Friday, March 14, 2008

A New Direction

I have decided that it's time for a change.  Arcade-in-a-Box is moving in a new direction and I will be concentrating creating the best console arcade controllers I can.  This decision has been a very hard one considering the Arcade-in-a-Box Home Arcade Console was the staple of this company, it was the product that started this company and has kept it alive for the past 8 years.  However, due to very low sales over past year, it is apparent there is a shift in the market for the home arcade enthusiast.  

When we launched the press release just 5 months ago about the release of the Xbox 360 solo arcade controller, I was not prepared for what was about to happen.  The amount of sales I got in that short time was overwhelming.  Since then I have realized the absolutely amazing community of gamers out there that desire a good arcade stick for their home consoles.  Whether they are competitive tournament players or casual players.  The embrace I got from that community just blew me away.  Then came the very favorable reviews from sources like Official Xbox Magazine and IGN to name a few.  This community of enthusiasts is one of the main reasons I am making this change.  Without them stepping up and purchasing a product from a virtual unknown company in console arcade controllers was amazing.  I realized then that this was a special community that I had to be a part of.

I continue to search for feedback and new ideas from this community, and I won't stop.  On top of that, this amazing community has also contributed artwork for use on my arcade controllers, and new artworks is pouring in all the time.  I don't know what to say besides thank you.

So what will the changes be?
  • The Arcade-In-A-Box and Jamma-In-A-Box systems will no longer be sold.  Of course I will fulfill any current orders and will continue to support my customers that have purchased those items in the past.
  • The Arcade-In-A-Box building plans will be made available for free in a downloadable PDF file.
  • Dreamcast, Playstation 2, Playstation, Playstation 3, and GC/Wii controllers will all be made available very soon.  These will compliment our 360 controller.
  • Two solo stick designs.  One for those that like to play with the stick sitting on a table or chair (the current design) and one that will be designed for lap players.
  • Box colors will be offered in more than black.  Blue, Green, Red, White are a just a few examples of what is to come.
  • We will continue to accept new artwork to our collection to make sure we always have something for everyone.
  • A new design will be coming as well.  The old style will still be available as many people seem to like it, but the new design will be moving the joystick and button up on the stick to allow more wrist room.  It will also move the non Play buttons to the side of the controller.
  • We will also offer a service upgrading your old arcade controllers (X-Arcade, SFII Anniversary Stick) for use with the 360
I think that's all for now.  Thank you for your continued support for Arcade-In-A-Box and I look forward to building more arcade sticks.  A lot of changes are taking place, so please be patient while arcadeinabox.com is updated.

Ed Farias
Owner
Arcade-In-A-Box: Hold Your Own!

4 comments:

CK said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
CK said...

Sorry, I wrote the earlier post but had forgotten I had a lame nickname (if you wouldn't mind deleting all record of it, I'd be appreciative). In any event, I'm looking forward to seeing your new products, and would like to put in an order before the release of SSF2:Turbo HD. When do you expect to have information concerning the new products you're planning?

I look forward to doing business with you in the near future. Keep up the good work!

Remy said...

Is there any chance of a forthcoming joystick that will be compatible with multiple consoles eg. DC and 360 (obviously with a lot of wires!), or will they all be uniquely designed on a 1 for 1 basis?

Anonymous said...

When will your GameCube controllers be ready? I can't wait.