How come arcade companies choose to create custom arcade boards?

[neko123]

Hi,

 

I've done some research on arcade games and have run across a bunch of information regarding various arcade boards used to run the games.

 

I just have a general question regarding the design of these arcade boards: why are custom boards created instead of using ready-made, off-the-shelf game consoles (like Xbox, PS3, etc.) as arcade hardware?

 

The main reason I am asking is because I know of one arcade company, Namco, that uses a board that is essentially a PS3. But most companies prefer to use their own [clunky] arcade boards (that are more like PC towers) to run the games. These PC-based "arcade boards" are more like actual computers, and are most likely much more expensive than just using a readily-available game console (with the same graphics/processing capabilities).

 

If companies like Sega, Taito, and Konami used an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 as their primary arcade board, they would be able to port the games they want to port directly to the home console with very little tweaking.

 

So, back to my question! With the increased cost of custom-made arcade hardware, as well as the increased cost and labor to port arcade games to existing home consoles, why would a company want to build their own arcade board?

 

Thank you!

[Rybags]

In the early days, ie before about 1981 practically every machine used unique hardware.

 

I'd say for a few reasons - the leaps in technology meant that sticking with the same graphics HW especially would mean a system would be very quickly dated. Also components were very expensive back then, so it only made sense to include the minimum hardware required to run the game in question.

 

By the early 80s, you had some standardisation like the Galaxian hardware which was essentially the same for that, Pacman, Galaga, Scramble. Then later in the 80s you had further standardisation like Atari's System 1 which meant a machine was essentially the same except controller, external artwork and the plugin board which contained the game.

Others went the same way, like the NeoGeo or Sega System 32. There was even some standardisation among different companies, e.g. JAMMA.

 

In the 80s there were also arcade machines based on consumer console/computer hardware, e.g. Atari 800, Amiga, NES although they tended to be low-volume sellers.

 

Once you get into the mid-late 90s, arcade sales were truly on the decline so it made sense to where possible use consumer hardware rather than going to the expense of developing custom hardware. By then the only real advantage arcade games had to offer were better controls, seating, and A/V systems.

 

Do companies make their own dedicated boards now? No idea. When you consider the cost of developing graphics chipsets runs into the tens of millions or more and that there's so much consumer hardware out there that can interface with anything from a sub 100 MHz RISC up to a 3+ GHz x86 class machine, it doesn't really make sense to deviate too much from what you can get on the consumer market.

[Keatah]

Sometimes specialized hardware was needed to do special effects. Like the x,y transformations in Tempest. They made back then what was known as the Atari Mathbox. A set of bit-slice cpus on a small board. This board was used in other vector games and I believe I'Robot.

[neko123]

Thanks for the replies. What I meant by custom arcade hardware is the creation of a board through consumer items, like standard PCI cards and consumer graphics cards.

 

Here's an example. This board costs close to a thousand dollars and has equal or less power than a PS3 or 360. It basically is a custom board built using off-the-shelf items like an Nvidia graphics card.

[Rybags]

It's not really custom if it's using all off-the-shelf products.

 

Custom usually means using at least one proprietary chip that's vital to the machine's operation and isn't widely available and who's function can't be easily duplicated by alternate means.

[Mxyzptlk]

It's not really custom if it's using all off-the-shelf products.

 

Custom usually means using at least one proprietary chip that's vital to the machine's operation and isn't widely available and who's function can't be easily duplicated by alternate means.

What you said, and I was also thinking that maybe the arcade co. making this product maybe does not need the power of a 360 or PS3??? Or the arcade manf. is doing it the only way they know how.

 

 

Good question though, wish I knew the answer, as of now, I am also curious. Try hitting up KLOV.com I guarantee someone there will know the answer.

[neko123]

It's not really custom if it's using all off-the-shelf products.

 

Custom usually means using at least one proprietary chip that's vital to the machine's operation and isn't widely available and who's function can't be easily duplicated by alternate means.

What you said, and I was also thinking that maybe the arcade co. making this product maybe does not need the power of a 360 or PS3??? Or the arcade manf. is doing it the only way they know how.

 

 

Good question though, wish I knew the answer, as of now, I am also curious. Try hitting up KLOV.com I guarantee someone there will know the answer.

 

I forgot to include the link to the system in my example.

 

http://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=731

 

I created an account on klov.com, but my account has yet to be approved for posting in the forums!

[Mxyzptlk]

It's not really custom if it's using all off-the-shelf products.

 

Custom usually means using at least one proprietary chip that's vital to the machine's operation and isn't widely available and who's function can't be easily duplicated by alternate means.

What you said, and I was also thinking that maybe the arcade co. making this product maybe does not need the power of a 360 or PS3??? Or the arcade manf. is doing it the only way they know how.

 

 

Good question though, wish I knew the answer, as of now, I am also curious. Try hitting up KLOV.com I guarantee someone there will know the answer.

 

I forgot to include the link to the system in my example.

 

http://www.system16....ware.php?id=731

 

I created an account on klov.com, but my account has yet to be approved for posting in the forums!

You have to get a sponsor (established member to vouch for you) or pay the money via paypal. It had to be done due to the amount of spammer assheads.

Edited July 20, 2012 by Mxyzptlk

[Keatah]

All forums should be that way, the discussions would become more relevant!

[SoundGammon]

...piracy would be another reason, custom hardware is expensive to duplicate!

[scotty]

Neo Geo and Playchoice 10 are perfect examples. While the hardware was the "same" the carts did not have the same connectors. That way the arcade opp had to b the more expensive commercial version of the game, and not the chepaer version at WalMart.

Edited July 20, 2012 by scotty

[R.O.T.S]

In the early days, ie before about 1981 practically every machine used unique hardware.

 

 

I remember those pre-jamma days when the machine operator had to change the game by replacing the entire machine,this meant wheeling it out the arcade with a two wheeled trolley lol,as an arcade game collector the question of `why the different hardware` is one i hear quite a lot along with `why do some games have suicide batteries?` but at the end of the day i think the answer is the same for both and that is you will have to most likely send a faulty game board back to the original manufacturer to have it repaired. =£$

[akator]

Like Neo Geo, the Sega Naomi arcade hardware was extremely similar to the consumer Dreamcast hardware. Naomi was still used to power new arcade machines years after Sega stopped selling the Dreamcast.

[Keatah]

Oftentimes specific hardware was needed to do special graphical effect. It often took the place of software. They didn't have cpu's powerful enough to run the effects software. Nor did they know how to do it anyways.

[atarian63]

http://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=536&gid=1310#1310

 

Namco system 21 is chock full of custome parts, I have a Cyber Sled sit down arcade and it has this system. amazing really for the time

[Bryan]

The video game industry grew out of the larger amusement industry (pinball, slots, etc...) where every machine had a custom hardware platform. For a long while there were no off-the-shelf options capable of meeting the needs of a cutting-edge video game and so the various custom platforms determined the quality of games a company could produce. As the market exploded, the games began to be cloned/pirated increasing the incentive to hide trade secrets inside custom IC's. At first, the only companies using modified computers/consoles were small companies who did not invest in custom boards. Eventually, home hardware became cheap and powerful enough that it was increasingly integrated into arcade platforms. Plus, this gave the companies access to the existing development tools.

 

Of course, these same low cost home platforms also ended the dominance of the arcade.

[Rex Dart]

To actually answer the guy's question, I assume they still choose oddball sort-of-PC setups over Xboxes and PS3s due to licensing cost & reliability issues. The 360 isn't meant to be operated inside a fiberboard box (arcade cabinet), and there's surely some prohibitive licensing fees that prevent Capcom from just slapping a PS3 in a wooden box & calling it Street Fighter IV Arcade.

[Bryan]

Considering that many video games and (especially) kiosks have had complete game systems in them, I doubt licensing is the issue. I think the reliability thing is valid, but the main concern is that the board needs to act as the protection dongle so the game cannot be easily run on any other hardware. Also, in the case of the CoJag the board was a Jaguar built with faster components so the boards could also represent tweaked configurations of common hardware.