Author Topic: Superully's Console Kiosks aka Demopods aka Store Displays aka Display Stands  (Read 27261 times)

Superully

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ok guys, time for something completely different!!!

i've wanted something like that for a long time, but honestly never put any real effort into this. "what are you talking about?", you might ask? well, the title says it all, i'm talking about those kiosks which electronic stores use to display the latest consoles. those kiosks are also known as demopods, demostations, store displays, display stands, standees and and and - in germany we call them "kaufhausaufsteller". they are not an invention of the 21st millennium, they have been around so much longer - there are even kiosks for the atari 2600 and the magnavox odyssey. the only store display i've really been after is the one for the vectrex – but that one is almost impossible to find!

what i like about those store displays is the fact that they offer an arcade-like experience because you stand directly in front of the machine and the screen. while of course noone would play games like zelda or shenmue on one of those machines, they're extremely well-suited for a quick round of race driving, beat'em up or action-packed shooters. PLUS, they are so much nicer than just a console sitting on a shelf and all those cables hanging around. some of those kiosks are wonderfully designed and especially beautifully illuminated!

with that being said, a couple of weeks ago i stumbled upon one of those store displays by pure accident and when i saw the pictures of that thing glowing in the dark i knew i had to have it. fortunately, it was pretty close to my place, a ride of just one hour, so i went all in and got it for pretty cheap. enough said, here are some pictures of my first (but definitely not last 8)) console gaming kiosk, the one for microsoft's xbox!!!

first some pics with the room lights on to give you an idea of the machines concept and design





the game controllers are attached to some kind of flexible arm which can be pulled out of the holders and slides back in automatically



xbox inside!



the kiosk also came with the original keys (along with a microsoft xbox keychain), so let's open it up and have a look inside



the remote for the television, nicely tucked away on the inside of the door



on an arcade machine we would call this backdoor sheet - basically a "how to operate the kiosk and fix problems" instruction sheet



and in case there's something that can't be fixed, i can always call the hotline and ask for help ;)



time to put in a game ...



... and turn off the lights!!! man, that xbox logo at the top of the machine really glows in the dark :-*



as you can see, you can slide the box of the "loaded game" into the round display above the xbox and below the television. unfortunately, that round display is not illuminated and while everything else glows on the machine, i wonder why they left out that piece. i might have to come up with a solution for that myself ... 8)



some more shots in the dark!





opened up again to show you all the tubes they have used to light that baby up properly



never forget where you're coming from ... :)



i hope you guys like my first console kiosk as much as i do. imho, this thing is a piece of art and a great addition to any gameroom. it won't be the last, believe me ... ;) ;) ;)
all i need is ... PONG - and a select few others: TOUCH ME, DRAGON'S LAIR, JOUST, ROBOTRON, MR DO, SAN FRANCISCO RUSH THE ROCK!!!

gyruss

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Very nice, and cool to see you're open minded to newer games..

Are you going to hack it?

And i assume it's a normal tv, the first xbox supports 420p so you can get an even better image.
« Last Edit: July 03, 2012, 10:44:03 PM by gyruss »

Superully

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Very nice, and cool to see you're open minded to newer games..

i've newer been opposed to modern gaming, hell i even have a wii and a ds :D

Are you going to hack it?
And i assume it's a normal tv, the first xbox supports 420p so you can get an even better image.

honestly, i have no idea what a hacked xbox "can do", let alone how to do that. and regarding that 420p, would that mean exchanging the tv for something newer? right now it's connected via scart!
all i need is ... PONG - and a select few others: TOUCH ME, DRAGON'S LAIR, JOUST, ROBOTRON, MR DO, SAN FRANCISCO RUSH THE ROCK!!!

gyruss

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You can play all games for free if you hack it. :) plus you can use the hard disc to store games, run tons of emulators and lot's of more cool stuff..

I believe Chris has a modded xbox with mame? For 420p you need to buy a separate cable (hdmi?) and a hd tv...

btw, have you heard of the xbox game steal Steel Battalion? it comes with an enormous controller, so cool and definitely an arcade experience!  ;D





  
« Last Edit: July 03, 2012, 11:12:08 PM by gyruss »

Belike

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Nice to see, that we are getting older and older and the word "classic" changes all the time. :D
This one looks really kick ass, congrats!

Superully

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You can play all games for free if you hack it. :) plus you can use the hard disc to store games, run tons of emulators and lot's of more cool stuff..

sounds interesting. is that an easy thing to do?

I believe Chris has a modded xbox with mame?

ready to learn more ... :P
all i need is ... PONG - and a select few others: TOUCH ME, DRAGON'S LAIR, JOUST, ROBOTRON, MR DO, SAN FRANCISCO RUSH THE ROCK!!!

Etienne MacGyver

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Very very nice !

I like the green illumination!

More comments from me later  ;)

Q*ris

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Nice find!
Yes I own a modded Xbox with a bigger hard drive in it, a friend of mine did it for me.
I'm using the emulator coinOPS atm, it's a one time massive download but it allows you to play hundreds of arcade games, commodore games, NES, SNES, etc...
Works great!

Reboot

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Very nice pod, looking for one myself and a dreamcast pod is also welcome.
Already have 2 ps2 demopods.
They're nice for giving those (older) homeconsoles a better place in house. They deserve it!  :)

Muerto

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Looking good Ully!
A PS2 demopod i think is the coolest looking, blue light!!!

Gerry

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Thanks for the detailed pictures  :). BTW: Did the console kiosk came with an Xbox or did you buy it seperately? In case you got the demo pod with an XBox included - is it a regular retail version?

When it comes to Playstation 3 store displays, the consoles are locked in demonstration mode which disables some system features.

DarthNuno

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I'm in love! I definitively will have those in my game room.
That XBOX one is by far my favorite one!  :-*

gyruss

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You can play all games for free if you hack it. :) plus you can use the hard disc to store games, run tons of emulators and lot's of more cool stuff..

sounds interesting. is that an easy thing to do?

Shouldn't be too hard, i believe there is a softmod and one with a modchip, but i've never done it myself, we paid someone to do it for us...

Take a look here: http://lifehacker.com/299809/transform-your-classic-xbox-into-a-killer-media-center

or here: http://www.thetechgame.com/Tutorials/cid=9/original-xbox-modding-tutorials.html

level42

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Posted in wrong section. Has nothing to do with arcade. Should be in the "All the rest" section.

I have to admit it looks great but I would never mix this in with classic arcade cabs because it doesn't belong there.....put it in your living room or something....
« Last Edit: July 04, 2012, 10:00:37 AM by Level42 »

DarthNuno

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Posted in wrong section. Has nothing to do with arcade. Should be in the "All the rest" section.

Yes, moved in the "Electronic HandHeld Games & Vintage Toys, Home Consoles & Computers" that fits best  ;)