gaming Your thoughts on emulation

[Driz 1,552]

I've always used emulators, but I've also always wondered if I was allowed to be doing it. I've heard people's negative opinions about it; from bad gameplay to even piracy. But now I want to know everypony's opinion.

 

My parents never really liked video games, nor wanted me to be the gamer that I am. They don't buy me much new games (1~2 per year max) as they thought that it was going to make me "dumber" the more I played them. Which is completely nonsense, but anyway! Video games are also very expensive in my home country... You see, I'm still under 18. I don't have a job and I don't gain my own money to spend on the things I want, so my gaming desires have always depended on my parent's good mood. That only led me to the emulation world.

 

I could download any video game I wanted and play any game I wanted. But for free. This is why everyone's against emulation, and I understand. We enjoy for free something that should be paid, because the creators indeed deserve the money. But that is the only option I have for now. I don't care if the controllers are bad or if it doesn't have the same feeling. I just want to play the games that I've always wanted to play and never could.

 

So... what do you think? Am I somehow contributing to piracy? Or can I emulate if I want to and not care about it?

[Twiliscael 3,962]

It depends. I only emulate games that I cannot get anymore, such as the old Pokemons, or other Gameboy Color/Advance games. If it's easily available now, I think it should be bought because he creators DO deserve profit from their game.

[Cookie Feather 490]

I use emulators all the time, especially for nin64, to relieve those childhood memories. n w n;

I'm all for it, if it were really THAT bad, wouldn't it of been taken down?

[Otter 1,942]

If it were really THAT bad, wouldn't it have been taken down?

 

(Edited to include proper grammar. Sorry.)

 

Limewire existed for many years before it got taken down. That doesn't mean what you could do with it was OK.

[Jon the VGNerd 896]

I wouldn't bother emulating games. To me, I would rather play games on the consoles than emulating games on the PC, because I may never know if my computer ends up having troubles if I had attempted to emulate games.

[PonyHag1 591]

I like emulators because it's more convenient to play my favorite games on a computer rather than have a bunch of systems hooked up to the TV.

[000 206]

The funny fact is, I used emulation since I was 7. So you probably would know what side I am on.

Besides, Emulation isn't as good as the original. It sometimes Lag, It has really bad controls (especially Nintendo 64 emulators)

and It just doesn't "feel" the same. But some games don't have re-makes, Making the urge to use them more powerful.

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

I love emulators, M.A.M.E really comes in handy since I obviously don't have the money or space for arcade machines. Their also good for killing time and trying out really rare games you can't get your hands on.

 

I have a boatload of consoles too though.

 

As for morals, weather I buy Super Mario used or download it, the Nintendo's still not getting any money on it. So it really doesn't matter.

[PoisonClaw 8,177]

Similar to what Twilie'Zorah said, I only use emulators for systems that are considered "outdated" or "dead" and companies are no longer making games for. Same with games that have been discontinued indefinately and can only be bought used. Basically if a game is still being mass produced and the company that owns it is still making money off selling copies than emulation becomes more of a crime than anything.

[Ferret Girl 2,642]

Basicly I feel that if the game is no longer available or the game developers will no longer recieve money for your purchase, then an emulation is fine, todays games however, I would consider theft.

 

But the old games are better anyway!

[Unexard 50]

Considering most emulated games are now games hard to find in stores that cannot give more money to their creators anymore, I don't see the big deal. Anyway, most people emulating games would not buy them if they couldn't emulate it so...

[Envy 6,521]

While I do understand where you're coming from, it is the very definition of false entitlement. And, lets face it, it's not even something that you have to have. It's not like you're starving to death and are in the kind of situation that you have to steal food to be able to live. Not only are you not entitled to these games to begin with, they are an luxury.

 

"But my parents won't get them for me unless they're in the right mood"? Tough luck. It's not like they're depriving you of something you need. It's just false entitlement altogether.

 

My personal opinion on emulators: Obviously, I think it's all false entitlement. However, I will not judge somebody who emulates obscure games from a long time ago that will never see the light of day in the US, like Mother/Earthbound (Although, ironically, I believe the director or something just very recently made some kind of hint about it possibly happening). On the other hand, they are in an indefensible position under the law, so I wouldn't be on their side in that case either.

[Celtore 2,770]

I'm a fan of emulation myself, but I only use it to play old games that first parties dont earn money on anymore, games that are very rare, or modified / patched versions of old games like kaizo Mario. I never use an emulator for games made on post 2000 consoles though. That's just wrong in my opinion.

[Discordian 6,024]

You are contributing to piracy as long as you are downloading games you don't own that you should be paying for. That's a fact you can't change. It's piracy as long as you do that, regardless of your intentions.

 

That said, if you are buying a game through say...eBay and buying it from a private seller then the developer doesn't see that money anyway so it's essentially the same thing, just cutting out the middleman.

 

However, the principle of the matter is that you are getting games for free that you should be paying for, no matter who you are paying to get it.

 

Note that I am not chastising you for emulating. Technically emulation in itself is not illegal and emulators are perfectly legal to use as long as you are playing games you paid for but the games side of things is completely different. I also used to emulate for the same reasons: Because I didn't have money. I resolved that I didn't feel right emulating because I wasn't paying for the games, no matter how old, and I would go to any lengths and pay any amount to get the games I want. (Yes, I would buy Lunar 2 for $200USD on PS1. I'm that loco) But what you do is your own choice, just be aware that as long as you are downloading games for free that are normally paid for it is piracy regardless of your reasons or intentions.

 

It's ultimately up to you if you do it or not, I won't tell you what's right or wrong, just giving you the facts.

 

Keep in mind there are some older games that have been released as freeware such as Civilization II so you don't always have to emulate or hack into games you normally wouldn't play. I think Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall is one such game (correct me if I'm wrong)

 

Plus many older games are re-released for newer systems via online such as PS1, PS2 and PSP games on Playstation Network, many games from across the generations on Xbox Live and PC systems as well like Steam (I have no idea if Steam operates where you are but if not there might be a similar service) and generally games you can buy online are much cheaper than the physical copies of the games.

 

I want to remind you that I'm not gonna tell you it's right or wrong, just that there are reasons why emulation is looked down upon.

[Brook 664]

Piracy? yes, doing something bad? not really.

 

I understand, it's pretty much your only option, which is fine. I don't think people would actually pirate as much if they had the means of proper payment. But alas, that isn't the situation.

Edited August 21, 2012 by RiverBankNut

[XUNUSEDXXX 3,459]

I'm pretty sure (correct me if I'm wrong) that emulation and use of ROMs are only legal if you own a copy of the game you are emulating. If you don't, it is illegal.

[Discordian 6,024]

Piracy? yes, doing something bad? not really.

 

I understand, it's pretty much your only option, which is fine. I don't think people would actually pirate as much if they had the means of proper payment. But alas, that isn't the situation.

 

A lot of it is people just don't have the patience to wait until they have the money for a game, even if they have to save up little by little to get it, so they pirate instead to play it as soon as possible.

 

Another problem is, to many some games are only good for a rent and some will cut that out and just emulate it and if they like it THEN they'll buy it. Piracy runs rampant because people don't wanna spend money on things they may not like and the fact that the gaming community's standards are so high doesn't help much either so they won't enjoy games that aren't even as horrible as some might lead you to think.

[SUPERFOX5 388]

I usually use emulators for the rare games that are crazy expensive on ebay.

For example, Nintendo World Championships 1990, Super Mario RPG, and EarthBound.

[Lightning Fluttershy 1,845]

Tbh I only use emulators for older systems because you can't actually get them any more (they are rare). Like I use a Game boy Advanced Emulator, an N64 emulator, and a SNES emulator however I don't use emulators for things such as ps3 and xbox 360 for two reason. for one the controls for new games on both those systems are pretty complex for a keyboard unless you have a custom pc controller. for two I don't really feel right playing modern games on an emulator. It seems wrong. Perhaps in 20 years when the xbox 360 is old news like todays N64 i'll use an emulator for it

[Dave247 568]

I see it as partly the companies fault that they didn't jump on the bandwagon and take control and police emulators and roms when they had the chance because there's so much money they could have made from it.

Selling the games as a download on current gen consoles is all well and good but it doesn't stop the already widely developed emulator community, it's too late to try and take control of it now as it's just too big.

 

I use emulators for older consoles that aren't around anymore because it's not worth trying to get the actual console and game anymore as it's hard to get and they generally work quite well. The emulator for newer consoles are very demanding on resources and also are quite buggy which makes it not worth going though the hassle with them unless your despite.

[Some_random_guy 1,857]

I use mine to play ROM Hacks, (Games modified to be different from the original EX. Ponymon)

I haven't thought to go and emulate regular games.

[nonee 130]

I don't really see anything wrong with it personally. It's really not going to hurt the companies that you emulate games because they wont be getting money from you anyway and at least you get to appreciate something people put hard work into. I mean if you actually had the money but were just too greedy to want to pay then it's a different story and in that case that person is bad and should feel bad I only emulate the snes but that's just because the good games for it are too rare and expensive now a days but I pay for everything else.

[Crispy 5,565]

I think it's fine, for the most part. It's not like you have much of a way to buy most old games through a retailer.

 

The way I see it, emulating old games the same as buying an old system/games at a garage sale. It's not like the developers are seeing any of that money, unless they've gotten really good at checking every city's want ads in the newspaper/ebay/craigslist.

[Twilight Thunder 142]

i only emulate games i cant get like say for example the old game boy games or the n64 i own a few consoles though so i haz no problems

[Spectre2343 78]

like Mother/Earthbound (Although, ironically, I believe the director or something just very recently made some kind of hint about it possibly happening).

 

Where did you hear that? I still play that game on an emulator every now and then, and if they are making a new one/remaking it, I would to see!

 

OT: Like everybody else said, it depends on when the game came out

Gameboy Advance = Ok

Counter Strike: Global Offensive = Not Ok

There's my handy lil chart for everybody to use