Arcade maker builds 'art-cade' for Japan tsunami victims

Better late than never - a United Kingdom-based arcade game maker is building a custom game machine to raise funds for victims of the March 11 magnitude-9 quake and tsunami in Japan. Bespoke Arcades collaborated with graphic artist Shok-1 on the arcade, which comes with a 28-inch screen and more than 350 preinstalled classic games. "Bidding starts at £5,000 (P341,429) – there has to be a mogul or collector somewhere who wants to help a worthy cause and also own a genuine one-off piece of modern art. So tell everyone – bosses, famous friends; anyone who you think might be interested in buying or helping to publicise the sale. We’re counting on your help to get the word out, so get tweeting, retweeting, posting, liking, commenting and sharing. Tell everyone!" it said in its blog. The Art-Cade machine's other features include:

• lacquered artwork on the cabinet
• a customized light-gun
• Superb 2-player, 10-button arcade gaming
• 2.1 R/C woofer sound system
• Dual core Intel PC system + large HDD
• Emulator-compatible for thousands of games,
• Full PS3 compatibility – just “plug ‘n’ play"
• Fully integrated, flush mounted trackball
• Front-mounted USB 2.0 ports (x4) and DVD re-writer
• Wi-Fi access via internal wireless card
• Microsoft wireless keyboard / mouse
• Microsoft Windows 7 home edition

Bespoke said Japan has a special place in its heart, "which is why ALL proceeds from this sale with go towards the relief effort." "Although the media glare may have dimmed as newer world events occur; Japan is still being rocked by powerful earthquakes on a daily basis, with thousands still living in makeshift temporary accommodation," it added. Its eBay auction will close on Sept. 25, coinciding with the end of the Eurogamer Expo. "We will be displaying the Art-cade machine at this year’s Eurogamer Expo at the world famous Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London between 22nd and 25th September. Come on down for a chance to see it in the flesh (and even give it a shot) before it disappears off into a private collection, never to be seen again," it said. — TJD, GMA News