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« on: March 05, 2004, 05:05:37 AM »
Note: This is not about where to get ROMS, not about how to play ROMS, nor about Emulators, this is my opinion on why I think it should be okay to play some ROMS
ROM's
Convenience VS. Piracy
The videogame business is a billion dollar industry, as large as the movie industry, if not larger, and just as the movie studios are having to deal with the swelling insurgence of piracy robbing them of profits, so does the videogame industry. This piece is not about the philosophical importance of piracy as how it is costing companies million (billions?) of dollars each year, but the idea behind it instead. Videogame companies, Nintendo, Sega, and many more claim that copying their games cost them money, and that I will agree with, but only to an extent. I believe Nintendo when they say that piracy is bad, and it cost them money, but I think they and many other companies take it too far. If I were to download a ROM of Metroid Zero Mission for the GBA then I would be denying Nintendo the money they deserve for me playing that game, because the game is readily available in practically any store that sells Game Boy Advance games. But I do not believe, nor do I accept the argument that Nintendo is losing money if I were to download a ROM of Metroid 2, which was made for the original Game Boy. I can not just walk into any store that sells videogames and find this game. I am only using Metroid 2 as an example, I actually own the cartridge so downloading it in a mute point here. But how is Nintendo, or any other game manufacturer losing money if they no longer produce or are selling the game. You can say that if infringes on their copyright, and well that would be true, but the major point they are trying to make and are preaching is it is costing them money. If Nintendo (I will use Nintendo from now on not as a single entity, but only to represent the entire videogame industry) wants me to believe that downloading Metroid 2 is costing them money, then re-release the game so that it is available in stores.
Then comes the other part, games that were never translated or never released outside of any one particular territory. Take Dragon Quest 5 and 6 for example. Neither game was translated for released outside of Japan, but Dragon Quest 4 was, and Dragon Quest 7. You have two games in a franchise that are part of a trilogy that started with Dragon Quest 4 (Dragon Warrior 4) which was translated and released on the NES, but the second and final game in the trilogy were not. The only way to play these games is to either be lucky enough to find the actual cartridge and play the game knowing the Japanese language, or find a ROM of the games and a translation patch and enjoy them. Both games are for the SNES and pretty much not going to be released outside of Japan. You can argue that Dragon Quest 5 should still be protected because it is being remade for the PS2, I don't believe that unless the original version, the SNES version is included as a whole playable game with the remake, otherwise they are two completely different games. Then you have Terranigma, the third game in the series that started with Soul Blazer, then Illusion of Gaia. Both Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia were released in North America, but he third game Terranigma was never released here, it was released in the PAL territories instead. So the only way I could play the game is to find an import copy and modify it to play in my SNES, or I can download the ROM of an old game that is no longer available for purchase. By the way the games listed just above are all Enix games.
As far as I am concerned, unless Nintendo is going to make their games readily accessible for purchase, they then can't say they are losing money when people download ROMS of their older games because if they are not making them and they are not in stores, then how are they making money off them in the first place? Well, how about the name brand? That could be a good argument, but still comes down to the fact that the games in question are not available and Nintendo is not willing to make the older games available. I personally believe that downloading a ROM of Metroid is wrong because the original NES game is available in both Metroid Prime and Metroid Zero Mission, but Metroid 2 is fair game because as of right now I know of now way to play the game other than to spend time trying to find the game.
I just can not accept the argument that I am costing the industry money if I were to go and download a ROM of a game that is either no longer available to immediate purchase, like just about any GBA and GCN game, or was never localized for non-Japanese reading game players. I feel that if Nintendo was to make their claims to piracy stronger, then release and make obtainable their catalogue of games, then by putting them out their for sale, they can fairly say that downloading a ROM of any of those games is a crime because you can just go down to the local Wal*Mart and purchase the game you want. I like the idea Nintendo is doing with their Famicom Mini series, but also don't like the idea because they are selling them separate when they could put several on one cartridge, or many many more on a GCN disc, but at least they are making them available again, and if made available in North America I may be able to play some of those NES games I missed out on because I was too young to have the money to buy any game I wanted.
There are people out there that download ROMS of games and think of it as renting, and will then go and buy the actual game if they like it. But that is not the same, a game that is available for rent has been purchased, whereas downloading is unadorned stealing. While the thinking behind the download/check/then buy is a feel good idea, it still doesn't solve anything because I think the number of people who actual then go and buy the game are in the minority. I don't download GBA games because they are inexpensive (for me) and because I can find just about any GBA I would want just by checking the online stores I doing the majority of my purchases from.
In closing I want to say I don't think it is right to download ROMS, but if that is the only means* in which one can play the game then I see no real evil in that because I believe Nintendo lost all rights to complain they are losing money when they sit on the game and refuse to make it available to the masses that want to play the game, and then say no you can't download a ROM because it is taking money away from them.
*This only stands for games that are discontinued and no longer available, specifically, NES, SNES, Game Boy and possibly some Game Boy Color games. GBA games are off limits, even if they are not available because they are newer and will possibly be easier to track down a copy than it would be to find a NES or SNES game.
Also, what anybody else does is none of my business and I don't think any different of you because of my opinion. As far as I am concerned once you are my friend, you are my friend and if you do something that I don't agree with opinion-wise, it doesn't mean we aren't friends anymore. And if I have talked with you on MSN then I consider you a friend. I just thought I would add that so anybody wouldn't think I can't like them because of something they may do. ^_^
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