Arcadeshop boards selling cheap.. copies/knockoffs?

[TallScot]

Bryan - it is genuine - its exactly the same as the one I got direct from AS.

It looked the same from memory - mine is genuine, but tucked away in a cab I can't be bothered moving to look at the board - if Clay and Steve Gregory say the other isn't identical, then it's close..but I'll bow to the fact that it obviously isn't genuine.

 

[mattosborn]

What makes you think the AS boards are not made in China?

I never said they weren't. They probably are, which is why they were easily bootlegged. The point is that the sellers of this cheaper board are known for selling grey goods.

 

[RedWolfJC]

The AS board is simply a "player" if you will, content (although its unclear whether or not you can make the argument "my Ms. Pac PCB is broken therefore I can put the ROMS on this board") is your responsibility.

That's the same type of argument that the file sharing software companies used. Basically "We can't control what the users do with it" or "It's only a tool, so we aren't responsible for what users do" They all failed miserably. Not that I think it's necessarily right, to me that's like saying you could sue Smith And Wesson for providing a tool used to kill someone. Dangerous precedent, IMHO...

 

[savit4l8r]

Lots of gray. But you to touch on a reason... there is no original manufacturer of the 48-in-1...well, I guess that would be the (A) version vs the (B) version... but we seem to little care to whether a Chinese company is copying a Taiwanese company... but when it hits home ...

Point of order, each game has an original manufacturer. Their work was stolen by whomever made the 48 in 1s. Only difference is that the majority are not around and/or don't care if they are. But right is right and wrong is wrong, no? What makes this even more interesting is that arcadeshop is essentially producing a board that is going to use stolen ROMs, no? That would seem to lessen their claim to crying foul over their product being stolen as well.

Disclaimer: I like and have bought from Arcadeshop and would never knowingly buy a product of theirs that had been pirated, but it seems we slectively apply this when it is a "friend of the community" and turn the other way when it is not. No one shed a tear for Namco...

 

[prOk]

Those hacky multiboards from korea/china are bootlegs of bootlegs over there.. I don't think anyone here has a clue who designed them in the first place. However, in the case of Arcadeshop and Clay we know damned well who did it and what goes into it so yea it's hurtful to see this kind of thing happen. I feel the same way about all the work Mark put into those flybacks only to get snaked. We all every day say we want x and y product made yet when someone does make one, someone else boots it and people buy the boot and then wonder why we don't see more repro projects done!

 

[ChompingQuarters]

Point of order, each game has an original manufacturer. Their work was stolen by whomever made the 48 in 1s. Only difference is that the majority are not around and/or don't care if they are. But right is right and wrong is wrong, no? What makes this even more interesting is that arcadeshop is essentially producing a board that is going to use stolen ROMs, no? That would seem to lessen their claim to crying foul over their product being stolen as well.

Disclaimer: I like and have bought from Arcadeshop and would never knowingly but a product of theirs that had been pirated, but it seems we slectively apply this when it is a "friend of the community" and turn the other way when it is not. No one shed a tear for Namco...

Well, you can use this same argument w/ MP3 players and Blank DVD's and CDR's... Not everyone is a crook... However, you "CANNOT" purchase legitimate ROMS for AS's PCB (or the knockoffs).

 

[savit4l8r]

Well, you can use this same argument w/ MP3 players and Blank DVD's and CDR's... Not everyone is a crook... However, you "CANNOT" purchase legitimate ROMS for AS's PCB (or the knockoffs).

I do not advocate the stealing of anyone's intellectual property here, let me make that clear. It just seems that we are selectively applying the "outrage" only to friends of the community, am I wrong? The "same arguement" that did not work for MP3 players etc. sure did Napster et al in so I think it is not that cut and dried. Here is a clear example though, virtually everyone here was pissed at Namco for enforcing the copyright on their intelectual property. Anyone who is outraged on Arcadeshop's behalf but did not support Namco is a hypocrite.

 

[retroACTIVE]

Well, you can use this same argument w/ MP3 players and Blank DVD's and CDR's... Not everyone is a crook... However, you "CANNOT" purchase legitimate ROMS for AS's PCB (or the knockoffs).

This is true... however, consider the following...

I purchase a Ms. PacMan machine... it needs repair... it has a bad ROM... I burn a new one to make it work again. I think we can agree that this is legitimate correct?

OK... now the same machine needs repair, it has many many faults, pcb corrosion, a bunch of stuff that pretty much make it not worth investing in.

The board has ROMs on it... so I purchase the AS board and program it with Ms. PacMan, put it into my machine and pitch my old worthless PCB.

I think this is the model by which the AS board is marketed. Is this legit?

All hypothetical crap here... I'm not trying to make a case... just putting it out.

 

[prOk]

I have no beef with Namco supporting their copyright, it is theirs after all. I just have my wishes I suppose. I wish they had picked a better company to repro the art or offered more licenses.

 

[spoonman]

This is true... however, consider the following...

I purchase a Ms. PacMan machine... it needs repair... it has a bad ROM... I burn a new one to make it work again. I think we can agree that this is legitimate correct?

OK... now the same machine needs repair, it has many many faults, pcb corrosion, a bunch of stuff that pretty much make it not worth investing in.

The board has ROMs on it... so I purchase the AS board and program it with Ms. PacMan, put it into my machine and pitch my old worthless PCB.

I think this is the model by which the AS board is marketed. Is this legit?

All hypothetical crap here... I'm not trying to make a case... just putting it out.

I can see your argument with it just being loaded to run ms pac again. They do this with repro cpu boards in pinballs. Trouble is you can only play one pinball game at a time they don't have a menu to select which one you want at a whim.

I think if the AS board had no menu and only held one game it could be considered a replacement for a broken original...loading multiple roms with a menu to select between them....ya replacement.....riiight.

that being said i have an AS board and think it is great

 

[clay_cowgill]

do we have pics showing differences of how to tell

I don't have a side by side, but it looks like they're using the cheaper version of the audio amp (upper right hand corner-- the Arcadeshop boards have a little square part without any legs on it while the knock-off is using an SOIC-8 packaged part with legs). Then there's the capacitor hacked on to apparently make something or other work that was giving 'em problems. ;-)

-Clay

 

[retroACTIVE]

that being said i have an AS board and think it is great

... I think they are great too

 

[cueball]

i'd like to eventually get an AS board, but i would like the ability to upgrade the number of games - if even via flash card. I really want the dkII but cant justify the cost.

 

[havok69]

I purchase a Ms. PacMan machine... it needs repair... it has a bad ROM... I burn a new one to make it work again. I think we can agree that this is legitimate correct?

OK... now the same machine needs repair, it has many many faults, pcb corrosion, a bunch of stuff that pretty much make it not worth investing in.

The board has ROMs on it... so I purchase the AS board and program it with Ms. PacMan, put it into my machine and pitch my old worthless PCB.

I think this is the model by which the AS board is marketed. Is this legit?

All hypothetical crap here... I'm not trying to make a case... just putting it out.

Haha - like ANYONE does that. At his price, just buy a replacement original pcb to fix your issue. This is a mechanism for IP infringement; it's just that it doesn't come from AS loaded with anything so he can wash his hands of it, as long as no lawyers come knocking.

That being said, I'm still glad he makes the product and hope the knockoffs knock it off because of all the hard work that goes into a product's design.

 

[mattosborn]

Haha - like ANYONE does that. At his price, just buy a replacement original pcb to fix your issue. This is a mechanism for IP infringement; it's just that it doesn't come from AS loaded with anything so he can wash his hands of it, as long as no lawyers come knocking.

That being said, I'm still glad he makes the product and hope the knockoffs knock it off because of all the hard work that goes into a product's design.

Some of us actually have all the original PCBs for all the games on that board. That gives me the right to use it, no?
For the record, I don't own one of these "Arcadeshop" boards (and don't plan to). However, I have a lot of respect for Clay and the rest of the guys that developed this board, and I hate to see them (and Steven) ripped off.
Every time something like this comes up (the bootlegging of multi-boards or multi-game kits) someone muddies the issue by bringing up the legitimacy of using the old game ROMs. It is irrelevant to the real issue at hand (the bootlegging of hardware).

 

[havok69]

Even if you own all the pcbs, I'm sure a lawyer could still get you somehow, but I agree with you about how it sucks they are being copied.

 

[gamefixer]

The board..

Hmm... On the boards I've had in the past I dont think that the -5 and +12 traces off of the edge connector went anywhere, just the +5 and GND.

The rest looks very similar though.

Matt

 

[rturb0]

Fact of the matter is they are cheaper so people will buy it. Everyone loses out in the long run, but at least you saved some money! Same reason there are no manufacturing jobs in the US anymore, but on a smaller scale. Buy a cheaply made Chinese item, quality sucks, lasts half as long, works like poop, but hey it was cheap! People need to start thinking about the big picture. I own neither board by the way.

I am confident you don't shop at Harbor Freight?

I refuse to go near it - give me a well-made US company tool (Notice I didnt say made in the USA, I am not delusional) over the 1 use crap any day of the week - the problem is, we are a disposable society and everyone only cares about the bottom line TODAY, not in a week when it ceases to work.

 

[FrizzleFried]

I think this is the model by which the AS board is marketed. Is this legit?

If that is the model by which the AS board is marketed, why is there a MENU? Why so much RAM? Why not enough to program any of the games it supports, but only that game with no menu?

Nope... this game was designed for what it is being used for. Hell, the horizontal version has artwork based on the units multiple game capability sold by the very same vendor who sells the board itself. THAT is who the board was made for...

 

[Reeet-Mon]

Why doesn't STEVEN get back to anyone about GAME UPDATES?

How about some Crazy Climber? Super Mario Brothers?

Geez