Isn't this Rom/Emulator stuff just as illegal...

[urbanspyunit]

Just a quick Question. How is burning Roms and Emulator discs, any different from burning something like Sonic Adventure, or NFL 2k1? I mean we all know that you don't actually own all these Roms you burn, or you would stick to playing the classics YOU ALREADY have...

And Gyp Play... I don't exactly think we're burning Uncle Jim's home movies, now are we...

Im sure someone will cook up a smart ass answer, or shut this down, but I am actually interested in the responses.

Let me know!
-j

[OneThirty8]

Um, why is this a Mac thing?

Anyway, downloading roms for commercial games is illegal. Thing is, there are PD-Roms out there too just like we have homebrew DC games which are freely distributable. So, just because I'm using DreamSNES doesn't automatically mean I'm using ROMS that I don't have the 'right' to use.

[urbanspyunit]

Oh Okay, so we don't use illegal roms we use other homebrews and distributed PDRoms... I see.

[I.M. Weasel]

Just a quick Question. How is burning Roms and Emulator discs, any different from burning something like Sonic Adventure, or NFL 2k1? I mean we all know that you don't actually own all these Roms you burn, or you would stick to playing the classics YOU ALREADY have...

And Gyp Play... I don't exactly think we're burning Uncle Jim's home movies, now are we...

Im sure someone will cook up a smart ass answer, or shut this down, but I am actually interested in the responses.

Let me know!
-j

If the companies gave us another option, we wouldnt have to. Personally,resorting to roms is plan B, I'd rather have the instruction booklet etc.... when it comes to games.

I think theres a difference between NFL2k and older system games. The latter are much harder to come by. If I want to play the classic games,I have to hunt individuals down for their sw and hw and purchase from them with no residual gain to any of the companies that produced the product. The harder soething becomes to get, people will go father to get it.

As for gypplay,thye give away cool how-to relationship mpegs and videos all over the net.

[urbanspyunit]

Lol It's true they do!


But don't you feel its getting to that point with SEGA and Dreamcast games? I mean how much profit do they make off the Dreamcast per annum now? $28.00? I mean everyone selling games usually sells them used, and they don't make cash off people getting licences to make software for the DC. So SEGA's profit margin for this system is probably about as much NINTENDO makes off original 8-bit cartridges.

[greay]

Thus far, the only roms I've burnt are SMBWorld hacks. And I do own SMBW. As far as other roms, I do have a number that I don't own, but those are only ones that I just haven't been able to find anywhere, like Earthbound.

And I don't think there's /anything/ wrong with, say, getting the Radical Dreamers rom and applying the translation patch to it. There's simply no other way I'd ever be able to play that game. (apart from something probably involving time travel and learning Japanese)

[pb2ya]

Actually, a new law was passed that made it legal to download ROMs of hard to find games on old systems, I dont know the exact details, but thats generally it. To be fair, most of the people who did download the roms before the law was passed did not own the games, but what percent of the games were abandonware (made by companies that have gone out of business)? I don't think virgin interactive is going to sue me over download Zoop!

Someone is going to say that the companies make as much money from someone buying a used game as downloading a rom or getting the warez, but companies are supported by someone buying a used game in a store like EB, if company sees that a lot of people are buying used dreamcast games, then EB will continue to sell dreamcast games, and future Sega games.

Plus, some stores still sell new (new in new/used, not new in 'recently released') DC titles near me, and at a 30-40$ price. Emulation is kind of unethical when the games are still being sold as new.

I'm rambling, I know, but I have to add that this site is for emulating on Dreamcast, so most people here should be against pirating Dreamcast games.

[greay]

Really? I'd like to find out the details of that law. I hadn't heard anything about that. I mean, I know it's legal if the copyright ran out or whatever.

And as for DC and PSX games: yeah, I buy those. I've never even tried to look for ROMs.

Though, I /bought/ Chrono Cross before I even owned a PSX, and got an emulator so I cd play it. And the emulator crashed at the very end, so I've never beaten it yet (b/c I haven't had the time or heart to play through the game again)

[pixel]

Actually, a new law was passed that made it legal to download ROMs of hard to find games on old systems, I dont know the exact details, but thats generally it.

That seems very counter-productive to the anti-piracy feelings of both the entertainment industry and the US Government. If this is true, it should have gotten waaay more coverage than someone mentioning it in a mac forum .

[SuperMegatron]

Sega said they would not go after people who dled and emulated sega master system games but they would fight to protect there 16 bit properties

[pb2ya]

Sega said they would not go after people who dled and emulated sega master system games but they would fight to protect there 16 bit properties

thats reasonable, since they re-release most of their 16-bit games over and over again.

And about the law I was talking about, maybe it hasnt been passed yet, but Ive heard something about it. Most people who know me know how much I hate roms, but if there was a place I could easily buy old-school games (e-bay is too much of a hassle), I would never download a rom again... I dont know why, but its more fun playing the real game on its original console.

[SuperMegatron]

And about the law I was talking about, maybe it hasnt been passed yet, but Ive heard something about it. Most people who know me know how much I hate roms, but if there was a place I could easily buy old-school games (e-bay is too much of a hassle), I would never download a rom again... I dont know why, but its more fun playing the real game on its original console.

Its always better to play the real game on the original system the timing is never right on emulators

[erise]

The law you guys are talking about just makes it legal to copy programs from systems that are no longer "commercially available" to another system. For example, dumping Atari 2600 ROMs onto your computer is legal now but downloading games you don't own is still illegal.

[urbanspyunit]

So we download roms, because we don't want to pay for them, or the hassle of finding old roms is too much, or we own the games but want to play them on the DC. And Im not sure how many of you dump the roms you own by yourself. Regardless of these reasons, its still illegal. So is burning DC games.

Meh, just a thought.

[MegaBomberMan]

Sounds to me like your complaining, maybe you could be refused service?

[greay]

Of course I don't dump the roms myself. I don't know how. I don't have the hardware.

But, in the cases where one owns the game (like my example of SMBW), it's not illegal to d/l the rom, nor is it illegal to put it on an emu disc and play it on the DC. Other cases, like, say, Radical Dreamers... Yes, that's illegal. and I'm fine w/that.

[urbanspyunit]

Im sorry it sounds that way to you. Thats not my intention. Its a discussion topic. If you feel its 'complaint', then lock this post. I use this site just as much as everyone else and I felt it was an interesting topic
to take note of. My apologies for causing so much controversy over the legalities of emulation, it wasn't meant to hurt feelings. I didn't realize this conversation was a negative contribution to you MegaBomberMan, or DCemulation, its users, or anyone else.

[Neopunk]

Yes it is technically illegal but everyone does it anyway

[pyroguyperson]

[ETR]

in before lock.

Maybe I can emulate my performa on my DC.... The HD is about the size of a CD.....