Show me your Game Centers!

[SlowCoder]

No, this is not yet another "show me your collections" thread. I'm actually working on figuring out how to best set up my stuff. What I am actually interested in is the tables/desks/shelves and equipment used to set up your gaming station to work best for you, and not so much the game systems themselves.

 

I am planning a new station for myself in my computer room. Considerations for this station are:

1. Should be able to hold at least 8 consoles, each easily reached from their home locations.

2. Consoles like the CV and IntV that have short cords would need to be close at hand. I'm not interested in straightening the cords, nor do I want to have to remove them from the shelf/table/desk when playing. This means some sort of sturdy extending shelf might have to be set up.

3. Setup should be sturdy to support the extra forces from inserting and removing cartridges.

4. Limited horizontal space.

5. Should be able to support a somewhat large TV.

 

Sounds like a lot of requirements. But I'd like to see your comfortable setups so that maybe I can take some hints.

[Algus]

You might find this thread from last week useful. Anywho, I took a new shot of my setup for this thread since I've added my Nintendo 64 into the mix

 

 

I just use an old Entertainment Center that has a lot of extra shelving as well as a few A/V Selector boxes. I actually have a two-button RF Selector which is impossible to see at this angle that I use for my 2600 and TG-16. I also have an extra shelf that isn't set up but I'm out of ports on my A/V Selectors. I may setup my PS2 or original Xbox at some point but I haven't decided yet.

 

What I'd like to do is move everything in this room over (I've got some containers at the other end with old VHS tapes in them) and get a bookshelf to go alongside my TV. Then I was thinking of just cutting holes for wires into the back of the bookcase and setting everything up that way. Laziness/lack of money is preventing me from doing that though.

[the-topdog]

Akator has a whole series of posts on the construction of his kick-ass gaming cabinets... check it out http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/158796-making-the-man-cave/

[jferio]

I actually repurposed some bookshelves from Target.

 

Game Room 2011 - Overview North Corner by cmdrjlc, on Flickr

 

Unfortunately, Target no longer seems to carry that exact type. They do have something similar, only with the top enclosed, which I had to accomplish using a loose board.

 

http://www.target.com/Mission-5-Tier-Shelf-Espresso/dp/B0047T6JUA/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&searchView=grid5&keywords=mission&fromGsearch=true&sr=1-23&qid=1307572538&rh=subjectbin%3A1038614|subjectbin%3A1038626&searchRank=target104545&id=Mission%205-Tier%20Shelf%20Espresso&node=1038576|1287991011&searchSize=30&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=1038576|1287991011&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&frombrowse=0

[brak]

I use shelves that are sold at walmart, I put the system on the small 3 shelf bookcases, and the games on the media shelves they sell.

 

I dont keep my systems connected, I connect the one I want to play and move it to the TV. All the cords are bagged separately, and then bags are in plastic shoe boxes. I think it's a neat and clean look.

 

Controllers are all in a footlocker. I havn;t found a good way to organize that yet.

 

If you guys want to see, here's a link to my web album for my game room, newer pics are at the end.

 

Gameroom album

[SlowCoder]

I don't think tall shelves are the way to go for what I want. I don't want to have to connect or move my consoles every time I want to play. That's one of the things that keeps me from playing them as often. They are currently stored in my closet. When I want to play, I have to tote them from the closet, hook them up, play, disconnect, and put them away. I want to just sit down in front of my game center, with all my consoles out and ready, put a cartridge in, turn it on, and play.

[jferio]

My setup actually has everything hooked up. I've got an ugly solution of daisy-chained A/V switches handling the composite hardware, and a couple of auto switches and a single three-position switch handling the RF hardware.

 

I also have a LOT of computer power stations that were designed to be used underneath monitors in the old days of physical switches, letting me leave the wall warts plugged in, without having them be 'plugged in' all the time. When I want to play, I just hit the switch for the console I'm about to use.

[stringfellow]

I use shelves that are sold at walmart, I put the system on the small 3 shelf bookcases, and the games on the media shelves they sell.

 

I dont keep my systems connected, I connect the one I want to play and move it to the TV. All the cords are bagged separately, and then bags are in plastic shoe boxes. I think it's a neat and clean look.

 

Controllers are all in a footlocker. I havn;t found a good way to organize that yet.

 

If you guys want to see, here's a link to my web album for my game room, newer pics are at the end.

 

Gameroom album

 

I am actually using those same shelves for my games. I saw them and thought that it was exactly what I needed.

[Algus]

I don't think tall shelves are the way to go for what I want. I don't want to have to connect or move my consoles every time I want to play. That's one of the things that keeps me from playing them as often. They are currently stored in my closet. When I want to play, I have to tote them from the closet, hook them up, play, disconnect, and put them away. I want to just sit down in front of my game center, with all my consoles out and ready, put a cartridge in, turn it on, and play.

 

A/V Selectors are definitely the way to go. I have a few systems not hooked up (All four of my 6th gens, my SNES, and my newly acquired Colecovision) but the only real flaw in my setup is the SNES. I simply don't have a port on my current set of selectors for it. The nice thing about the Gamestop A/V selectors that I have (I assume they still sell them) is the fourth port is on the front of the selector so it is an easy swap if you have extra systems. Mine only support composite out in the front though, which is kind of annoying. Although my component selector isn't being fully utilized either (just 360 and Wii). The SNES, N64, and Gamecube all use the same composite A/V out so one possibility is just to keep them all on the same line and swap as you play.

 

The real pain for me has been the older systems that only use an RF Out. I haven't found a decent RF Selector that offers more than two ports. If you use the Coax adapters though they pretty much become plug and play (I actually use said adapters wit my RF Selector)

[jferio]

The real pain for me has been the older systems that only use an RF Out. I haven't found a decent RF Selector that offers more than two ports. If you use the Coax adapters though they pretty much become plug and play (I actually use said adapters wit my RF Selector)

 

This is actually what I'm using to switch between my 2600, my 7800, and the Intellivision.

 

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/391138593/VCR_TV_Selector_Switch.html

 

I've put three F-type to RCA adapters on the one side, so each system basically plugs in "directly". Gives me a nice, clean signal to the television. The remaining systems are connected via the old NES style auto-switches, between that switch and the television.

[Algus]

I might have to pick one of those up. At least then I can have my 2600, Colecovision, and TG-16 all hooked up.

[stringfellow]

We talked about rf options a bit here http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/175774-hookup/page__p__2193014__fromsearch__1#entry2193014

Some interesting options too.

[flynnz]

Here is my current setup. Lil messy atm

 

My goal with the room was to fit and hook up all my machines to cast live all at once. It was a bit of challenge to fit everything in the small room, but I think I did an ok job. Key was getting the right size entertainment centers and using tons of shelves.

 

IMG_3079 by dominowrecker, on Flickr

 

IMG_3078 by dominowrecker, on Flickr

 

IMG_3076 by dominowrecker, on Flickr

 

IMG_3073 by dominowrecker, on Flickr

 

IMG_3068 by dominowrecker, on Flickr

 

IMG_3064 by dominowrecker, on Flickr

[CGQuarterly]

Hey flynnz, what's the microphone for? Do you do a podcast, or is it for music?

 

Here's my setup. Not the whole room, but just where I have my monitors and consoles set up.

 

 

Obviously you could set up more consoles than I have there, since I use the bottom shelf for storage, and have a receiver and that Genesis cartridge drawer there. It's a nice table though, about 6 feet long and not very deep. The three drawers are nice because you can keep controllers and whatnot in them. And it's made of solid wood instead of that laminate crap. The upper shelf is adjustable but the lower shelf is fixed.

 

I can't remember the name of the table, but it came from Ikea. It was like $200, which I think is pretty good since it's solid wood.

 

Chris

 

P.S. That's Pin-Bot on both screens, the NES version on the right and the Xbox 360 version (Pinball Hall of Fame) on the left.

[flynnz]

The mic is mostly for casting on JTV, but I have used it for voice over work and such.

 

Also cool setup. what type of tv/mon are you using with the NES?

[CGQuarterly]

It's a Sony PVM RGB monitor.

 

Chris

[flynnz]

It's a Sony PVM RGB monitor.

 

Chris

 

ahh nice. Picture must look amazing on that thing.

[Rockin' Kat]

It's a Sony PVM RGB monitor.

 

Chris

 

ahh nice. Picture must look amazing on that thing.

 

Those smaller ones can be had for ~$25 if you know where to go... Nice things... I've got a couple 13" ones along with a 25" one.

[Rockin' Kat]

It's kinda ...um... work in progress... that shelf unit next to the monitor... I used to have two of those in there but I took one out to put that tv stand in..

 

I had to Brace the TV stand with extra hardware for it to support the weight of that monitor. I cut four strips of "L" shaped steel, drilled holes in them, applied them with some Loctite construction adhesive and screwed it them in on the underside of the top and bottom levels of the unit.

 

 

I bought it from one of those discount furniture stores filled with old unsold merchandise. It was a bit weak, but I'd been looking for something to fit the space and need for a while, and by then I'd determined that it was either buy this and add some hardware to it, or make something from scratch.