I loved the glowing Full Moon sideboard from the other month, but I wasn’t able to convince my wife it’d make a good addition to our home. I reckon I’d have more of a chance with Horm Voltaceleste, from designer Salvatore Indriolo as it’s a touch more subtle but just as astronomical. The doors are decorated with embedded fibre-optics in the patterns of constellations, and there’s interior lighting too. It’s chipboard and poplar veneer, so though there’s no info on price I reckon it wouldn’t be a wallet-smasher. [Born Rich]
My arcade cabinet fever just can’t be thwarted—a disease that sits in remission until a new model pops up in my RSS. The limited edition Dreamcade Vision 29 is particularly interesting because it features a large, 29-inch arcade monitor perfect for burning your eyes out during marathons of Missile Command. Though the unit falls well short of authentic with its PC-based emulation, the long games list may change your mind as practicality enters the equation:
TV2ART’s Kabé cabinet combines Japanese-style furnishing with Japanese-style shame, but in this case, it’s shame for the fact that you own a flat panel TV. The cabinet has two modes. The first mode makes it look like you’ve got a Rowboat scene going on next to a vase. The second mode, which is what you’ll have it in most of the time, makes the rowboat slide to the right and reveals the TV. You’ll be able to pick one of several styles, all of which illustrate that you aren’t really proud of your purchase. Incidentally, does anyone know the name of the song that they use on their site? [TV2ART]
The folks at G4 networks Attack of the Show are vying for a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records tonight with a 13 foot arcade console that they believe is the world’s biggest. Is that big enough to set a world record? You can find out tonight when AOTS airs at 7pm and 11pm EST. With any luck the segment will reveal some more specs on the machine —and if you are really lucky Oliva Munn will flip out and start kissing every woman in the studio. [G4]
The Gamerator has been the first successful technology to combine our two favourite pastimes: video games and binge drinking. Because while it initially appears to be a drool-worthy 24-inch flat screen MAME arcade cabinet with 180 preloaded titles, the Gamerator’s alter ego is that of a kegerator, keeping a pony keg chilled and on tap for your enjoyment at all times. Sounds like heaven? That’s not all, my friends!
The Gamerator can also be customised to fit your console of choice or even a fully functional PC. Browse the web with a beer, and when you need a break in the chugging, just store your glass in one of the two built-in cupholders. You know, just like when you’re cruising the strip in the minivan.
Remember the old days when you were stuffing more quarters into machines before time ran out? Well this is the new, over 21 and way more awesome version—though no one can predict just how many glasses will fall victim to “slip and shatter” as we try to booze up before putting the finishing whoop arse on M. Bison. And the $2,000 pricetag really isn’t that bad when you consider…uhh…yeah, it’s a bit pricey, even for a MAME cabinet. But we’re sure it’s worth every penny. [ebay via technabob]
A simple but brilliant design–build an arcade style cabinet for Guitar Hero with a real Marshall subwoofer acting as the base, a marquee and speakers on the top, and connect it to a hacked PS2 with every Guitar Hero game loaded on the hard drive. Then go ahead and deck out a couple of guitar controllers to top it all off. Needless to say, I wouldn’t mind sucking so much arse at Guitar Hero if I was playing it on this thing. [Arcadecontrols via Arcadeheroes via Gearfuse]
Even this Avion 8529 entertainment centre with built-in ventilation slots wouldn’t have saved Ashcraft’s Xbox 360 from red ringing, but it could possibly work for you. It looks like a standard wooden entertainment centre from the front, but can still keep adequate air going even with the doors closed thanks to the flow-through ventilation slots situated in convenient locations. We’re not sure how well this works in practice, but if they can guarantee that my 360 won’t asplode when the front doors are shut, that $1950 price tag may be reaso…ok, we’re not paying two thousand bucks for this. [Product Wiki via Born Rich via Crave]
Game Cabinets makes some excellent retro gaming systems, but their newest Stinger is not just intended for classic MAME fun. Instead, it wants to be an integral part of your home theater. Essentially a PC with TV-out and joystick controls, the Stinger can do anything a PC can do—including running Windows Media Center Edition and becoming a DVR.
At a hefty 28.5×13.75×5 inches, the Stinger won’t exactly fit into the palm of your hand. But neither did the arcade games of yesteryear. We think it’s ironic that a a company looking to reinvent the classic experience of gaming is doing the same thing Sony and Microsoft are attempting with their latest consoles: to become an integral part of your all around entertainment experience.
We’ll get Charlie to try the product out when it debuts at CEDIA, hopefully along with some more specs. And then we’ll make fun of it while secretly wishing we had one of our own. $499 [cepro via electronic house]
While Russian President, former KGB agent and failed comedian Vladimir Putin polishes his ICBMs, a group of friends at Moscow State Technical University has decided to do the same with a whole bunch of videogame machines from the Soviet Era. And like the USSR’s old missiles, these primitive Japanese arcade crude knockoffs look to be just as fun. I know this is all about nostalgia but someone should tell them that some things are better left in the graveyard. At least the ICBMs. – Jesus Diaz
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Soviet-Era Arcade Games Crawl Out of Their Cold War Graves [Wired]
