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[thatshelby]

So, my friend recently told me he was using a ROM to play Ocarina of Time. I was like, "Dude, fyou, that's absolutely terrible.". He said, "why?". My mouth was empty. I couldn't think why they were bad, but I knew they were! The only things I could come up with are...

-They deserve credit for their work.
-The game is still being sold on the Wii's VC
-The company still makes games
-It's stealing.

He pulled the, "It's not pirating if I paid for it", and I couldn't think of anything. Why is the use of ROMs bad?

[C.A. Sinner]

-They deserve credit for their work.

why are they not getting credit? i dont understand this.

-The game is still being sold on the Wii's VC

yeah but then you can only play it on the wii. using homebrew emulation allows you to play games on all kinds of different hard- and software.

-The company still makes games

so?

-It's stealing.

no its not

He pulled the, "It's not pirating if I paid for it",

and it isnt. what exactly is your problem?

[DavidCaruso]

It isn't, at all?

I mean unless you're using your super-powerful computer to emulate modern console games that you haven't paid for or something I can't really see an argument for that.

[C.A. Sinner]

I mean unless you're using your super-powerful computer to emulate modern console games that you haven't paid for or something

which isnt currently possible.

[Pirate Hearts]

It's against the EULA. As I recall, Nintendo instruction manuals always had an EULA page at the back that said something like "backup or archival copies are unnecessary and not allowed" or whatever. So there you go.

Honestly though, while I refuse to pirate commercially available games, I can't really think of a good reason not to download ROMs of old console games that aren't available for any current platform. See also: PC "abandonware." Like, if it's a problem, why not let me buy a legitimate copy? I'm more than happy to buy games on the VC, but something tells me I won't be seeing Terranigma on there anytime soon.

[Kuppo]

You know what's bad?  Paying for new games.

But really, old games stop working sometimes.  ROMs are an alternative.

[thatshelby]

Surprised at the kinds of feedback I got. Usually when someone mentions a rom on this forum, people freak out.

[jwk5]

As developers find new and more complex ways to screw over their customers to spite internet piracy I feel less and less apprehensive about internet piracy.

That being said, the games I download for emulation have never affected the games I buy and vice versa. Many of the same PS1 games I play on my PC I have bought and downloaded on the PS3.

[C.A. Sinner]

Honestly though, while I refuse to pirate commercially available games, I can't really think of a good reason not to download ROMs of old console games that aren't available for any current platform. See also: PC "abandonware." Like, if it's a problem, why not let me buy a legitimate copy? I'm more than happy to buy games on the VC, but something tells me I won't be seeing Terranigma on there anytime soon.

Even if you legally own the original game I don't see anything wrong with it. Why pay twice for something you already own? Software isn't a physical good, reproducing it costs nothing and requires next to no effort so you're not stealing money from anyone by not buying the game multiple times.

Surprised at the kinds of feedback I got. Usually when someone mentions a rom on this forum, people freak out.

When has that happened? I've been pretty open about using my PSP for SNES emulation on this forum and no one's said anything against it whenever I mentioned it.

[starsrift]

He pulled the, "It's not pirating if I paid for it", and I couldn't think of anything. Why is the use of ROMs bad?

This is kind of a "shit or get off the pot" thing. Publishers are insisting that you're not buying the game, you're buying a license to play the game. If that's the case and you've paid for a license, it shouldn't matter what medium you want to play the game on. But publishers also want to say that it's piracy and make you (re)buy a copy for a modern system, too. So far, Valve is the only company I've seen that embraces multiplatform license.

If he paid for it, I don't see why it's bad at all.

Also, if the publisher isn't selling the game, I support sharing it around. (Abandonware)

[Rm88~]

I'm personally pro-emulation for old consoles. Still, I buy N64 VC games because unlike on my PC, the emulation is perfect and I get to play it on a console, with multiple controllers. Same with PS1 games on PS3. Otherwise, I emulate NES, SNES, TG16, Genesis, SMS, GBA, etc. - and still, I have bought several VC games for some of those platforms and buy game compilations (like the Mega Man Anniversary Collection).

[Superb Joe]

you're a stupid baby, and stupid babies need the most attention

[starsrift]

you're a stupid baby, and stupid babies need the most attention

What works for you might not always work for others, Superb Joe.

[Nix]

I hate comparing pirating to stealing (and the "stealing a car" analogy is the worst of all). Stealing something is a problem because it means the person you stole the thing from has to pay for it, despite the fact that you now have it. Pirating is more like sneaking in to a record store with your vinyl cutter and making a copy of a record, then sneaking back out with your new copy. The store owner still has his/her copy, but now you get to enjoy it as well. They don't have to pay for lost property or anything like if you stole a car.

[Xion]

Surprised at the kinds of feedback I got. Usually when someone mentions a rom on this forum, people freak out.

What? Where? roms are awesome, dude. Pretty much all of my contact with old console games was done via emulation, and Ocarina of Time is now: an old console game.