Any interest in new replacement HUcard cases?

esteban · 12/13/2012, 05:48 AM

Quote from: MotherGunner on 12/13/2012, 01:10 AMRed would be awesome for the red label games and Black would be awesome for the black label games!

Blue would be best for Deep Blue!

TRUTH

jelloslug · 12/13/2012, 08:14 AM

Quote from: esteban on 12/13/2012, 01:08 AMTwo cents: I don't want the new trays to be BORING OLD CHARCOAL GRAY like the originals. I want the new cases to be BLACK or in GORGEOUS TECHNICOLOR like they should have been from the start: CHERRY RED, CANARY YELLOW, ORANGE ORANGE, OCEAN BLUE, MOSS GREEN, et cetera here we come!!!

I have given that some though and I don't see why I could not have different colored ones once the molds are made. The first run will be the standard color and if the demand is there I could make different colors later. The biggest problem is that I would most likely have to buy thousands of them in any given color before the costs would be low enough to be worth it unless people want to pay $10 or $15 per case for colored ones. This is the kind of feedback that I need though, so keep it coming!

tggodfrey · 12/13/2012, 08:18 AM

well you can buy used cases now from cheaper games for 5.00-7.00 shipped with a game like World class baseball. You would need to compete with that.

jelloslug · 12/13/2012, 08:22 AM

Quote from: tggodfrey on 12/13/2012, 08:18 AMwell you can buy used cases now from cheaper games for 5.00-7.00 shipped with a game like World class baseball. You would need to compete with that.

The standard color ones will be cheaper than a used case. Special colors would most likely be more, I will have to get that quoted to find out though.

turboswimbz · 12/13/2012, 08:53 AM

Perhaps for colors you could do a pre-order type deal or interest check, where they only get ordered if you have enough pre-sales. Along these lines perhaps a more visible campain could help raise funds - e.g. kickstarter, indie go-go.

I agree colors would be AWESOME though.

(also pcefx forum stamped ones, lol) Those slim colored cd cases sell like hot cakes.

Also Just my thought: I work with a company that makes custom plastic items for us, So my question is, when you say thousands do you mean like 1-3 thousand or more like 15 thousand? Becuase sometimes to get a break they won't really budge till 10 thousand. Just thinking if the average person on the forum get around 10 - 20 and 100 - 200 people order here than you only have a few to left to sell out of color if runs are smaller. But if you need to get tens of thousands, I'm not sure there would ever be enough sales, and you might have to sit on them a while.

jelloslug · 12/13/2012, 10:24 AM

Quote from: turboswimbz on 12/13/2012, 08:53 AMPerhaps for colors you could do a pre-order type deal or interest check, where they only get ordered if you have enough pre-sales. Along these lines perhaps a more visible campain could help raise funds - e.g. kickstarter, indie go-go.

I agree colors would be AWESOME though. (also pcefx forum stamped ones, lol) Those slim colored cd cases sell like hot cakes.

Also Just my thought: I work with a company that makes custom plastic items for us, So my question is, when you say thousands do you mean like 1-3 thousand or more like 15 thousand? Becuase sometimes to get a break they won't really budge till 10 thousand. Just thinking if the average person on the forum get around 10 - 20 and 100 - 200 people order here than you only have a few to left to sell out of color if runs are smaller. But if you need to get tens of thousands, I'm not sure there would ever be enough sales, and you might have to sit on them a while.

I working with a company that specializes in small runs of injection molded parts (as low as 50 pieces). My quotes for the standard cases are for 2500, 5000, and 10000. My first run will most likey be for 5000 cases and 5500 of the clips. Once I get the molds finished and get the first run of parts I will start looking at making variations. I imagine that I have to pay a setup charge for each color but I might be able to get a volume if I order a larger total number all at once. This is all speculation though and I won't know until I get a quote. I want to make it clear though that I do want to make variations but until I recover the cost of the tooling I can't afford to order a bunch of different styles. If there was a large enough demand for variations I could do a pre-sale though as any sales will help pay for the tooling. That would be something I would explore after the first run.

turboswimbz · 12/13/2012, 10:39 AM

ahh seems logical. Anyway here's to hoping the qoute is decent enough for you to order the first run

FiftyQuid · 12/13/2012, 01:23 PM

This is a bit off-topic, but are you able to make an identical replacement gear for the TG-CD? Many of these units have suffered from broken teeth and an exact copy/replacement has yet to be found.

Nec.Game.head · 12/13/2012, 02:16 PM

Count me in if it comes down to all of us here helping you out by sending you some donation$ for the cost of mass production! Very excited to see the end results! GREAT WORK !!

jelloslug · 12/13/2012, 02:26 PM

Quote from: FiftyQuid on 12/13/2012, 01:23 PMThis is a bit off-topic, but are you able to make an identical replacement gear for the TG-CD? Many of these units have suffered from broken teeth and an exact copy/replacement has yet to be found.

I can do that.

tggodfrey · 12/13/2012, 02:45 PM

Quote from: jelloslug on 12/13/2012, 02:26 PM
Quote from: FiftyQuid on 12/13/2012, 01:23 PMThis is a bit off-topic, but are you able to make an identical replacement gear for the TG-CD? Many of these units have suffered from broken teeth and an exact copy/replacement has yet to be found.
I can do that.

I would like to see that too.

DildoKKKobold · 12/13/2012, 04:13 PM

Quote from: FiftyQuid on 12/13/2012, 01:23 PMThis is a bit off-topic, but are you able to make an identical replacement gear for the TG-CD? Many of these units have suffered from broken teeth and an exact copy/replacement has yet to be found.

I was thinking a good service to the community would be replacement duo-doors.

/hudoor1.jpg

I don't particularly need one, but there are probably a good 100 duos out there that could use one. At that low of a run, you'd probably have to charge an arm and a leg, however.

jelloslug · 12/13/2012, 04:54 PM

QuoteI don't particularly need one, but there are probably a good 100 duos out there that could use one. At that low of a run, you'd probably have to charge an arm and a leg, however.

I can see them easily being $80 to $100 at that quantity. I could probably rapid prototype them for much less.

turboswimbz · 12/13/2012, 06:29 PM

outta curiousity, becuase I do need 1, and since you seem to have a bit of knowledege. I was actually going to try to get this done myself, from an online services, How much to you'd think it's cost me to have someone 3D print me a door?

jelloslug · 12/13/2012, 07:24 PM

Quote from: turboswimbz on 12/13/2012, 06:29 PMoutta curiousity, becuase I do need 1, and since you seem to have a bit of knowledege. I was actually going to try to get this done myself, from an online services, How much to you'd think it's cost me to have someone 3D print me a door?

It would cost you about $30 or so to have someone model it and then the part would cost about $30 to $50 or so to be printed. You would also have to paint it because the printed part would not match the Duo.

jelloslug · 12/13/2012, 07:55 PM

If someone wants to let me borrow a Duo card door I can model it and get a quote for having them printed.

DildoKKKobold · 12/13/2012, 08:07 PM

Quote from: jelloslug on 12/13/2012, 07:55 PMIf someone wants to let me borrow a Duo card door I can model it and get a quote for having them printed.

If the price is as high as you quote, perhaps the best is the old fashion way of making a silicon mold, and then just making a run of 50ish... The silicon mold method apparently falls apart easy, but they'd be on the order of $10, instead of 50.

turboswimbz · 12/13/2012, 08:26 PM

Thanks for the info!

I am/was working on getting the model, having engineering friends and acess to software is helpful, But i have no experience with the printing side of things. (other then the interwebs).

jelloslug · 12/27/2012, 06:34 PM

The 3-D printed prototypes came in today. Remember that these are prototypes and do not represent the final surface finish or color. Here is what a $160 TG-16 game case looks like.....

Back case inside.

Clip posts.

Back of case.

The stripe is the raised lip where the label stops.

A close-up of the hinge area. If you look at the top right edge you can see the ridges on the hinge side.

Ridges on the hinge side.

Top of the card clip.

Bottom of the card clip.

Case with new clip and lid with a game. There was an error in the prototype: The overall width is off just a little. When I did the model I offset the end of the case the wrong direction and ended up a bit short. This also pushed some of the features on the sides of the case to the wrong location so the holes on the sides that latch the lid shut don't line up with the bumps on the lid. It will only take a few minutes to fix the model but if this was an injection molded part it would have been big trouble. I'm glad I did the prototype....

The new clips also fit the old case just fine (they may need a drip of glue like the OE ones need from time to time).

I'm painting the prototype so it's easier to see the detail. I'm going to have another prototype made after I correct the errors and if everything is OK I can go to press with it.

turboswimbz · 12/27/2012, 06:40 PM

Looks great! Thank you for all the leg work you put into this whether or not your actually able to bring them here. Look foward to this project being complete.

MrFlutterPie · 12/27/2012, 06:47 PM

Can not wait!

Looks great!

esteban · 12/27/2012, 07:13 PM

HOT DAMN ON RYE!

That looks quite nice, indeed. Dragon Spirit!

roflmao · 12/27/2012, 07:33 PM

YEE HAA!

CPTRAVE · 12/27/2012, 07:44 PM

Wow, that looks good keep us updated.

RoyVegas · 12/27/2012, 07:44 PM

Just think of how many poor games you've saved from losing their homes. You should be damn proud, they look amazing!

FiftyQuid · 12/27/2012, 08:26 PM

Please, oh please let these all pan out. I sooooo wanna buy some new cases. Thank you so much for doing this.

Side Note: This whole process has me completely intrigued. I'd be very interested in working with you for a replacement gear for the TG-CD.

MotherGunner · 12/27/2012, 08:46 PM

Wonderful!

CGQuarterly · 12/27/2012, 09:00 PM

jelloslug · 12/27/2012, 09:12 PM

On another note: I still have not decided what to do about the lids. I have come to the conclusion that the thicker old style lids are just not made anymore. I have found decent quality thinner lids but obviously they are not free. Would people prefer to purchase just the back case and clip or would you rather buy a complete case with a modern, thinner lid?

psychobear · 12/27/2012, 09:18 PM

I think people will be just happy with the trays, the lids are not that important, but great work can't wait for this!!

FiftyQuid · 12/27/2012, 10:18 PM

Quote from: psychobear on 12/27/2012, 09:18 PMI think people will be just happy with the trays, the lids are not that important, but great work can't wait for this!!

I agree with this. Lids, while not as common place, are still available. The trays and clips are impossible to buy, and the only way to replace one is to bastardize another game.

CGQuarterly · 12/27/2012, 11:50 PM

I also agree. I have plenty of CD jewel cases laying around. I just need the turbob trays.

Chris

esteban · 12/28/2012, 07:25 AM

Another vote for "HuCARD tray" as the most important item.

Assume folks want tray-only...you can always offer lids later, if there is a demand.

Nazi NecroPhile · 12/28/2012, 10:37 AM

Lookin' sweet! If you can buy the lids in bulk at a discount, it might not be a bad idea to offer 'em (at least as an option); I'd rather give you the bit extra over bulk pricing than some joe blow.

jelloslug · 12/28/2012, 11:36 AM

The difference in price between buying 50 empty jewel cases and buying 5000 empty jewel cases is very small. I might buy some just to have them available but I think I'll just stick to the case and clip. I will also be selling the clips separately for those that have cases with broken clips. This morning I got a chance to check my model and found no errors. The problem with the printed part was from the printing company, not me.

esteban · 12/28/2012, 12:43 PM

Next up: replacement DUO HuCARD slot covers.

jelloslug · 12/28/2012, 12:57 PM

Quote from: esteban on 12/28/2012, 12:43 PMNext up: replacement DUO HuCARD slot covers.

Some one loan me one and I'll model it.

CPTRAVE · 12/28/2012, 02:23 PM

Quote from: jelloslug on 12/27/2012, 09:12 PMOn another note: I still have not decided what to do about the lids. I have come to the conclusion that the thicker old style lids are just not made anymore. I have found decent quality thinner lids but obviously they are not free. Would people prefer to purchase just the back case and clip or would you rather buy a complete case with a modern, thinner lid?

The back cases are just fine, do not worry about the lids.

Bardoly · 12/28/2012, 03:54 PM

Quote from: NecroPhile on 12/28/2012, 10:37 AMLookin' sweet! If you can buy the lids in bulk at a discount, it might not be a bad idea to offer 'em (at least as an option); I'd rather give you the bit extra over bulk pricing than some joe blow.

I agree with Necromancer. If the cost is pretty small, go ahead and get lids.

psychobear · 01/10/2013, 01:40 PM

Any new info

jelloslug · 01/10/2013, 02:10 PM

Quote from: psychobear on 01/10/2013, 01:40 PMAny new info

Still working on it. I have decided to try a much less costly approach (but still the same quality and much more versatile) to the project. I should have some results shortly.

FiftyQuid · 01/10/2013, 03:40 PM

Quote from: jelloslug on 01/10/2013, 02:10 PMStill working on it. I have decided to try a much less costly approach (but still the same quality and much more versatile) to the project. I should have some results shortly.

Biggest tease ever.

Sparky · 01/10/2013, 07:26 PM

Great work jello... Wow

MrFlutterPie · 01/10/2013, 09:24 PM

Can't wait to hear more soon

bartre · 01/12/2013, 07:43 PM

well, i'll be buying a few of these, any clue how you're planning on selling them?
ebay?
here?
your own website?

jelloslug · 01/12/2013, 08:44 PM

Quote from: bartre on 01/12/2013, 07:43 PMwell, i'll be buying a few of these, any clue how you're planning on selling them?
ebay?
here?
your own website?

yes

Alt-Nintega · 01/23/2013, 10:23 PM

If this pans out, will people be able to buy the amount they need or will they be required to buy in bulk like Sparky stickers?

jelloslug · 01/24/2013, 08:21 AM

Quote from: Psycho Alt-Nintega on 01/23/2013, 10:23 PMIf this pans out, will people be able to buy the amount they need or will they be required to buy in bulk like Sparky stickers?

I will probably sell them like the way the reproduction sleeves are sold.

Corredor X · 01/26/2013, 11:20 AM

That's marvelous, nice work! I wish that someday we could get replacement long boxes for Sega CD, Saturn and the earlier Playstation releases.

tpivette · 01/26/2013, 02:02 PM

I'm a little late to the party on this, but just wanted to say... WOW! These look amazing! I really hope this gets done. The thought of buying replacement cases and clips is making me drool!

Awesome work, jelloslug!