jcterzin
New member
I was driving to my studio today and along the way was contemplating on how I should go about trying to fix my pacman, where to start, as there are quite a few things wrong with it. I figured I needed to pick up a new fuse block, a harness, resolder some connections, replace some caps, fix the edge connector... and so forth among just a few things. But then it occurred to me that I COULD fix all of those things but eventually they would break again. Sure probably not in the next year or 10 even, but eventually they would.
Then what?
I have an awesome GCC laser printer I use to use to make films for screen printing. It rocked, until I ran out of toner for it. The machine was made in the 90's and I no one on earth makes toner for it anymore, believe me, no one. Now it sits in the corner while my new Epson does the work and there is nothing I can do about it.
As it is today, its hard enough trying to find a decent CRT to use, or some of those special resistors and caps arent easy to get either for these arcades. One of these days these parts will be impossible to get and these games with their original parts will be essentially large shrines in homage to the games they played because there is no way to fix them.
The games are timeless and I hardly think that they will be forgotten, but when do you say to hell with trying to fix a busted monitor, resolder and edge connector, find a rare resistor that is specific to that machine, replace a fuse block, and so forth and just say, its time to update the technology. Its time to use MAME or some emulator that is incredibly easy to run and replace. I like the original stuff, or I wouldn't be writing this, but one of these days those parts simply will not be available anymore and then what?
This is my off tangent thought for the day.
Then what?
I have an awesome GCC laser printer I use to use to make films for screen printing. It rocked, until I ran out of toner for it. The machine was made in the 90's and I no one on earth makes toner for it anymore, believe me, no one. Now it sits in the corner while my new Epson does the work and there is nothing I can do about it.
As it is today, its hard enough trying to find a decent CRT to use, or some of those special resistors and caps arent easy to get either for these arcades. One of these days these parts will be impossible to get and these games with their original parts will be essentially large shrines in homage to the games they played because there is no way to fix them.
The games are timeless and I hardly think that they will be forgotten, but when do you say to hell with trying to fix a busted monitor, resolder and edge connector, find a rare resistor that is specific to that machine, replace a fuse block, and so forth and just say, its time to update the technology. Its time to use MAME or some emulator that is incredibly easy to run and replace. I like the original stuff, or I wouldn't be writing this, but one of these days those parts simply will not be available anymore and then what?
This is my off tangent thought for the day.


