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Ulik Ulin Arcade Cabinet Concept

Games Design

Type
Personal Research Project

Time
2018

Role
Designer

Ulik Ulin

As an industrial designer and person who want to start learning to code who like games, I see arcade game is an interesting topic because of its combination of industrial, interaction, and game design. When we designing arcade games, we need to think about how the games work, how the player can control the game, and also what kind of the cabinet arcade that makes people intrigue to play. I want to choose Arcade Cabinet as the main topic for my personal project because I believe this topic is a good topic for me to learn furthermore about industrial, interaction and games design.

Rapid Prototyping

I start by prototyping the arcade to achieve the Arcade game experience. I using cardboard for the frame, the laptop as the machine, and DIY controller board made by used cardboard. I use my own games for the demo with calibration of the controller (use key mapping software) From this prototype, I gather the feedback that most user who play in arcade feel different experience with the original one. They see this experience is kind of gaming experience that can be enjoyed by everyone, even one of my respond enjoy the game even she is not usually playing games. I found that by making an experience of arcade gaming can change perspective about the gaming itself, becoming more acceptable.

Testing the Concept

In oder to know what is the response of audience for this concept, I try to show the prototype in real situation. I made a collaboration with Independent Game Developer to join a Local Game Exhibition “Game Prime” 2017 in Indonesia. I ask permission to use one of their game to be port in Arcade Cabinet form.

Results

We gather feedbacks and insight from the exhibition. The audience reaction mostly are positive, because they think that the concept to port a local independent games into arcade is a unique way to present the game itself. These are insight that I receive from previous event :

No age / status boundaries to enjoy the game.
One of a unexpected result that come up is Arcade Cabinet can eliminate the paradigm that game is only for gamers. The shape of the physical games in cabinet is more inviting rather than only put console and television.

Arcade Cabinet is a rare thing.
The first things come up when people see this arcade cabinet : most of them believe that the game is not local made. This is interesting insight because there are lot of arcade games developer in Indonesia, but not in arcade cabinet shape.

Create a communication and interaction in real life.
Because the shape of Arcade Cabinet is in more engaging and inviting, it can create connection and interaction between people. For example in this picture, all the people are stranger, but connected because the games.

Second Prototype in Finland

This project begins in designing the form of the arcade cabinet that has smaller size. Because I need to bring the prototype that can be fit into baggage, I design this prototype that can be turn into flatpack.

To make this project feasible and can be easy to carry, the arcade cabinet parts should be divided and can be assembled on the exhibition location (Aalto University). All the wood part (using MDF wood) is made from Indonesia. I

n total, all the part split into 13 part; 2 bottom part, 4 side part, 2 back part, 1 control board part, 1 title board part, and 2 screen part. Every part is designed to be fitted in large luggage size. The total weight of the cabinet is around 15kg.

What’s Work

1. Split the cabinet into several small parts actually works and can reduce the burden of exporting issues.
   
   
2. The production cost in Indonesia is cheaper, so the pushed down the production budget rather than produce it in Finland.
   
   
3. Learn new skill to designing modular parts.
   
   
4. It might be interesting alternative touchpoint to access games in Finland.

What’s Doesn’t Work

1. There is some miscalculation about sizing of the screen. It’s happened because the cabinet part and the monitor screen is not in one particular place.
   
   
2. Because the miscalculation, there is a lot of blank space inside the arcade, and it’s not efficient.
   
   
3. The shape of arcade still like an ordinary arcade cabinet, so it doesn’t draw too much attention.