It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Gargantugame!

OK, maybe it isn’t a bird or a plane, but when you’ve got about 450 different arcade games to select from in a single package, you have the option to be a bird, plane, or pretty much whatever else you would like to be.

The Gargantugame is a commercially produced, industrial strength MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) cabinet that is based on a high speed Duo core processor PC, a 24” flat panel display and one of the nicest control panel layouts that I have ever seen.  A keyboard tray and access to the DVD-ROM drive are just a few of the well thought-out features in this arcade marvel.  Since this unit is based on a PC, you can play Road Blasters for hours, then close the game emulator and work on your income taxes.  Commercially available games like Halo 3 and The Orange Box can be loaded, as well.

I recently met the developer of the Gargantugame, Mark Schneider, and talked with him about his marvelous creation.

FarmerDave: What was your motivation to start developing your own arcade game?
Mark Schneider: To put it simply, my love of videogames. I have been an avid gamer since the 1970’s and I have been playing games ever since.  Because I love gaming it made working on this project more like fun than work.

FD: How long have you been working with the Gargantugame?
MS: I have been working with prototypes since 2001 and I have been marketing the Gargantugame since November of 2003. The unit has gone through a few changes like replacing the display with a larger, lighter display.

FD: How did you develop the concept to where you are now?
MS: I started with an old Operation: Wolf game and through some trial and error, I came up with the design that you see today. Operation: Wolf had that great, large platform that the original gun rested on and this made a great area to start working out my control template.

FD: How many games does the Gargantugame ship with?
MS: The base unit ships with roughly 425 arcade games, but since the unit is based on a PC you can add other emulators and certainly any other gaming software that you would like.

FD: How far away have you shipped these units?
MS: We have a fairly large customer base local to southeastern Wisconsin,  but we have shipped units as far away as the East Coast,  West Coast, and Canada.

FD: If I have a problem with my Gargantugame, how do I get it fixed?
MS: I try to take care of most of the issues over the phone; these units are very reliable and they have very few problems.  If the problem cannot be fixed over the phone and it is local, I can usually make a house call.  If the unit is out of the area, like on one of the coasts, we have a partnership with Geek Squad for service on the units.

FD: What is in development for the Gargantugame?
MS: Right now I am working on a portable unit that is small enough to fit into your vehicle. I can see a demand to take a gaming station to a corporate retreat, picnic, or bachelor party and hook it up to a large T.V and then let the gaming begin!

FD: Is there anything else that you would like to add?
MS: Yes, I have recently partnered with Marsudo who will be working with me on the marketing and expansion of the Gargantugame line. We are currently developing a new website that will be online very soon (www.marsudo.com)

Once the Q&A portion of the interview was done, I was chatting with Mark about the Gargantugame and he said “The best way to learn about the unit is to play it”.  So, we got in front of the machine and fired it up.  The display was so bright and crisp it was hard to believe that I was in front of an actual arcade machine.  Mark showed me the gaming interface and how to select the game that I wanted to play.  The interface seemed intuitive and it was very easy to navigate through the hundreds of arcade games.

Then I saw it - Tempest.  I fired up the game and the gameplay wasn't just close to the original - it was dead on!  After playing it for some time, I went back to the interface and found Discs of Tron.  Same thing: it was exactly the same as the arcade.  This pattern was repeated over and over for the next 2 hours.  There was the traditional “I haven’t played that game in years!”, as well as “What is this game?”

Finally, we settled back into the chairs in the office and exchanged gaming stories until it was time to go. Mark’s motto seemed to fit the day, “Revisit your youth.  Play for the future.”

For further information on the Gargantugame or the complete line of products, visit: www.mycomputerguys.biz

I would also like to thank Mark for his time and for letting me play all of my old favorite games!

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