Are you the type who can’t enough of coffee tables?  I shouldn’t really be talking about new coffee table options – I am actually getting rid of the stuff I have now as I won’t have space for furniture in the near future, but this coffee table from Surface Tension is too good not to share.  Dubbed the Arcane Arcade Coffee Table, this beauty can be made according to your own unique preferences.

It can function as a “real” coffee table, of course, so anyone can justify the purchase (well, maybe).  The kicker comes in the gaming functions.  Get ready…

Let’s start with the surface – it’s made of toughened glass, but that’s only so that the LCD display underneath will be protected.  You can choose between the 19-inch screen or the 26-inch one.  With the screen underneath the table’s surface, it is but understandable that you might not want to put anything on top of of it.

It doesn’t end there, though.  The table comes with a standard computer:

• Intel® Pentium Dual Core CPU
• 500GB hard disk
• 802.11g wireless network adaptor
• 2GB Ram
• DVD/CD-RW drive

In terms of software, this is what you get with the standard package:

• Powered by Powered by Windows 7 Home Premium
• GameEx intuitive front-end
• Apple iTunes jukebox
• Taito Legends 1&2, Midway Arcade treasures Deluxe and Atari Anniversary Edition
• MAME™ compatible retro-gaming platform
• Firefox web browser

If you want something more powerful, you can always choose to upgrade.  Alternatively, you can retro-fit the whole thing – at the expense of the above.  For this retro-fit option, you’ll have to forget all of the above in exchange for:

• 19″ LCD TFT 178° x 178° viewing angle
• RJ45 Ethernet 10/100Mb connector
• HDMI output
• 2 USB 2.0/1.1extension ports for plug & play capability
• 2 x 30W amplifier with unique discreet speaker design
• Sanwa joysticks
• Happ illuminated Trackball
• Ultimarc arcade spinner
• Programmable keyboard encoder

If you still have other custom features that you want, you just need to mention it. *Drool*

Now on to the practical stuff – how much is this going to cost?  Tables start at £2,599 (about $4,000) including VAT and delivery.  At least the delivery’s “free”! (Yeah like that’s gonna make a big difference.)

It contains 480 super-bright LEDs and 24 infrared optical sensors to provide visual feedback when an area of the table is touched or an object is placed on it.

Nice concept, but why not allow it to do more?

Could just stick a Microsoft Surface on it, or how about a variant of the Yamaha Tenori-On synth? How cool would it be to sit down and be able to play rhythms and musical patterns at your coffee table? It would definitely be a fun party object.

For the price, I’d rather take a fairly standard coffee table and build in a more interactive surface.

Via