Alternative game controllers help to gamify reverse vending process

 The reverse vending machines are  very usefull but they have only one disadvantage - they are "passive" objects ! It is an intersting challenge to attract more people for collecting used cans and bottles.

A year ago I came to the idea of adding an outdoor arcade hardware to the "passive" vending machine.

https://tauko56.blogspot.com/2021/03/alternative-game-controllers-give-us.html

 

In order to remove any  sanitary problems cased by endless COVID pandemic I used my next idea of  the foot-operated game controller.Below you can see the 2nd prototype under construction.

   

 The core idea was to use kid's natural interest to gaming  for extra profit.

But the same interest may be used in the Revers Vending!

 The classic arcade gaming is almost completely killed by COVID and there is a clearly seen deficite of COVID-safe public gaming. There is no problem to use  my old approach in the case of reverse vinding. Kids and  teenagers have a lot of free time but limited pocket money. What if there will be a choice to get a set of  competitive arcade game in addition to some kind of coupons for used plastic bottle and  meta cans? As kids have a lot of free time they can use it fot colecting used  cans and bottles and convert then into gaming with friends.

Classic vending  and reverse vending machines may be installed at the same location and acts as  main attractive element of the meeteing point for local youth.

 

Any transaction of vending or reverse vending gives a chance to play arcade game. In the cheapist case video and sound of arcade game is broadcasted through local WiFi net and can be received not only by players ( with their mobile devices)  but  also by  onlookers and by-standers.

I made several arcade games  for my foot operated game controllers starting from dance game and soccer. The  most fresh game is about beer bubbles: 

For kids beer bubbles may be replaced with similar bubbles in Coke :).

"Huge but small" : alternative evolution branch of arcade cabinets

 Dimensions of the classic arcade cabinets were determined by available materials, TV  tube mainly.That is why arcade cabinets were made  for one player only.

Modern  OLED  displays are 50" wide and even more. It gives possibilty to make arcade games for 2 or even for 4 players . But classic arcade cabinet with such a huge display becomes too big and needs a lot of space for it .The price of this monster is also high!

Almost all  arcade bars have some limitations in  space. So the arcade gaming hardware must be big   for better  gaming but must be small in size at the same time!

 I guess I know how to solve this contradiction. Please, look at the picture below.

We see a  long bar   and huge TV screens . Let us convert them into  an unusual arcade gaming system. All we need is to install my original foot-operated game controllers under the  bar  and connect them with  the game console or TV set directly ( in the case of Android TV).  It may looks like at the picture below .

 The visitor can drink and play simple arcade games  at the same time as his \her hands are free now!

I had already  made  the beer-themed  arcade game and the foot-operated controller . I have tested my game  with my home TV and it looks not   bad. 

I guess it will be funny when the players drink beer and play beer-themed game  at the same time.

Part II.

After publishing this post I got a comment that my project ignores  the needs of disabled people.As a reply  I have to add some pics and videos.

It is true that the typical  arcade bar is  not friendly for  those who have problems with fine motoric as a result of Alzheimer's disease or cerebral palsy.

It is not a problem to dedicate a special zone of the bar and equipe it with comfortable chairs instead of classic "Lazy Suzan" . 

The partially disabled visitors feel uncomortable when they can not dance at the dance floor or play " The Dance Dance Revolution ".

 But in my case it is possible to dance sitting in the chair ! I called this  arcade game the  "Dance Machine for Grannies".

Visitors , who  are not able not play  the table football ( Kicker) can play my football simulator  with a partner in their own rhythm and style.

 

Let us make an arcade game about ice-cold beer!

It is strange, but there are  few games about beer itself! 

 In this game 

 tapper only drinks and moves beer mugs.

In the next game beer seems to be not "ice-cold" but "frozen" as beer bubbles do not move up.

 

 I like the pictures of the  bubbles in ice cold .

I have an idea to combime  classic elements of retro arcade games , such as bubbles and even a Pac-Man animations. Here is the first run of my game. Only  the left beer mug is animated yet . 

 

I have tested this game with home TV . Big beer mugs look  nice!

The same game but with foot-operated game controller. It is  possible to play beer-themed arcade with beer in your hand!

 It is interesting to receive any feed-back from beer pub's owners, if they are interested in such  beer-themed  arcade game?

#beer, #beercade, #pubgame, #arcade, #beer-themed, #party game , #ice-cold beer, #icecoldbeer, #pubgame

Two for Tango. An anusual application of my foot-operated game controller.

  When I had started my  DIY project " The Dance Machine for Grannies " I saw it as a personal game controller. 

But later I found this video and it changed my mind. In real life senior people feel lonely and kids do the same.

 It looks that kids and senior people  will be glad  to  try some new experience in the form  of intergenerational games. May be my controller can add some fun? 

 Suppose that two persons are sitting close together and use only one disc and have to play as one Player.

Shot gif animation below shows how it can be. Two slippers of different size are here  as symbols of  two persons of different ages.

  Generally, it is a great model for #intergenerational gaming! Grandchildren can play with  parents and grandparents in different combinations.   

This is  the third version of my DIY project.I have got new magnetic encoders from China and they work OK.

I am interested if such  a project of  #intergenerational " arcade game may be recognized as a part of #agetech? What do you think?