Viability of a DWI Coin-Op

calibemani · Trick Member Joined: 04 Mar 2002 Location: CSUMB

Helloooo....before i continue this thread, please dont think that an actual machine will be built...its just to discuss the legality and technicality of constructing an arcade machine (possibly with a DDR cabinet and dance pad) that runs DWI or SM. Ideally, there would be a modification of an emulator which could be connected to a coin mech to accept tokens, and there would be a CD-ROM drive in place of memory card slots, so that players could load their own custom songs off of a CD. there would, of course, be a default CD worth of songs for others 2 play. Only one legal issue comes to mind here. Is it legal to play songs that a big company like KOJ hasn't licensed already? I know that diners have jukeboxes at every table, i dont think they have to pay a royalty fee every time a song is played. i mean, ddr is just a glorified interactive jukebox if you think about it. anyways, gimme your ideas guys, who knows - one day after ex has become old and KOJ stops making new ddr mixes(the latter of which has already happened), maybe we'll actually see a machine like this hit the market!

-Jeremy
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Syn Zero · Posted: Wed May 07, 2003 6:39 am Post subject:

I don't know if that would be legal or not ... I mean, technically if Konami made the machine, the songs that people bring in wouldn't neccesarily be USED by Konami. Then again, ANY song can be made into a DWI/SM thing, so ... yeah.
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SsLordMagus · Trick Member Joined: 20 Feb 2003

I were once thinking about it, oooh the possibility. But about the legal issue, it is the first time it come to my mind...

Doomed · Posted: Wed May 07, 2003 6:56 am Post subject:

It depends. If you're going to use DDR songs and stepfiles, you'd probably be on some tricky ground if you charge money for it. Then again, you're just one tiny insignificant person the vast majority of the continental population will never get within a hundred miles of, so why would Konami slap you with a lawsuit except to make your life miserable? =D Although if this was going to more than a one-off machine, the manufacturer should start looking into the legalities of licensing songs and stuff like that.

Besides, I don't think KoJ is terribly interested in what goes on in North America. If they were, then I wouldn't be seeing 'For use in JAPAN ONLY' on every damn machine I step on.
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calibemani · Trick Member Joined: 04 Mar 2002 Location: CSUMB

i mean, if you bought dancemania CDs 1 thru 2394739274, arent you legally allowed to play them, because you own the songs?
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Doomed · Posted: Wed May 07, 2003 7:09 am Post subject:

Usually on the back of a CD or in the booklet there's a little wossname saying something along the lines of you're not allowed to publicly play anything on the CD without authorization from the manufacturer.

Although looking at a couple of mine, there's one saying you jusr can't copy or rent out the CD. It depends, I guess.
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'When Mister Safety Catch Is Not On, Mister Crossbow Is Not Your Friend.'
- detritus

Truths I've learned: Money sucks. Aventinus is the best beer on earth. The Honda CBX250 should be brought back into production. Women are evil. Men are evil, too. People have more faith in paper than in other people. All I need in life is coffee, beer, sausages, pre-made Caesar salads and DDR.

Old crotchety drunken Haligonian DDRing bastage, proud of it

calibemani · Trick Member Joined: 04 Mar 2002 Location: CSUMB

anyone got a dancemania cd so we can see what it says on the back?....and does it say publicly, or for commercial use? because technically, an arcade is normally private property
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Remy · Trick Member Joined: 24 Jan 2002 Location: Astoria, NY

calibemani · Trick Member Joined: 04 Mar 2002 Location: CSUMB

Agent Smith 1337 (h4x) · Posted: Wed May 07, 2003 8:45 am Post subject:

Some people have already done it or serioulsy thought about it.

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Daniel · Trick Member Joined: 29 Aug 2002 Location: Sonoma, CA

There is no way you can do this legally. Jukebox machines can get away with it. But I am afraid you won't get away with an arcade machine that uses unlicensed music.

calibemani · Trick Member Joined: 04 Mar 2002 Location: CSUMB

ok try this on for size then - have unlicensed music as default music on the machine, and individuals can stick their own DWI CDs in with whatever music they want on those, that way the arcade/machine distributors arent responsible for what the other people put in, just like a mp3 player company isnt responsible for what people put on them

-Jeremy

p.s. - dont get so heated guys, its not like this is gonna happen

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Remy · Trick Member Joined: 24 Jan 2002 Location: Astoria, NY

DJTyrant · Maniac Member Joined: 25 Jan 2002 Location: Ventura, CA

Jeremy it was nice talking to you about that when I was up in SF...I like the idea but I don't think there is a way to pull it off, and yes it is illegal. You'd have to licence the songs (ha ha have fun paying those fees!).

You should be more concerned about B3 right now anyways

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`pr0digy · Trick Member Joined: 31 Mar 2003 Location: ogmios.ath.cx

It'd be completely illegal... Even with custom songs, you still have to worry about the DDR copyright itself, not just the songs....
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cfusionpm · Trick Member Joined: 24 Jan 2002 Location: San Diego, CA

hrm.... i find it kinda strange that this hasnt even come up since on dwi/sm sites, it says you are not legally allowed to make money off of the program....

edit: i r cnat tipe
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Razma · Posted: Wed May 07, 2003 7:36 pm Post subject:

Well, somebody I know has ported Stepmania to his arcade machine. We have every DDR song ever made and many more originals on the hard-drive.
He has been talking to the makers of the Stepmania program and was discussing an arcade kit for comercial dance machiens. The program is already in the works (I'm working on it) and it seems as though it could just as well happen. All songs would be original or liscensed. The arcade would be responsable for converting the machine (be it Pump or DDR) to accompany the new game (which won't be downloadable). We have looked at many of the legal issues out there and we haven't broken any laws in our creation. This may just as well happen...

{SFSA} ChuckerZ · Trick Member Joined: 06 Jul 2002 Location: Albany, Ny

Buy your own machine and do what ever u want to it

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SPUI · Trick Member Joined: 18 Jul 2002 Location: Chile

With legal issues, it's really no different than bootleg machine upgrades. It's illegal but no one seems to care.
As for viablility, the latest CVS releases of Stepmania (and maybe even the last final release) have assignable buttons for 'insert coin', and various machine-like settings (joint premium, etc). It would be trivial to set up a Stepmania cabinet once you get hardware worked out.

SPUI · Trick Member Joined: 18 Jul 2002 Location: Chile