NGALAC

Noisebridge Gaming Archivists Live Arcade Cabinet

The NGALAC will allow people at Noisebridge to play classic console games, with their classic controllers, and then live stream their gameplay and themselves to the internet with the push of a button. People who want to play classic games will have a nice place to do so. People who have never tried to live stream before can jump in and try it. People who want to raise funds for Noisebridge can turn on the live stream and raise money for Noisebridge.

The NGALAC combines several desires into a single cabinet:

• An arcade style gaming machine for playing classic games
• A simple reliable Live Streaming appliance within Noisebridge
• An additional means for us to include more people in our fundraising efforts

While including the possibilities of future features such as:

• A new test platform for Gamebridge game development and demonstrations

Longer Project Narrative

Here is the desired experience of seeing and using the NGALAC.

• The NGALAC will automatically run an "attract mode" during Noisebridge's open hours. The "attract mode" will display streaming tips, the upcoming events calendar, and encourage people to donate to Noisebridge
• There are controller ports on the front of the machine and classic controllers on the sides of the machine. There is a typical Arcade cabinet control board as well with buttons and joysticks.
• A person presses the 'game' button and finds a game they'd like to play. They select a controller from the collection and plug it into the controller port, or opt continue using the joysticks/buttons. They press 'start' and the game loads. They play.
  • They can control the game volume with a knob.
• If a player decides they want to stream their session. They press the "Live Stream" button. The Live Stream "wakes up" and starts up.
  • During the Live Stream "wake up" process: The live stream computer comes out of standby, the live stream monitor turns on, the live stream software connects to the 'streaming service(s)', a notification is sent out that someone is streaming, the 'ON AIR' sign and lighting on the cabinet turns on, The microphone and player camera turn on, the player lighting turns on.
• The games on the NGALAC will be curated from the NGA archives and the Live-Streaming will run through Noisebridge's streaming profile(s) and channel(s).
  • When needed for legal purposes, copies of the games running on the cabinet will be kept on site.
• The cabinet will: be built for two players, be accessible, have decorative lighting, have Noisebridge NGA branding and theming.
  • The cabinet will be located so as to not display a large area of Noisebridge and will have integral signage requesting that potential streamers ask for the consent of others who may be in sight of the stream. The cabinet will have warnings that light up when a stream is happening.

Concept Drawing

The cabinet design is still far from established, but here are the ideas collected into a drawing.

Image - TBD

How to help

We need help with several tasks:

Project Organization and Timeline

The project is broken up into three systems ideally with a couple persons acting as the leads for each, coordinating on the overall project.

• The Gaming system
• The Streaming system
• The cabinet

Gaming and Streaming systems diagram

The current diagrammatic layout of the Gaming and Streaming systems shown in this image. Feedback is welcomed.

Desired Initial Game List

Road Rash 2 - Sega Genesis - Jarrod