ROMs and Emulators- Ok or No?

[Maze]

Do you think ROMs and Emulators are ok to use as long as they are for games that are no longer in production?

 

 

 

What do you think about this?

 

 

 

What is a ROM/Emulator?

 

 

 

ROMs are basiclly copied versions of a handheld or console game so they are able to run on a computer. Emulators run these roms.

[Kiriyama]

No, its still illegally getting the game.

[Nadril]

It's illegal but no one is going to call you out on it or arrest you for it.

 

 

 

So my stance is just do what you think is right. I don't think it is a big deal, but then again I have a lot of ROMs of recent games as well (for the NDS).

[baalboy5]

Listen its hard as hell to find a really old game, So they made ROMS for it, it makes lives easier then spending 100+ for a game just for the nostalgia feeling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*hugs Pokemon Snap* :oops:

[Maze]

It's illegal but no one is going to call you out on it or arrest you for it.

 

 

 

I've heard stories of people getting fined or something for downloading ROMs.

 

 

 

But then again, those stories might be fake. :-k

[Nadril]

Yeah I really don't think they are true. The video game industry on a whole doesn't really do much to sue people (unlike the music industry with the RIAA) so you really aren't going to get sued for pirating even recent games, and especially not older ones.

 

 

 

 

 

Like I said though I'm not the best person to really talk about morality with ROMs though. I think it's fine due to the games being older and difficult to find plus with a lot of games I have bought them before.

 

 

 

*hugs his NDS with the 25 NDS roms, 1000 NES roms and 600 SNES roms on it* (Well I need to put the NES/SNES stuff back on D:)

[Maze]

You can put ROMs on a DS? :-s

[Nadril]

[Nenga]

I think roms are ok for games that are no longer inproduction/don't have an translation in your language.

 

 

 

Though if they game it still out there you should buy it if you want it.

[Who]

Emulators are a no. ROMs are legal only if you have a copy of the game yourself, but then you probably wouldn't need the ROM (Unless the game broke or something along those lines).

[Orpheus]

Do it if you have to. I don't necessarily see it as "wrong" if the game can't be found anywhere.

[Toki_Hakurei]

I think roms are ok for games that are no longer inproduction/don't have an translation in your language.

 

A perfect example is Mother 3 for the GBA. Every Mother/Earthbound fan has always wanted to play the sequel to one of the best RPGs ever made in their own language.

[Nadril]

Emulators are a no. ROMs are legal only if you have a copy of the game yourself, but then you probably wouldn't need the ROM (Unless the game broke or something along those lines).

 

 

 

I want to say that's just a rumor, owning a ROM no matter what is illegal because it is an illegal copy. It all comes down to your morality (again) instead of law in this case.

[Faux]

It's illegal but no one is going to call you out on it or arrest you for it.

 

 

 

So my stance is just do what you think is right. I don't think it is a big deal, but then again I have a lot of ROMs of recent games as well (for the NDS).

 

 

 

what's the point of having a DS if you don't have a flashcart. srsly.

[Soma2035]

Okay well, first let's get the legal situation out of the way.

 

 

 

Emulators are 100% legal. There is no law against using an emulator. However,

 

 

 

Roms are ONLY legal IF you make them yourself. That is, if you have the actual game, and make a backup of it, that's legal. Otherwise, roms are illegal. Even if you own a copy of it, downloading one is still illegal.

 

 

 

R4, M3, and other flashcart devices are legal, similar to emulators. However, downloading roms to play on them is not. If you have the equipment to create a backup of your own games, then you may do this legally. However, note that in most cases, using any sort of backup device nullifies any warranty or company guarantee on that game.

 

 

 

Now, barring the legality of it,

 

 

 

The truth is, it doesn't really matter if something is illegal or not. What matters is whether it actually has a cost to others, whether it is in accordance with your own moral code, and whether someone will come after you legally for your actions.

 

 

 

It has been found in multiple court cases that yes, piracy does have a cost to the businesses in question. However, this really varies on how you use the emulator and roms. Question, is this a game you would have purchased, giving your money to the actual company? If this is a 15 year old game, then any copies the company has manufactured have already been distributed. Whether you pirate it or buy it from Ebay will have literally no impact on the company. Is this a Japanese version of a game you intend to buy when it is released in America, or will never be released in America? If it will never be released in America, is it a game you'd consider actually importing?

 

 

 

No one can answer what it means to your own moral code, because that's yours. Your beliefs, and your opinions.

 

 

 

Now, will someone come after you? The truth is, I wouldn't worry about this. Yes, someone may come after you. But companies that attack possible pirates do so almost at random. There was a huge case where a young girl (under 10 years old) was being sued for piracy. She lived with her great grandmother, in such impoverished conditions that they had no computer, or heck, barely any electronic devices. Whether you get sued or not doesn't seem to really depend on whether you're actually pirating software.

 

 

 

Am I condoning piracy? Of course not. But I'm not going to deter you either, if you think that's the best option for you.

 

 

 

Do realize, though, that most of the "it's okay if _____" rules are entirely fictional. Such as the "delete it within 24 hours and you're fine" rule. Sorry, but that's complete bull, and I have no idea who or where that rumor started. I was fooled by it too, when I was 12 or so and playing GBA emulators since my allowance was too little. The only way to legally own a rom is if you make it yourself, from a game you purchased and have ownership over, and you must delete any such roms if you are to give, lose, or lend out the game.

 

 

 

Emulators are a no. ROMs are legal only if you have a copy of the game yourself, but then you probably wouldn't need the ROM (Unless the game broke or something along those lines).

 

 

 

I want to say that's just a rumor, owning a ROM no matter what is illegal because it is an illegal copy. It all comes down to your morality (again) instead of law in this case.

 

 

 

Actually, a recent court case ruled that it's perfectly legal to create the ROM, but you must create it yourself from a game you own, and you can not distribute it. You also can not give away or lend the game without deleting the ROMs you created. Once you distribute a ROM, it becomes illegal, so accepting it is illegal as well.

[scootlaboot]

I think roms are ok for games that are no longer inproduction/don't have an translation in your language.

 

A perfect example is Mother 3 for the GBA. Every Mother/Earthbound fan has always wanted to play the sequel to one of the best RPGs ever made in their own language.

 

Or any of that series for that matter. Those games are rarer than an intelligent person on /b/.

 

 

 

 

 

Personally, I think that there is nothing wrong with having a ROM if the game is not in your language/ very [bleep]ing rare.

[Soma2035]

I think roms are ok for games that are no longer inproduction/don't have an translation in your language.

 

A perfect example is Mother 3 for the GBA. Every Mother/Earthbound fan has always wanted to play the sequel to one of the best RPGs ever made in their own language.

 

Or any of that series for that matter. Those games are rarer than an intelligent person on /b/.

 

 

 

 

 

Personally, I think that there is nothing wrong with having a ROM if the game is not in your language/ very [bleep] rare.

 

 

 

Other than being illegal still, there's nothing wrong.

[Bauke]

I doubt emulators are illegal. I think it's only the ROM's, since those games are copyright protected. That makes it illegal to spread them or download them if you don't own a copy already (allthough legislation might differ between countries).

[Nom]

Meh, I have ROMS like Pokemon Crystal since my game pak died, Fire Emblem 6 since it was never released outside of Japan, and LoZ Link's Awakening 'cuz I'm too damn lazy to try and track a copy down.

 

 

 

Then again, I also have Starfox 2, which is probably the mother of all illegal ROMs and at the same time one of the most "justified" lol.

 

 

 

I don't see the problem to be honest, I only use them for games for old systems I don't own or games that I can't possibly get a physical copy of.

[DarkDude]

Just a warning: It's fine to discuss if you think ROMs and emulators are ok, however if this thread turns into "I've got this many roms for x" and so on then I'll have to lock the topic.

 

 

 

Also, asking how to play ROMs and where to get them is also a big no no.

 

 

 

Thank You,

 

DarkDude98 - Tip.It Super Moderator

[TheValeyard]

Depends on how recent the game is. Pirating NES games is hurting nobody's business.

[ThurinEthir]

Depends on how recent the game is. Pirating NES games is hurting nobody's business.

 

Technically, if you can buy it on Virtual Console, you're cheating Nintendo out of like $5. :|

 

I personally wouldn't emulate modern, somewhat expensive, games. Older, rarer, discontinued games, however, I have no problem with.

[scootlaboot]

I think roms are ok for games that are no longer inproduction/don't have an translation in your language.

 

A perfect example is Mother 3 for the GBA. Every Mother/Earthbound fan has always wanted to play the sequel to one of the best RPGs ever made in their own language.

 

Or any of that series for that matter. Those games are rarer than an intelligent person on /b/.

 

 

 

 

 

Personally, I think that there is nothing wrong with having a ROM if the game is not in your language/ very [bleep] rare.

 

 

 

Other than being illegal still, there's nothing wrong.

 

Does it really matter though? The companies aren't making money off them anymore, or not in the specific region. Some never plan to release them in other countries. I also guarantee if they did release certain games, people with the ROMs would still buy them.

[Soma2035]

I think roms are ok for games that are no longer inproduction/don't have an translation in your language.

 

A perfect example is Mother 3 for the GBA. Every Mother/Earthbound fan has always wanted to play the sequel to one of the best RPGs ever made in their own language.

 

Or any of that series for that matter. Those games are rarer than an intelligent person on /b/.

 

 

 

 

 

Personally, I think that there is nothing wrong with having a ROM if the game is not in your language/ very [bleep] rare.

 

 

 

Other than being illegal still, there's nothing wrong.

 

Does it really matter though? The companies aren't making money off them anymore, or not in the specific region. Some never plan to release them in other countries. I also guarantee if they did release certain games, people with the ROMs would still buy them.

 

 

 

Well, I didn't say it matters. Like I said before, there's what is legal, and there's what is acceptable from your own moral perspective.

 

 

 

As long as you don't own the game and make your own ROM, and retain the original game, ROMs are illegal, and you are susceptible to copyright infringement litigation regardless of your personal excuse. Now, admittedly, most of us (including myself) care less about what the law says, than the risk and your own personal opinion of whether it's right or wrong.

 

 

 

Also, there are plenty moral justifications for piracy, even for new games. I know someone who pirated recent DS games. However, the two that I know of, he would never have purchased anyways. However, as a result of liking these games, he is now considering buying their sequels or similar titles from the same company on other platforms. This hasn't harmed the company the slightest.

 

 

 

For older games, there is of course the "I'm not going to waste time trying to buy it from Ebay, and it gives me an experience I never had a chance to buy in the first place." There's Japanese games which never come to America as well. There are plenty of moral excuses for piracy, and in truth, many of them are well-reasoned. However, just keep in mind that no matter how rational it is to pirate a game, it is still illegal.

[Misterknowitall]

I once read somewhere that you could download ROM's and test them for 24 hours. After that you have to delete them or it's illegal. However, that was a while back since I read that so it's propably outdated.