Roms. Yay or nay?

[BlackBlade]

Again if this is been covered before please deleted or merge or do whatever is necessary.

Emulation is been around for a while now. It seems like you can get all your old consoles favorites either legally or illegal. A few years ago the industry didn't really support emulation and was kinda against it but nowadays wit the PSN, Xbox arcade and Virtual console they've embraced it.( but still frown on what they perceive is Illegal emulation)

My question( and it is similar to my digital vs physical) debate is are any of you in favor of ROMS( questionable-legal copies of games that can be played via emulator not supported by the industry) or against them?

Do you think its ok to access them for free and play them on your pc and not through a service like the PSN? Why? Why not?

[Edge]

Yay, in certain circumstances.

I've used ROMs in the past for games I don't own or in other words illegally. Usually for games that aren't easily available but could be with enough effort and games I'm not certain I want to buy. I see it as similar to watching a series on Youtube or reading comic scanlations online, or renting if renting is a choice (and legal). Or I view it as a giant demo for the game and I always buy games I really like if that's possible.

TV stations and comic distributors probably lose some money from that but if things aren't aired or available locally it's a way for me to access what I otherwise wouldn't see and if I am interested enough in the game/series/comic I will buy legal copies (internationally, if needed) and maybe merchandise resulting in someone official getting a lot more of my money than they would've otherwise. If I'm not interested I stop playing/watching/reading and don't buy it.

Legality of Abandonware is also interesting as most people would pay if they could for titles still unavailable. It can help keep a fanbase alive so when someone does release it again people will know about it and buy it in quantities high enough to make the release worth it.

It's a gray area, but they can be good and have possible merit for some reasons. Whether good enough to completely justify their existence though, I'm not sure.

[Sasquatch]

It's a bit of a mix with me. While I don't care for the "stick it to the man" mentality (sure, you stealing something instead of paying money for it like everybody else helps so much), I do like what's been mentioned, which is the fact that some games are difficult or impossible to find in their original form and emulation is the only way to access them. I have a NES and SNES emulator on my computer -- it's nice that they both fit on a 2gig thumb drive with 2000+ ROMs, where otherwise, I'd have to carry around a TV, two consoles, and a truckload or two of cartridges.

I also understand how it could expand the industry and increase interest in certain games. I might buy Lufia II for my SNES back home now, just to play it with an actual Super Nintendo controller on an actual Super Nintendo console (and on a 50" TV, of course). And there are always ROMs in English that you can't get an English cartridge for, or games that were released with changes from a European version and an American version.

But yeah. I mainly care about the convenience. Though, most of what I do is this:
1. I'm bored, might as well open up the ol' emulator.
2. Whoa! I haven't played this game for fifteen years!
3. [play game for half an hour]
4. Alright, what else is in here?
5. [don't play aforementioned game again until at least six months, when I notice it and say the same thing]

[The_Dream_Recluse]

I am guilty of using ROM's myself and as such i am somewhat conflicted in my thoughts on them. I am against people using them if they are abusing them (such as selling copies to others or using them to play brand new games). On the other hand, i am for ROM's especially when you actually own the game but have either misplaced it or lost it and can't afford to purchase another copy or if the game is considerably old and is very difficult to find a copy to buy (like the older Final Fantasies before the remakes).

[jthauds]

i myself am as guilty of playing games as the rest of you, but i prefer to get the games i get because i dont have specific consols like the nintendo 64 or the gamboy advanced, and would like to play them. i will eventually get rid of them though, if i find the system i want.

[LocoColt04]

Keep in mind throughout the duration of this thread that discussion of ROMs is considered against forum rules. In light of the actual discussion at hand, I am allowing this topic to continue, but anyone who shares any explicit information (links to files or file servers, etc.) will be issued a warning for discussion of illegal content.



That said, I am one of what appears to be many who votes in the midline. I think it's a great way to get our hands on patches and translations for things that were never released or are nigh impossible to find. It's also a great way (in a legal sense at that) to back up your existing collection should a cartridge ever die.

[Horhay]

Here's my own personal take on it.

I enjoy ROMs, but prefer the real deal rather than a computer screen and a USB controller that looks exactly like a PlayStation controller. But, because I don't have the means of procuring the old consoles or games (many hard to find), ROMs are a decent replacement for me. Besides, most of the old consoles and games are out of production, so when you buy them, the producing companies don't get any money, only the vendor that's selling it.

For example, when you buy Super Mario Bros. online for the NES, due to it being out-of-print, you'll be purchasing either a used copy, or a mint-condition copy for collectors. These are usually put up online by independent vendors or companies that do a lot of trading online. When you purchase it, you're giving your money to that independent vendor. Nintendo doesn't make or lose money from this transaction, because they don't produce the product anymore.

Now, look at Final Fantasy VII. New copies of this game are still being produced by Square-Enix. Therefore, if you buy the game used or from a vendor that isn't connected to Square-Enix in some way, or download the ISO online, Square-Enix will lose money as a result, because they are still producing and selling their product.

Though, even with no financial loss, Nintendo still doesn't like Emus or ROMs, even for the old NES and SNES:

| Nintendo - Corporate Information | Legal Information (Copyrights, Emulators, ROMs, etc.)

As far as foreign games go, it's all grey area (like with fansubs), even if they never get released in your language and country of origin, or help to create a buzz about the product to help it get released in foreign markets. The legalities and ethics of this issue are still going through heated debate.

Chances are, no one's gonna come after you for it, but Emulation is still looked down upon from the Corporate cloud, even for out-of-print products. You'll just have to use your own judgement on this one, and tread cautiously.

[Furore]

Yay. I make a point of owning everything I play, but it can be a costly habit, as I do prefer roms of my own games as they can be played on portable devices these days. The reason I say 'yay' is some games haven't been rereleased in years and copies become rare and expensive - I hate to know some are missing out on great games. That said, I feel it's unethical if a publisher releases the game again, basically stealing.

[Calvan]

I'm both for and against roms.
in most cases there are some games that there is no legitimate way to play anymore.

[blondeandy]

Am all for supporting the industry and i do tend to own a genuine copy of most games i played. Have set up my spare room with a vast array of classic consoles to allow me to play a lot of the originals where remakes aren't available.

I do have some ROMs downloaded and it tends to be for SNES games where "the powers that be" decided that europe wouldn't want any of the awesome RPGs at the time and i don't feel too guilty about it. None of the games i've downloaded are yet to see any kind of official remake so it's the only option.

[RamesesII]

I am all for roms makes it easy to play on the go, but also if your aren't some one with a lot of money to buy handheld devices example me its a good way to catch up on games you can't get for example the FF range before FF7 I have never played I know sad.
The first was FF7 and because I played that one first I was a bit put off the earlier ones, but since joining this forum I have made it my mission to play them all so I can better contribute to the FF forums.
But saying that I would never get emu's for PS1 and above.
I do like to own my own games as well I still have a bagillion PS2 games I haven't completed yet. LOL

[Josh_R]

I have a gba emu, and frequently play it. I usually play older pokemon games. I would like to own them myself, but its not at all easy to find them. Same with my NES rom's. Good luck finding half of those game.

I like to own all my games, and if possible keep myself from using ROMS. But sometimes I must to get my old school gaming fix.

[Pug]

Well I couldnt find an option I wanted to pick.

Ill do anything illigal all the time, until I get money to buy somet, then ill buy what I wanted the most, then ill download some more illigal stuff.

I dont screw over the industry I just get whatever I want

[Ryu-Kentoshii Hirokima]

Well, I Like Both Roms And Industry Games Pretty Equally, So I Had To Go With The Only Reasonably Close Option: "I'm Not Sure, I Support/Hate Roms." I Use Roms To Play Games I Don't Currently Have, Or That I Cannot Play At The Moment. I Don't Hate Either Side, So Yeah. Thats Just My Point Of View On The Matter At Hand.