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.
Project Organization and Timeline
The deadline for the NGALAC is Maker Faire Bay Area 2018
The project is broken up into three sub-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
While we'll be developing each of the sub-system projects at their own pace, there should be weekly build meetups where we gather the team of volunteers together and collaborate on the project.
Meeting Notes Riseup Pad
https://pad.riseup.net/p/NGALAC
How to help
We need help with several tasks related to all three systems. Here a couple highlights:
- General
- Documentation of project systems and construction
- The Gaming system
- Emulator setup and configuration
- Game and Controller curation and sourcing
- Parts, Components, Cables, and connectors specification and sourcing
- Wiring and mounting strategy inside the cabinet
- The arcade controls: the cabinet will need joysticks and buttons and the controllers and wiring to connect them to the emulator
- The controllers need to connect to ports which then connect to adapters and then the emulator. These ports need to be sturdy and able to be mounted on the face of the cabinet.
- Installation strategies for the Monitor, Speakers, and volume controls
- Testing and QA
- Attract mode content setup and creation
- The Streaming system
- Streaming PC: sourcing, setup and configuration
- A/V equipment and sourcing
- Streaming service setup and broadcast design
- Noisebridge branding and graphics for live streaming
- Arduino programming and wiring: accepting inputs from buttons, communicating with Streaming PC, controlling lighting.
- Testing
- The Cabinet
- internal power and networking setup and design
- component mounting (pc, cable management, monitors, power supplies)
- Cabinet and Lighting design
- Cabinet construction
- Cabinet finishing and graphics
Gaming and Streaming systems diagram
The current diagrammatic layout of the Gaming and Streaming systems shown in this image. Feedback is welcomed. This is being used as the basis for the parts list in the section below.
Diagram Comments: 1.
Streaming PC setup
Hardware:
Software:
- Windows 10 - OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software) - Needs Visual Studio x86 and x64 - Streams to Noisebrige Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/noisebridge)
Emulator
- Raspberrypi 3 - RetroPi - EmulationStation
Parts list
We are gathering a list of the various devices and components we'll need to gather to make this work. Please see the document here:
If you have parts suggestions, please add them below:
Recommended parts list: (Product, Description, Notes) 1.
Parts Gathering
Development CRT 01 - Panasonic 32"
NGALAC table at Noisebridge for project development
Desired Initial Game List
Road Rash 2 - Sega Genesis - Jarrod
Mega Man X - SNES - Mark
Super Mario Kart - SNES - Mark
Super Mario World - SNES - Mark
Donkey Kong Country (1-3) - SNES - Mark
Super Mario Bros. (1-3) - NES - Mark
Super Ghouls N' Ghosts - SNES - Mark
Ice Climber - NES - Mark
Marble Madness - NES - Mark
F-Zero - SNES - Mark
Kirby's Adventure - NES - Mark
Kirby's DreamLand 3 - SNES - Mark
ExciteBike - NES - Mark
Dr. Mario - NES - Mark
Battletoads Double Dragon - SNES - Mark
Super Punch-Out! - SNES - Mark
Progress Photos
Prototype cabinet build week 2018-03-09: