Would it be possible for someone like one of us aspiring game makers here on these forums to make a game and somehow get it ported to work as an arcade machine? I just recently downloaded VirtuaCop 2 and The House of the Dead for PC and I forgot how much I loved arcade games. So is it possible for code one in like C/C++ and do simple animations in like 3D Studio Max then compile everything and load it into an arcade machine? WikedGamer

It''s possible. You just code the game and then do one of two options:

1) if you have a chip encoder and the resources you could build the machine yourself.

2) ir you can sell your game to a company that makes arcade machines.

The ladder is your best bet, but let it be known that arcade games are becoming more demanding and consumers are finding it better to just purchase a game console and buy the home version of many games.

Don''t talk about downloading games on these forums. You never know, maybe someone here developed those games.

Now that''s out of the way...

Most arcade machines have specialised hardware that the game is written specifically for. If you''ve seen the emulator MAME, you will have seen that it has support for bucketfulls of chipsets and machine hardware configurations - it''s not all standardised like on the PC.

If you were to write your game so as to keep the hard architecture - the code dependant on the hardware - seperate from the soft architecture, then you stand a chance. Bear in mind of course that you can''t use DirectX or OpenGL or anything nice like that...

You could possibly, just possibly, produce a portfolio, show it to an arcade manufacturer, and ask if you can write a game for their platform - essentially, enter into a contract with them. However, most of them have their own in-house development teams, and so have no real need for external developers; unless your portfolio is really good, and you''re not asking for much money, you''re not in a strong position.

My advice would be to try and get employed into their in-house teams. That''s about the only way it''s ever going to happen.

Well, aside from building your own machine...

Superpig
- saving pigs from untimely fates, and when he''s not doing that, runs The Binary Refinery.