New Product Sneak Peak: CoinUp - 1UP (Freeplay for your non-freeplay games)

[SeanMcL]

I assume it keeps adding credits every time someone hits start? Not that it's a big deal, except that if kids keep hitting start, it'll rack up a bunch of credits, which would get rid of the attract mode, and it'd never come back until you turned off the game.

DogP

That will be a problem for any hardware freeplay solution.

I believe the OP said that it adds the credit(s) and then starts the game. But I suppose if the person keeps hitting the start button after the game has started that would result in extra credits.

ajcrm125, any way around this with the current hardware? I guess you could add a delay or timer that would ignore additional button presses for 30 seconds or something, if it had the required chips already on board.
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[darinjacobs]

Kick ass product and very fair price when you consider r&d.

When it's released I would help you promote the product on my site without hesitation.

 

[ajcrm125]

Very interesting. Just to check I have this straight, so you could have the dip switches set to "1 quarter = 1 play", i.e, for games with freeplay, NOT set on free play, so that they'd show their normal regular attract mode. Then using your device, just press start 1 or start 2 to coin up and start the game?

Correct

Would this trip the coin counter too? That would be awesome, a great way to get game party stats on what games were used and how much.

Yes it would. It pulses the coin input to the PCB which in turn should pulse the coin counter.

How does this connect without splicing any of the original wiring in the game?

You can use blade connectors to attach the device to the existing buttons/coin switch.

Then just run wires over to the CoinUp. This will all be layed out better once I update the user manual.

I take it you could use this on pinball games too?

Good question... I'll need to research this but assuming the start and coin inputs are active low (which I think they are) this should work. Good point!

I might be in for a every game in my room.

Correct.. you'll want to buy as many as you can.

 

[ajcrm125]

I believe the OP said that it adds the credit(s) and then starts the game. But I suppose if the person keeps hitting the start button after the game has started that would result in extra credits.

ajcrm125, any way around this with the current hardware? I guess you could add a delay or timer that would ignore additional button presses for 30 seconds or something, if it had the required chips already on board.
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Yeah there's no way to tell once the game has started and when it has ended. But you bring up a good point. I'll have to think about that. Adding a delay would prob take care of it (and is easy to implement) because once the game starts the kids shouldn't be whacking away at the 1p/2p start buttons.

 

[demogo]

Yeah there's no way to tell once the game has started and when it has ended. But you bring up a good point. I'll have to think about that. Adding a delay would prob take care of it (and is easy to implement) because once the game starts the kids shouldn't be whacking away at the 1p/2p start buttons.

Sounds like a fabulous option for a dip switch or jumper.

 

[ajcrm125]

Sounds like a fabulous option for a dip switch or jumper.

Yeah right now I'm thinking:

DIP 1: 1credit/2credits per game Of course the DIP on the game PCB can be adjusted for for 1credit/game. If the latter than I could potentially use this for some other feature

DIP 2: Post-credit delay on/off. (as suggested)

DIP 3: enable/disable CoinUp

 

[demogo]

Yeah right now I'm thinking:

DIP 1: 1credit/2credits per game Of course the DIP on the game PCB can be adjusted for for 1credit/game. If the latter than I could potentially use this for some other feature

DIP 2: Post-credit delay on/off. (as suggested)

DIP 3: enable/disable CoinUp

DIP 4: guaranteed Sega vector game compatibility

 

[VectorJunkie]

Should I be flattered that the new design works exactly as I described my idea from 2007 in your last CoinUp thread in 2009?

http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?p=885678#post885678

 

[ajcrm125]

Should I be flattered that the new design works exactly as I described my idea from 2007 in your last CoinUp thread in 2009?

http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?p=885678#post885678

Wow... honestly I didn't even notice that. Seriously.
Mine was inspired by my kid's friends and their lack of interest in the games in the gameroom. Turns out it was cuz they couldn't understand how to get the damn things to coin up.

 

[ajcrm125]

DIP 4: guaranteed Sega vector game compatibility

Well I'd like to have that be built right into the firmware if I can. I'm guessing if it's good enough for the Sega Vectors it would be good enough for any game but I need to research what makes the Segas so finniky.

 

[ajcrm125]

With respect to the Sega vector games, is this what you are talking about?

Controls consisted of 4 control panels, each with: left, right, thrust, fire

No player start buttons were needed.  There was a coin door for each side of
the cabinet under each player's controls.  The coin mechs have lockout coils,
so as soon as a player put a coin in, the coin door would lock out attempts to
coin up that side again, and the player would use that side.  A countdown from
10 would begin, and other players could coin in before it reached 0.  Once it
reached zero, players could not join, and any remaining attempts to coin in
would be locked out.

(found on http://users.rcn.com/jenison/mars/faq/SegaXY_FAQ.txt)

 

[ComputerSpace]

Well I'd like to have that be built right into the firmware if I can. I'm guessing if it's good enough for the Sega Vectors it would be good enough for any game but I need to research what makes the Segas so finniky.

Check this post about 1/2 way down. I know there is more info out there on the Sega coindrop timing issue. I'll have to keep looking for it, but for now here is a bit of background.

http://groups.google.com/group/rec....?hl=en&lnk=gst&q=coin+timing#0de23e46816e3139

Tom

 

[FrizzleFried]

Well I'd like to have that be built right into the firmware if I can. I'm guessing if it's good enough for the Sega Vectors it would be good enough for any game but I need to research what makes the Segas so finniky.

If you added the Sega Vector compatibility, what would the chances of it catching on fire? 30/70? 40/60?

 

[ComputerSpace]

Should I be flattered that the new design works exactly as I described my idea from 2007 in your last CoinUp thread in 2009?

http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?p=885678#post885678

Actually in researching the Sega coin drop timing issue, I found quite a few discussions on the same idea dating back to '96 in RGVAC, such as this...

http://groups.google.com/group/rec....?hl=en&lnk=gst&q=coin+timing#0de23e46816e3139

Tom

 

[Grey]

Actually in researching the Sega coin drop timing issue, I found quite a few discussions on the same idea dating back to '96 in RGVAC, such as this..

I think it's safe to say that several people have probably had the same idea in the past. Lots of people have great ideas, but the big difference is actaully doing something with them.

 

[VectorJunkie]

Actually in researching the Sega coin drop timing issue, I found quite a few discussions on the same idea dating back to '96 in RGVAC, such as this...

http://groups.google.com/group/rec....?hl=en&lnk=gst&q=coin+timing#0de23e46816e3139

Tom

The link you posted is about people pressing a credit switch and having timing problems. Not an automated tie-in to the start and coin lines. Certainly nothing there about the updated interaction model.

 

[SHaMROCK73]

I think I'd be in for one of these. I only own one game, TAPPER and already have the FREEPLAY ROM which took a conciderable amount of effort to get the right one for my Tapper. But, it eliminates the title screen and high score screen in the attract rotation, plus you never hear the 1P and 2P coin up sounds anymore which were different for 1 and 2 players.

I think this item would be perfection!

 

[mattosborn]

I think I'd be in for one of these. I only own one game, TAPPER and already have the FREEPLAY ROM which took a conciderable amount of effort to get the right one for my Tapper. But, it eliminates the title screen and high score screen in the attract rotation, plus you never hear the 1P and 2P coin up sounds anymore which were different for 1 and 2 players.

I think this item would be perfection!

The freeplay ROM eliminates the title screen and the high score display? That's really lame.... Perhaps someone should write a proper freeplay hack for it then.

 

[SHaMROCK73]

The freeplay ROM eliminates the title screen and the high score display? That's really lame.... Perhaps someone should write a proper freeplay hack for it then.

That would be nice.

 

[MilitiaMan]

I will definitley be buying at least two of these.

Great idea and great looking product!

Steve
MM