MAME cabinet at an arcade

[thom_m]

I went to a mall`s arcade two days ago, and somethiung surprised me: they had a MAME cabinet there. It had a custom front end explaining how to choose the games, and all... just like it was some revolutionary system they invented themselves. You had to put tokens (arcades only sell tokens here, usually with abusive prices) in it to paly, just like a regular cabinet.

So I went and played some Punk Shot with a friend...only to find out they set the machine to eat one credit per game quarter - which lasted only one freaking minute.

I felt so damn ripped off. First, for putting tokens on a MAME cabinet for itself; and second, for playing such a ridiculous amount of time with one credit.

So I ask: is it right for arcade owners to set up MAME cabinets? And, if so, wouldn't it be more decent to allow for more play time? I mean, they probably didn't pay for the roms, to begin with...neither did they rent the cabinet. Or am I just being too finicky about it?

[kedawa]

If it is just a MAME cabinet and not a licensed multigame board, then it's probably not legal.
They are violating the copyright on all those games.

[bradd]

around here they have those 48-in-1 multicades everywhere, they are also illegal hong kong bootlegs running an old version of MAME. i still play them all the time.

[Ed Oscuro]

The MAME license specifically prohibits running MAME in a public location, free or not.

http://mamedev.org/legal.html

[thom_m]

That's what I thought. But what really pisses me off is that, aside from benefiting form the MAME cabinet itself, the playtime allowed is so short!

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

So I went and played some Punk Shot with a friend...only to find out they set the machine to eat one credit per game quarter - which lasted only one freaking minute.

I felt so damn ripped off. First, for putting tokens on a MAME cabinet for itself; and second, for playing such a ridiculous amount of time with one credit.


I've always felt that way about Nintendo Play Choice cabs. Even back in the day when they were newly converted Punch Out cabinets rolling off the assembly lines.

I understand the novelty (and if you find one in the wild these days the nostalgic appeal) of the setup ... but I just don't see the point of paying for "time" on a game. Or ... even if there is a point (ala make more money) I just don't agree with it.

[Super Strange]

We have one of these in a laundromat on Ross Ave. (kind of a ghetto area) in Dallas.

[Super Strange]

Actually, the MAME cabinet in the laundromat along with the other games that were in there are now all mysteriously missing.