17 replies to this topic

[yuppicide]

I'd totally buy this if it were real:

http://www.thinkgeek...arousel_iCade_1

[128bytes]

yuppicide, on Thu Apr 1, 2010 8:06 AM, said:

I'd totally buy this if it were real:

http://www.thinkgeek...arousel_iCade_1

ThinkGeek has produced some of its April Fools items for real in the past...

[SpiceWare]

So would I!

Their other stuff's pretty funny too "Tribbles 'n' Bits" cereal, "My First Bacon", etc.

[yuppicide]

Look at the moodINQ tattoo thing. I was totally ready to buy it!

I thought it would be real because I thought maybe you first get a tattoo "blank canvas" with some special ink that reacts to the device.

Then I read they've partnered with plastic surgeons and I knew it was fake.

I was ready to play all sorts of jokes.. get my company logo tattooed on my arm, or something to make fun of my friend.

[ledzep]

yuppicide, on Thu Apr 1, 2010 8:06 AM, said:

I'd totally buy this if it were real:

http://www.thinkgeek...arousel_iCade_1

Holy crap. That's like an alternate Vectrex. If that is only ever supposed to be a gag I think someone should actually make it anyways. MAME should run on the iPad, right? I mean it could be made to. What's to stop someone from making a couple different iCade cabinet types, one like in the ad and also one that's landscape orientation? And maybe have removable controller panels for various controller configurations (trackball, dual joystick, spinner, etc.) and just print money with that thing? A lot of fans would stop crying about the iPad not having a camera or a phone option. You could also market more specific cabinet shapes to make authentic desktop Missile Commands or Tempests or Space Wars or whatever. With correct side art. The geeky collector market is exactly the type of crowd that would care that their desktop Tron game has the correctly shaped mini Tron joystick instead of just a regular Wico ball stick. And let's not forget desktop cocktail table cabinets with two sets of controls. Too bad the iPod is in comparison too small to justify making a mini desktop cabaret cabinet, huh? And then you'd only be missing a to-scale "Flynn's" neon sign...

[akator]

Apple is 100% against open source emulation, so there is no way in hell an iPad will ever be used for emulation any more that an iPhone. Original IP owners release games/collections for the iPhone, but MAME will never be found.

The whole reason for using an iPad is the touchscreen crap. The iPad doesn't even have a USB port to plug any game controllers or arcade controls into. Why not make the a similar mini arcade cab but with a netbook, which has all of the requirements *including* access to MAME? After all, a reconditioned netbook costs less than $200 and the iPad a minimum of $499...

[ledzep]

True. I got carried away by my love of Vectrex and arcade games (sort of like seeing a proposal for Playboy Playmates cooking bacon on hotplates while riding in '70 Dodge Super Bees, I just ignored reality and wanted it to be true). I forgot how useless (for things like this) the iPad is. But never say never. If somebody wants to crack open a computer to run something the original company didn't want it to run, it will be done. It wouldn't be worth it but sometimes people do things just to do them.

I like your netbook idea, though. It would be cheaper and it would satisfy all the same "needs" (nobody really needs a desktop arcade system, but still) to get this to happen and, as you say, MAME is already there waiting for it.

[SpiceWare]

akator, on Fri Apr 2, 2010 9:45 PM, said:

Apple is 100% against open source emulation, so there is no way in hell an iPad will ever be used for emulation any more that an iPhone. Original IP owners release games/collections for the iPhone, but MAME will never be found.

Really? Care to explain how this Commodore 64 emulator, which is based on Frodo, is available from the App Store?

Quote

The iPad doesn't even have a USB port to plug any game controllers or arcade controls into.

Sure it does - it's part of the dock connector. The iPad Camera Connection Kit breaks the lines out into a standard USB socket, but for something like iCad you'd just tap into the dock connector. There's also a forthcoming iControlPad for jailbroken iPhones/Touches. Here's a video of the prototype in action

[akator]

SpiceWare, on Fri Apr 2, 2010 11:33 PM, said:

Really? Care to explain how this Commodore 64 emulator, which is based on Frodo, is available from the App Store?

Ah, the exception that disproves the rule. Thank you sooooo much for pointing that out. There was a news item a few years ago when Apple took down a NES emulator from the App Store. I was paraphrasing Apple's own statements from the time when they explained why the NES emulator was removed.

From Apple's own iPhone Devkit license agreement:

Quote

3.3.2 An Application may not itself install or launch other executable code by any means, including without limitation through the use of a plug-in architecture, calling other frameworks, other APIs or otherwise. No interpreted code may be downloaded and used in an Application except for code that is interpreted and run by Apple’s Published APIs and built-in interpreter(s).

That means no ROMs, which in turn means no emulators.

There are emulators available if you jailbreak your iPhone. Excuse me for not counting those.

SpiceWare, on Fri Apr 2, 2010 11:33 PM, said:

Sure it does - it's part of the dock connector. The iPad Camera Connection Kit breaks the lines out into a standard USB socket, but for something like iCad you'd just tap into the dock connector. There's also a forthcoming iControlPad for jailbroken iPhones/Touches. Here's a video of the prototype in action

$499 iPad + $29 dock connector. You have soooo changed my mind that an iPad is better for emulation than a $200 netbook with built-in USB ports...

[ledzep]

akator, on Sat Apr 3, 2010 4:24 AM, said:

Ah, the exception that disproves the rule. Thank you sooooo much for pointing that out. There was a news item a few years ago when Apple took down a NES emulator from the App Store. I was paraphrasing Apple's own statements from the time when they explained why the NES emulator was removed.

From Apple's own iPhone Devkit license agreement:

Quote

3.3.2 An Application may not itself install or launch other executable code by any means, including without limitation through the use of a plug-in architecture, calling other frameworks, other APIs or otherwise. No interpreted code may be downloaded and used in an Application except for code that is interpreted and run by Apple’s Published APIs and built-in interpreter(s).

That means no ROMs, which in turn means no emulators.

There are emulators available if you jailbreak your iPhone. Excuse me for not counting those.

You only need one exception to disprove a definitive statement...

Well why wouldn't you count those? You were pretty certain that something like MAME will never be found on an iPad yet jailbreaking an iPhone (and, presumably, also an iPad in the future) would allow that to happen, to say nothing of an App Store source. I don't think anyone, including the creators of that original April Fool's ad for the iCade itself, were specifically referencing only Apple-approved apps. And that Commodore 64 emulator is exactly the type of thing you say could never exist. Well, it exists, your proclamation didn't stipulate how common emulators must be, only that they would never be found. I'm sure it's easy for Apple to stamp its feet and insist that nobody do anything it doesn't want done but good luck with that strategy.

akator, on Sat Apr 3, 2010 4:24 AM, said:

$499 iPad + $29 dock connector. You have soooo changed my mind that an iPad is better for emulation than a $200 netbook with built-in USB ports...

Whether the iPad is better for emulation or not the iCade in that fake ad would be a cool idea and would make the iPad finally worth buying (something which I don't quite see the draw of with the current version for $500). What's to stop someone from making the iCade idea feasible for the iPad and netbooks? What's to stop someone from making a connector to tap into the dock connector (sure, it only saves $29, but still)? It could be sold simply as the coolest iPad dock ever made. Charge up your iPad and play Asteroids at the same time!

I can see the iPad dropping in price after the first wave of techno-geeks blow their acne medication money paying full price to be the first ones on the block to own one because Jesus' little brother Steve told them to while the rest of the consumer market decides that it's stupid to spend $500 on a giant iPod. And once the second improved (or useful) version comes out with a camera and cellphone the original iPad might end up in the impulse aisle at Walmart. Who knows. I'm just hoping somebody actually makes something exactly like the iCade but more modular (swappable control panels, different cabinet shapes). Call it the RasterCade if Apple wants to sue over it.

[SpiceWare]

akator, on Sat Apr 3, 2010 4:24 AM, said:

Ah, the exception that disproves the rule. Thank you sooooo much for pointing that out.

Your welcome.

Quote

There was a news item a few years ago when Apple took down a NES emulator from the App Store. ... That means no ROMs, which in turn means no emulators.

And yet the C= 64 emulator allows you to obtain additional ROMs from within the emulator.


Most likely the difference is the NES emulator supported piracy

Quote

The $7 app included several homebrew games, but also allowed users to download more games by pointing the app to the URLs of ROM files.

while the C= 64 emulator is fully licensed.

Quote

Despite some initial work on the project last year, Manomio had originally decided to abandon the project for two main reasons. 1) a lack of licensing rights for the Commodore 64 and 2) the question of whether or not an emulator would be allowed in the App Store.

Manomio, however, ended up connecting with Kiloo Aps who happens to own the license for the Commodore 64 and ultimately managed to sign the proper deals with both Kiloo and Commodore Gaming.

Quote

$499 iPad + $29 dock connector. You have soooo changed my mind that an iPad is better for emulation than a $200 netbook with built-in USB ports...

I wasn't out to change your mind, just correct mis-information.

[nathanallan]

In the flesh, a real iCade for sale:

iCade at yardsellr

[atwwong]

yuppicide, on Thu Apr 1, 2010 8:06 AM, said:

I'd totally buy this if it were real:

http://www.thinkgeek...arousel_iCade_1

Well, now it's real in retail... iCADE - iPad Arcade Cabinet

I saw these at the local Future Shops in the Vancouver area with Atari Flashback games loaded on them (the Flashback game apps).

Too bad the i-CADE is only compatible with the iPad/iPad2...

(Included one shot of the iPad screen in the i-CADE - yes it is self-gratuitous shot! )

[EDIT] SORRY, missed the other thread - my bad... [/EDIT]

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Edited by atwwong, Tue Aug 30, 2011 1:14 AM.

[eggomania]

I would consider getting an iCade if I ever get an iPad. The only thing is...I think I read somewhere that it only works for the app Atari's Greatest Hits. That app is nice but I would like to be able to play other arcade games with it. Most of the Atari 2600 games on that app are not that great, which just leaves you with a small amount of classic Atari arcade games. Plus, I think the iCade requires bluetooth and won't work on WiFi.

[SpiceWare]

atwwong, on Tue Aug 30, 2011 1:09 AM, said:

Too bad the i-CADE is only compatible with the iPad/iPad2...

It's just a Bluetooth keyboard, don't other tablets support that? ION's iCADE page has instructions on how to use it.

[SpiceWare]

eggomania, on Thu Sep 1, 2011 5:38 PM, said:

The only thing is...I think I read somewhere that it only works for the app Atari's Greatest Hits.

that was just the first to support it. I've got 10 other apps so far that do as well. From this list I see some others have been updated since I last looked.

[eggomania]

Thanks for that link for more games that can be played on an iCade. Too bad that none of them seem to interest me. It would be cool to play more classic games such as Pac-Man, Galaga, Berzerk, etc. I realize that it would require making a licensing deal with companies such as Midway, Stern, etc. But maybe one day it will happen.

[appleo]

This would be a much better product if it had two 9-pin D-shell connectors that worked with the standard Atari 2600 joystick OR paddles OR numeric keypad. That way you can play 2-player games, or 4-player paddle games, stuff like Star Raiders, etc.

Not that I'm surprised since it's Steve Jobs we're talking about, but I don't understand why in 2011 with all the advanced technology available to us, it's SO HARD to plug a couple simple joysticks or paddle controllers (1977 technology) into an iPad or iPhone and configure a game to use it. Or rather, why getting a device as advanced as an iPad or iPhone to receive simple input from a standardized hardware interface in a standard way, and be able to configure ANY game app to work with it, instead of having to buy these "magical" products that only work with certain games.

Is playing old Atari games and at least wiring in a couple joysticks or paddles easier than this on Droid? Does it work with Stella?