Custom arcades legal?

redorlando101

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Is it legal to purchase custom arcade cabinets with official hardware for play in arcade locations?

What sort of issue will I encounter?
 
If someone customizes a cabinet to be ugly, then yes it is illegal. Generally, excess "stickers", LED rice-burner car light kits, and 6-feet long control panels will earn you the wrath of the Price Police.
 
Is it legal to purchase custom arcade cabinets with official hardware for play in arcade locations?

What sort of issue will I encounter?

If the hardware is licensed then you should have no issues other than complying with whatever state, city or county laws that may apply. Truthfully I see games that I know are running unlicensed boards all the time and I see no sign that anyone is coming after them.
 
It depends on if the hardware was intended for arcade use. If you have a custom Ms Pac Man cab, then no problem. If you're sticking an indie game in an arcade cab without consent of the original developer, then you could potentially have an issue.
 
Too funny

If someone customizes a cabinet to be ugly, then yes it is illegal. Generally, excess "stickers", LED rice-burner car light kits, and 6-feet long control panels will earn you the wrath of the Price Police.

Love your comment. I had a good laugh. Honestly.
 
custom cabs

So, I could hypothetically design a long pedestal type arcade cabinet for a couple of jamma boards versus purchase several custom cabs? Granted, the long cab would be a permanent resident in its dedicated corner or wall but wouldn't that free up space and be more cost effective? Has this been done before?
 
So esentailly what you are saying is that you want to make an ugly ass generic home made jamma cabinet with 50 buttons all in strange places and use 5 or 10 joysticks that nobody will ever know what to use them for, insert two 4" track balls and call it your storecade? I say look for a nice dynamo cabinet and make the best of it.

Oh and for the love of god dont try and print your own multi-game marquee from home lmfao!
 
So esentailly what you are saying is that you want to make an ugly ass generic home made jamma cabinet with 50 buttons all in strange places and use 5 or 10 joysticks that nobody will ever know what to use them for, insert two 4" track balls and call it your storecade? I say look for a nice dynamo cabinet and make the best of it.

Oh and for the love of god dont try and print your own multi-game marquee from home lmfao!

Your vision for my design is horrible. I suggest you keep to the traditional cabinets and stay away from venturing out into different or innovative ideas.
 
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I know a guy itching for a joust mame cabinet when I read about it!
 
So, I could hypothetically design a long pedestal type arcade cabinet for a couple of jamma boards versus purchase several custom cabs? Granted, the long cab would be a permanent resident in its dedicated corner or wall but wouldn't that free up space and be more cost effective? Has this been done before?

Legally speaking that should be fine. There are no rules about having multiple boards in one cabinet or having a game in the wrong cabinet, most JAMMA games don't even have a dedicated cabinet to begin with. And if you're doing home use only and not charging for the games then there's no legal restrictions for anything about your cabinets at all. Go for it.
 
Legally speaking that should be fine. There are no rules about having multiple boards in one cabinet or having a game in the wrong cabinet, most JAMMA games don't even have a dedicated cabinet to begin with. And if you're doing home use only and not charging for the games then there's no legal restrictions for anything about your cabinets at all. Go for it.

Thanks! Will do!
 
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