why no zoo keeper repro bezels and marquees?

p1899m

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These items usually sell for good money and go quick when they pop up. Phoenix arcade was able to make the warlords cocktail project a reality and I think that would be a harder sell than ZK items. This one seems like a no brainer to me. Just wondering why with an item that seems to have some demand it looks like no one is considering making these items. I mean we have cabinet art and cpo's are coming. Add to that the fact that it's possible to take a different taito board set and make a ZK and it seems possible to meet the demand of those who would want a ZK.
 
I've done a prototype marquee for a local KLOV'r with my file. I traced it from hi-res scans. The only thing I haven't finished is the halftone effect in the "Zoo Keeper" text.

I decided to stop uploading my art to the library when all the inkjetters were profiting on everyones hard work.

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close2.jpg


close1.jpg


zookeepermarquee_final.jpg
 
Cuz the cost to reproduce all those colors onto glass would be in the thousands with no original films.

Are there more colors on this bezel than on mario bros side art?

Did someone have the original films for the mario bros side art?

I of course bring up mario bros art because it has many colors. I've heard from Rich at this old game that the cost of glass is little different than plexi so that would not add a lot of excess cost.

I like to look at any project from a "what will it take to get this done" perspective rather than an "it can't be done" perspective. I'd like to hear how many pre orders it would take to make this happen. How much (estimated cost) per piece. I admit the reality could be that it could be too pricey to ever be realistic but I'd love to see some real #'s on what it would take to make it happen.
 
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It would be nice if there could be a replacement rom board made to replace the original shit board. I would be in for any artwork and parts for this game, I fear every time I turn mine on it will konk out, like it did last night. Great game to play and look at, absolutely sucks to work on though.
 
I'd be in for a marquee and bezel.

What's really needed for all the artwork/mod/multigame/repo people is an accurate "interest gauge". It's very hard to tell how many units will sell at what price point and how many people will actually follow through after their "me too" posts.

There needs to be a system where once you "me too", you're committed to buying it. Typically this is a pre-order system, but then you get issues like Ram Controls and for the buyer, pre-ordering doesn't become so attractive because time-lines aren't enforced or producers can walk away with the money.

Maybe some sort of paypal-like system where a producer proposes a project and a pre-order price. People put their "pre-order" money into an account, and potential producers can monitor the account size, and once it reaches a decent amount the producer can "claim" that project. Problem is, how to you prevent the "I'll do it", but then 3 years later they haven't produced it? The project would have to specific a "delivered by" date when you propose the project, and if the deadline passes, the money is refunded to the pre-order people at that date, and you'd have to propose the project all over again. The pre-order money can only be refunded if due-date passes or up until the project is "claimed", otherwise it is committed to the project owner once a certain threshhold of deliveries have been made (up to 100% for expensive projects). That way, the producer knows exactly how much they'll get (guaranteed), and the buyers are protected in case something falls through.

Yeah, I basically described escrow :)

But place the information out in the open so amounts can be monitored. Seeing how much $$ will do two things; may entice more people to produce stuff, and may in turn increase competition.

However, what about the "I see you've proposed a Zoo keeper bezel repro for Nov 2011 for $100; I'll propose it for Oct 2011 for $90" issue? Now maybe you have two people claiming the same project, so money is now split across both projects, neither high enough for either of the two producers to begin. Until either has "claimed" it, you can shift your money between the two, hopefully pushing one over the edge. Their projects may detail what they're producing, so even if one is cheaper, it might not be better quality.

Yeah, so someone produce this system :)

--
Mark Jenison
 
PM me if you need any tips on the halftones. I was able to blend vector with raster for my ice cold beer side art. Learned more doing this art than in my 15 years of graphic design. Especially usefull when the final output isn't screened. I've been told by a little bird the marquees will be happening but the art wasn't done yet. Maybe they should contact you.

I've done a prototype marquee for a local KLOV'r with my file. I traced it from hi-res scans. The only thing I haven't finished is the halftone effect in the "Zoo Keeper" text.

I decided to stop uploading my art to the library when all the inkjetters were profiting on everyones hard work.

close3.jpg


close2.jpg


close1.jpg


zookeepermarquee_final.jpg
 
I'd be in for a marquee and bezel.

What's really needed for all the artwork/mod/multigame/repo people is an accurate "interest gauge". It's very hard to tell how many units will sell at what price point and how many people will actually follow through after their "me too" posts.

There needs to be a system where once you "me too", you're committed to buying it. Typically this is a pre-order system, but then you get issues like Ram Controls and for the buyer, pre-ordering doesn't become so attractive because time-lines aren't enforced or producers can walk away with the money.

Maybe some sort of paypal-like system where a producer proposes a project and a pre-order price. People put their "pre-order" money into an account, and potential producers can monitor the account size, and once it reaches a decent amount the producer can "claim" that project. Problem is, how to you prevent the "I'll do it", but then 3 years later they haven't produced it? The project would have to specific a "delivered by" date when you propose the project, and if the deadline passes, the money is refunded to the pre-order people at that date, and you'd have to propose the project all over again. The pre-order money can only be refunded if due-date passes or up until the project is "claimed", otherwise it is committed to the project owner once a certain threshhold of deliveries have been made (up to 100% for expensive projects). That way, the producer knows exactly how much they'll get (guaranteed), and the buyers are protected in case something falls through.

Yeah, I basically described escrow :)

But place the information out in the open so amounts can be monitored. Seeing how much $$ will do two things; may entice more people to produce stuff, and may in turn increase competition.

However, what about the "I see you've proposed a Zoo keeper bezel repro for Nov 2011 for $100; I'll propose it for Oct 2011 for $90" issue? Now maybe you have two people claiming the same project, so money is now split across both projects, neither high enough for either of the two producers to begin. Until either has "claimed" it, you can shift your money between the two, hopefully pushing one over the edge. Their projects may detail what they're producing, so even if one is cheaper, it might not be better quality.

Yeah, so someone produce this system :)

--
Mark Jenison

I think Phoenix arcade handles projects very well. They look for interest and of course getting the art they need lined up. Take the warlords cocktail glass project. They took payment with the understanding that they needed to get a certain number of orders by a certain date to make the project happen. The understanding was if that number was not met they would simply refund the money and the project would not happen. From the buyer perspective your money is tied up for a month or two in hopes that enough people want the item and the project goes forward. If it doesn't then I guess the buyers are bummed but they get their money back so no big loss. The seller puts in the leg work to line up all the necessary things to make the project happen. If they don't get enough interest then they refund the money and the project doesn't happen. Yes it takes some effort and commitment from both sides but if it doesn't happen I don't think it's a terrible loss on either side. Phoenix arcade is also pretty good at offering a time line of when the item will be finished and shipped.
 
I think Phoenix arcade handles projects very well. They look for interest and of course getting the art they need lined up. Take the warlords cocktail glass project. They took payment with the understanding that they needed to get a certain number of orders by a certain date to make the project happen. The understanding was if that number was not met they would simply refund the money and the project would not happen. From the buyer perspective your money is tied up for a month or two in hopes that enough people want the item and the project goes forward. If it doesn't then I guess the buyers are bummed but they get their money back so no big loss. The seller puts in the leg work to line up all the necessary things to make the project happen. If they don't get enough interest then they refund the money and the project doesn't happen. Yes it takes some effort and commitment from both sides but if it doesn't happen I don't think it's a terrible loss on either side. Phoenix arcade is also pretty good at offering a time line of when the item will be finished and shipped.

I agree. There are a few established businesses that most wouldn't worry about holding their money as a preorder. Darin's one of them because of his track record. He may or may not choose to do that, but with something of questionable need for repro (cost vs how many would actually buy it), may be worth considering.
 
I think Phoenix arcade handles projects very well.

Yes, but this is not about Phoenix arcade. Darin does an awesome job, but not even Darin can produce (or is willing to produce) every piece of artwork out there. I'm sure there's a project that even Darin overestimated the demand for (*cough*Gorf cocktail underlays*cough*), and a system like this would help prevent that.

The system I'm talking about is for protecting people from the Ram Controls of the world, and for more accurately gauging interest in a project before beginning it, which I'm sure is something that even Darin would appreciate, or Rikiti so he could better estimate in advance how many Encom Tron marquees should be produced.

The same system could even be used for zero cost projects. Like to help determine which free-play mod someone should work on next, or artwork should be scanned, etc.
 
I quoted the marquees for Anthony over at QA
but that didnt include artwork.
The Halftones are generally created in the film pos stage so if your going to screenprint
SO DONT WASTE YOUR TIME ON THOSE
but I would contact Anthony to see if hes interrested in your artwork to help make this happen.

One of the things that can make projects diffiucult and expensive is the art
prices for screenprinting are based on a per color basis.
Artwork needs to be vectored then color seperated adding traps and bleeds to each color.
You cant just take a scan and screen it.
Some art is pretty straight forward Mario Bros. lots of colors but not much hand drawn detail pretty clean lines most Atari art is another example of easy to do art
thats why we see so much of it even without orginal films
the more hand drawn art there is the more diffiucult it becomes.
So more complex pieces are just more difficult to do and sometimes the demand just dosnt warrant the extra work. and it mostly comes down to $$$

Course theres always too many projects soo little time
and the needs of the many will always out wasy the needs of the few or the one.

But ZK marquees should and will be done at some point soon I would think.
 
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I think Phoenix arcade handles projects very well. They look for interest and of course getting the art they need lined up. Take the warlords cocktail glass project. They took payment with the understanding that they needed to get a certain number of orders by a certain date to make the project happen. The understanding was if that number was not met they would simply refund the money and the project would not happen. From the buyer perspective your money is tied up for a month or two in hopes that enough people want the item and the project goes forward. If it doesn't then I guess the buyers are bummed but they get their money back so no big loss. The seller puts in the leg work to line up all the necessary things to make the project happen. If they don't get enough interest then they refund the money and the project doesn't happen. Yes it takes some effort and commitment from both sides but if it doesn't happen I don't think it's a terrible loss on either side. Phoenix arcade is also pretty good at offering a time line of when the item will be finished and shipped.

Darin does what he says he will do and that counts for a lot. I spent some money getting art reproduced for one of my own personal projects and despite promises from a company I engaged with that it would be produced nothing ever happened. At least you know if Darin gets involved and he says he will produce the part it will happen.
 
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I used to run an imagesetter at a printing company. I had a graphic design business in the 90's as well. I know all about halftones :)

I "fake" the halftones for use on an inkjet.

I found a really cool plugin for Illustrator , PhantasmCS, that does a fantastic job on halftones. It took a while to learn the program but the end results are outstanding.

Tom
 
well there you go.
now all we need is a couple thousand dollars
and youve got a run of glass Zoo Keeper marquees.

Don't you just have to add the update to your website and it will then happen?

j/k

Start a preorder. I'll be the first to pay.
 
LOL
like I said I think this is a project Anothys considering
as I believe hes working on the cpos now
I gave him print pricing so hopefully he'll see this and chime in
or start taking names.
 
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