Best gaming furniture?

[Crafter]

Hello everybody. I'm moving in a month to go to grad school, and need some opinions. Right now, my gaming set up is a little haphazard: all I have is a table and a little TV stand (which, incidentally, is not used for my TV, but for more consoles). I have a DVD player, an Onkyo Home theater system with receiver, a PS2, 2 Dreamcasts, Gamecube, Saturn, SNES, Genesis, Xbox, and an N64. Since I'll be moving into a new apartment, I want to get a piece of furniture which will be efficient for this quantity of equipment. I would also like to get something that is aesthetically pleasing, but this is not as big of a priority as convenience and good organization. Since I'm sure that a lot of you own just as much-- and even more-- than I do, I was curious as to whether you might offer some suggestions for a good piece (or good pieces) of game/equipment furniture so that I won't be swimming in a mess of wires. Thanks in advance.

[Melf]

I went down to my local furniture store and got an all wood entertainment center for $150. I hate compressed wood furniture and refuse to have them in my game room. The EC I got holds, in this order:

speaker / speaker
SNES / N64
NES / 27' TV/ DC
Duo / Receiver & PS2/ Xbox
Switch boxes /Genny w/32X & Sega CD+Saturn/ Gamecube

Not bad for the price. It's hella big, but everything fits nicely. I have another TV cart for my AES and Master System, but the big EC does a great job of organizing everything. I suggest you go with function over form. There are too many crap ECs that look real nice but don't do the job. Check your available space and plan ahead for any new systems you might want to get in the future (you never know). That way, your new EC will last a long time.

Now I just need a place for my Jaguar...

[johnk_]

Now I just need a place for my Jaguar...

it would look great in the fireplace..

[Melf]

Originally posted by johnk_


it would look great in the fireplace..

Think of the horrible, choking black smoke that so much burning crap would create. I wouldn't want to do that much harm to the environment.

[Crafter]

Melf, thanks for the reply. Of course, I don't want this to turn into a "post your set-up" thread which has been done countless times before, but if you'd like to post a picture of your furniture for pictorial advice, and would also let me know the cost and place through which you purchased it, I'd appreciate it.

[Kidnemo]

Stop by your local Ikea (www.ikea.com), they have some kickass modular shelving units that you can pick up fairly cheap.

[burgundy]

I found my EC at Wal-Mart for only $40, and it holds my TV, stereo, 10 consoles and *all* my carts. You prolly won't find that one now, but whatever you get, concentrate on the number, width and height of shelves. You're going to need to fit at least two consoles on a shelf, whether they be side-by-side or stacked (which the wide but flat-top PS2 is ideal for). Don't hesitate to cut holes in the back for extra wire pass-thrus or use cabinet space for consoles, either.