The LaunchBox 2022 Community Poll

[neil9000]

6 hours ago, Partiesplayin said:

Something needs to be done with the import process of ps3 games . There might be some easier way but its not clear or simular to other platforms and I had to import each game 1 at a time because the importer didn't know to look for the correct file . Then I had to rename it as well . I believe this is an issue with OG Xbox Games as well. What an absolute pain over 450 files 1 by 1  painful I tell you.

 

Would also be great if we could get some sort of movie scraper integration . I don't care where the info is scraped from, plex, Imdb , Wikipedia doesn't matter as log as i can import my moives and get cover art and basic info 

 

 

 

[Rey]

Bezel is an interesting feature for sure

[HaidenFR]

Me I would've loved to see a Launchbox plugin for Emby media server, to be able to use your games within emby

A easier way to manage music per games and platforms.

And the ability to point multiple games to one file. For example multiple games share the same music and video

The possibility to have multiple layers on logos
For example I have three zones : Center (who's in the back) the top and the bottom. This way I can do Something like : Duke Nukem 3D at the bottom I add the logo for the mod or addon Exemple : Plutonium pack (or I can put it at the top) and At the top or bottom I can add the version for example. So maybe the ability to add Logo or text with the choice of the font, size, color, drop shadow, etc...

And finally as you did with retroarch, put Parsec (maybe Discord too) natively in Launchbox

Edited May 15, 2022 by HaidenFR

[Vain]

Very much hoping for a native Linux release at some point. Even if it's just a port of the Android app. Still waiting in line for the Steam Deck, but I'd hope to have another option on there other than just Emulation Station or Steam ROM Manager.

[OhBoy]

17 hours ago, Retrofrogg said:

To stick to the topic, and to mention some poll items that have not been mention in this thread yet;

• 3D model box support

Do people understand the magnitude of the possibilities here? If you had a 3D model of a particular game box, then other than the awesomeness of having a rotatable box - as close as you can get to the real thing without holographics - you also wouldn't need front, back, 3D box images - as Launchbox could automatically render these from the 3D model. Theoretically you could then render any view or angle you wanted. This would be endgame material as far as box art is concerned.

Thank you! WiiFlow has 3D boxes and it’s one of the coolest features have seen in a front end. Ever since I’ve used WiiFlow I’ve wanted 3D boxes in LaunchBox and BigBox. If anyone is doubting how awesome this would be, just look up a video of WiiFlow. 

Edited May 14, 2022 by OhBoy

[OhBoy]

5 hours ago, patrickfx said:

2) Majority of questions are more for TV players.  Not for Arcade Cabinet..., yes they can be used in a cabinet, but the root context of the polls are not for cabinet people.

 

The vast majority of users are on a TV or monitor, not an arcade cabinet.

[tastyratz]

Honestly, what I don't see here?

I want to see the launchbox *not bigbox* get a UI overhaul and desperately needed optimizations.

Big box is so fast and smooth these days, but, LB is clunky and heavy to navigate. Even at it's best, maintenance involves too many clicks to perform tasks, especially repetitive ones.

I want to see a button ribbon bar! not more theming. Make my collection more friendly to manage with fewer clicks and less slowdowns please!

[zoemorn]

On 5/12/2022 at 12:54 PM, DemmyTree said:

Although the bezel idea is nice I think i like the option to be included for more realistic/natural ones, i've had goes with the project before and some of these can be custom art (Granted get this is more due to other stuff than arcade) but I would appreciate the option if it was possible to give more natural bezels as an option on import, if this didnt work, perhaps a launchboxDB entry where original bezels could be provided?

Agreed, if they have a bezel integration I want it to be a management application not just pull in what the bezel project has to offer (unless said project includes all the great user made submissions found in the LB downloads section like the realistic ones by Orion and others).

I'd want it to be flexible similar to game media, being able to choose bezel packages for each platform, or even granular enough to decide per game as desired.

[Tamashii]

Faster startup for large collections is always appreciated, or even a way to minimize/tray BigBox (Launch to Tray?)... but more than that, a Linux build is my #1 most wanted feature!

 

[Naevius]

Thanks for the poll and for making the community part of the future development. I think it is of paramount importance to improve the integration with Emumovies: sometimes it does'nt run properly, above all with Video Snaps. For example, today I tried to scrape some Nintendo DS games but I noticed that I could correctly download the video snaps from Emumovies only changing the names/metadatas of the games in Launchbox in order to make them match with the corresponding video filename in the Emumovies ftp. For example, name of the DS game in Launchbox: "Fifa 10" > search for video snaps on Emumovies > no videosnap found. Open Emumovies ftp and noticed that there is a "Fifa Soccer 10" videosnap > change name in Launchbox from "Fifa 10" to "Fifa Soccer 10" > search for video snaps on Emumovies > video snap found! It means that Emumovies should sync with Launchbox games on a "Launchbox ID basis", and not on a "Launchbox game name basis" . The Emumovies "Fifa Soccer 10" video snap should sync with the corresponding game independently of the name chosen in Launchbox ("Fifa 10" , "Fifa Soccer 10" , "Fifa 2010" etc.). 

Hope you could keep on improving the authomatic way in which LB and Emumovies "communicate" together in order to avoid annoying manual fine tunings of our game libraries.

Thanks in advance for your efforts!

 

[km4336]

On 5/12/2022 at 2:04 PM, vitorusp said:

We need better tools to manage our roms: like duplicate file finder with automatic selection and delete option, and others tools for files.

 

 

I'd use that a lot!

[Jason Carr]

1 hour ago, Naevius said:

Thanks for the poll and for making the community part of the future development. I think it is of paramount importance to improve the integration with Emumovies: sometimes it does'nt run properly, above all with Video Snaps. For example, today I tried to scrape some Nintendo DS games but I noticed that I could correctly download the video snaps from Emumovies only changing the names/metadatas of the games in Launchbox in order to make them match with the corresponding video filename in the Emumovies ftp. For example, name of the DS game in Launchbox: "Fifa 10" > search for video snaps on Emumovies > no videosnap found. Open Emumovies ftp and noticed that there is a "Fifa Soccer 10" videosnap > change name in Launchbox from "Fifa 10" to "Fifa Soccer 10" > search for video snaps on Emumovies > video snap found! It means that Emumovies should sync with Launchbox games on a "Launchbox ID basis", and not on a "Launchbox game name basis" . The Emumovies "Fifa Soccer 10" video snap should sync with the corresponding game independently of the name chosen in Launchbox ("Fifa 10" , "Fifa Soccer 10" , "Fifa 2010" etc.). 

Hope you could keep on improving the authomatic way in which LB and Emumovies "communicate" together in order to avoid annoying manual fine tunings of our game libraries.

Thanks in advance for your efforts!

 

What version of LaunchBox are you using? All of that was just improved in the latest release.

[leostrife]

It should have the option to view walkthroughs on the pause screen, so that you can return to the pdf from the point where you left off. I even put them in place of the manual because they are 1000 times more useful, but they always resume from the beginning of the pdf.

[SonGokuu]

My vote for an utility for an easy import option for pinball tables.

Setting up visual pinball or future pinball is a pain.

[Stytches]

21 hours ago, WeaponZ said:

Bring LaunchBox and Big box to Steam Deck as flat pack.

That would be awesome

+1

This. I've been hoping for linux support.

Launchbox and Big Box on the steam deck would be amazing!

[bliberche]

Bonjour tout le monde ! Le Projet Bezel remporte un petit succès mais je ne vois pas trop l'intérêt puisque l'intégration des Bezel pour Mame se fait simplement avec des packs tout prêt et de qualités puis pour retroarch il y a Mega Bezel https://forums.libretro.com/t/hsm-mega-bezel-reflection-shader-feedback-and-updates/25512 quel sont pour vous les point fort a l'intégration? 

[meaning_]

On 5/12/2022 at 4:41 PM, Retro808 said:

Probably slim chance it would happen. That program is known to corrupt LB xml files.

+ I was one of the initial testers of skraper, the tool developped by Big2k, which is one of SS admins, and now a recalbox dev as well. I can tell you this integration will never happen, they are not willing to share their DB with LB people.

Edited May 15, 2022 by meaning_

[Cyberbyte_010]

Voted, and I hope bezels gets the top vote. In saying that, I do have 2 ideas that may be suggested for the future. One idea that can be taken on board for the video tutorials schedule, and one for future development of LaunchBox. 

First Idea, A Video Tutorial, by the amazing ETA Prime, on how to do a Windows Unbranded Boot and replacement UI shell for LaunchBox/BigBox. This will show ppl how to make BigBox feel like it's own embedded system for an arcade or console experience. This would be helpful to ppl who are trying to do this sort of thing, but can't find any info bout it. I know there's the "Auto Start LaunchBox Or Big Box When Windows Starts - LaunchBox Tutorial" video done a while back, but that only scratches the surface of what can be done to make BigBox feel like it's own thing, instead of a normal program running on Windows. I tried finding info bout this, but it's not very documented on the internet, just bits here and there on forums etc. I had to piece it together myself, from what I know how McDonalds and shops do their POS systems, and Microsoft's dev docs website, and of course the LaunchBox forum. I've set things up for a friend on a computer so the Windows OS boot logo is replaced with the LaunchBox Rubiks cube logo, replace the Blue Screen of Death message with a Black Screen of Death message, disabled the welcome screen UI at first start up, and made 2 accounts, an admin account that has the normal Windows explorer.exe shell, and a BigBox account, that autologs in, and BigBox set as a replacement windows shell. For anyone interested, here's the Microsoft dev page detailing the guide on how to do this. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/customize/enterprise/unbranded-boot  Now it is documented on the Microsoft dev page, but a video tutorial is the better method of teaching things in my opinion. Less chance of ppl screwing up.

 

Second Idea, Attempt to make it easier for Network shared builds, i.e. Native Support for Client/Server builds. Now I know there are numerous ways to achieve this and make workarounds, symbolic links, Syncthing, etc. And if u got it working as if by magic, there could be downsides like performance issues, as discussed on the forum post below back in 2018.  But the idea of having some kind of central server and having LaunchBox, on a HTPC Games Console, or an Arcade Cabinet for example, direct itself to that central spot for its bits and bobs, or selective what is local and what is on the server, is getting more and more required and needed, every year that passes by. Every generation of game that passes by, the file sizes are getting bigger and bigger. Now, yes, we can compress these files into CHDs, compress into 7-Zip Archives, trimming and debloating the needless crap in disc based roms, get higher capacity HDDs/SSDs, use an amazing plugin on here that saves recently played games in its uncompressed form for quicker loading times, but all these are sticking plasters on a bigger problem. And this isn't even including the big elephant in LaunchBox, the Images folder. The image sizes that are downloaded can be all over the place, from low, to stupidly hi-res, and yes you can use a simple bit of software to trim and resize these images in bulk, but that method is not automatic, and doesn't address the main problem, the size. Not to mention the high costs to ppl on a metered internet connection, having to download images multiple times to make their Games Library builds look pretty, the very reason LaunchBox exists. If, and It's a big IF, bc the LaunchBox Devs work their asses off bringing us updates that makes things better and greater, but if the Devs can make LaunchBox have, say 2 modes of operation, client side and server side, and allow us, using a wizard for example, choose what folders are used on the network instead of local, adding cache support etc,  I think that this kind of update, would unlock a massive amount of potential for LaunchBox. Maybe making LaunchBox the 'go to place' to organize someone's Game Library. Much like Plex for Movies, TV Shows etc. It's gonna be a ton of work, but I honestly think it will make it one of the best additions to LaunchBox.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 15, 2022 by Cyberbyte_010

[randyhaas033]

4 hours ago, meaning_ said:

+ I was one of the initial testers of skraper, the tool developped by Big2k, which is one of SS admins, and now a recalbox dev as well. I can tell you this integration will never happen, they are not willing to share their DB with LB people.

Considering they stole a majority of their database from emumovies/gdbase I can see that... Plus their boxart sucks. It's not very clear. 

[Naevius]

18 hours ago, Jason Carr said:

What version of LaunchBox are you using? All of that was just improved in the latest release.

I am currently using 12.11 and integration / Emumovies speed is far better than precedent version for sure. But I stil see integration with Emumovies a little bit rusty to be honest (see my previous example related to DS roms).

But the work you are making guys is amazing and I am sure we can count on future and constant improvements.