the place out. (We painted and primed outside my front door in the foyer of my flat).
We had to leave the doors and windows open and even had some ass of a 'neighbour' bang on our door shouting the odds about the smell. He was pissed out of his head and later apologised for his overreaction, but I still told him to Fuck Off all the same - arsehole!.

To be perfectly honest, Musole did a hella'lot of the painting. Mainly because she had a better knack at it than me, and she wanted it finished ASAP so we could go order Pizza.
I ensured that I made it up to her later on ;-).






At this point it was getting late but it was too late to finish. For some reason once you start using this paint, you HAVE to add your second coat within eight hours or something dreadful happens (the tin didnt exactly elaborate).

This beautiful paint took an hour to dry between coats. We only added two coats in the end as it was already so thick and actually acted as an additional primer/undercoat. I didnt add a second coat to the unseen areas of the cabinet such as the monitor shelf etc..