demonization of emulation

[notaz]

I think this is my first thread ever in offtopic, but I found this worth posting just because of such a memorable screenshot used:
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/03/how-the-demonization-of-emulation-devalues-gamings-heritage/

 

[Swordfish II]

Ah bleem and Connectix that takes me back

 

[ingoreis]

the industry should realize that "an emulator is just a video codec for playing video games"

"The industry has all but ignored secondary market for our games," Cifaldi said. "Every other industry repackages its content. Games should too."

It is so true....thx for posting that interresting Article.

 

[Xcl4m4t10n]

When me and my friends get drunk or high, we always make Nesticle/Genecyst jokes about the cut hand and the bloody menubar.

 

[WizardStan]

Nesticle really takes me back.
I didn't realize that MAME wasn't actually foss. Good on them.

 

[PowerGod]

so... the MAME news took me unprepared

 

[levi]

It's an interesting article, but slightly out of date I feel. I used to feel that much of emulation was mainly defensible because the old hardware was failing and there wasn't any other way to play these old games, but now the big console publishers mainly have ways to install old games and emulate them. There might not be every old game there, but there's enough for me to play there. The publishers found a way to monetize these old roms, so downloading them for free feels more subversive.

Of course, at the same time I object to that monetization, because the publishers are charging for the right to buy a game you might already legally own a copy of, and run it only within their latest walled garden. But thankfully there are devices like the Retrode which have allowed me to transfer those old carts I own into the digital domain, and to back them up or play them as I please (via emulation). And wii homebrew, which lets me back up all my gamecube games, and maybe one day play them on a future handheld device

 

[EvilDragon]

Aaah, but it's already a new Nesticle version.
I remember the very first one... no windowed previews, etc

 

[Askarus]

Of course, at the same time I object to that monetization, because the publishers are charging for the right to buy a game you might already legally own a copy of, and run it only within their latest walled garden. But thankfully there are devices like the Retrode which have allowed me to transfer those old carts I own into the digital domain, and to back them up or play them as I please (via emulation). And wii homebrew, which lets me back up all my gamecube games, and maybe one day play them on a future handheld device

That's exactly the point.
I for example am using a 3 DS flash card.
Why? Because I'm lazy and don't want to carry many cartridges around but have access to all my games.
I bought every game on the console and ripped it myself.

Same for PSX emulation on Pandora. I bought the Discs and ripped them.
And yes, need to do all of that for my Gamecube collection as well .

For me Emulation (and flashcards) is simply a way to make gaming easier.

 

[PokeParadox]

And save game backups!

 

[pmprog]

And save states... Especially when you're playing some of the longer games which didn't have save slots (ie, most C64 games)

 

[Klumpen]

And save states... Especially when you're playing some of the longer games which didn't have save slots (ie, most C64 games)

I couldn't agree more. Most old games have become fun for me simply by adding the ability to save properly (or at all).

 

[FBnil]

I, for one, concentrate of the most important part of the article and "weep for the lost revenue of corporations"...

Daemonization made easy:

emulation 1>/dev/null 2>&1 &

 

[PokeParadox]

I also like when emulation works better than the actual hardware, e.g. Dolphin, but one specific example I remember is 1080 Snowboarding on the N64; On actual hardware it has slow down with the powder snow particles. On most emulators it doesn't.

 

[Hồng Thất Công]

Like all things, it's good when it is used properly.

For me, emulation is the best thing there is in gaming. I have the utmost respect for its creators.

 

[WizardStan]

the publishers are charging for the right to buy a game you might already legally own a copy of

That's kind of the same with all media though, eh? You may own a VHS copy of some movie, but if you want to watch it today you either need to find a VHS player or rebuy it on DVD, maybe even BD just for the added future proofing, if you can find it.

 

[Mr_Loon]

Thanks Notaz, really interesting article.

Particularly this bit :

the ROM file for Super Mario Bros. currently distributed on the Virtual Console sports an iNES file header, a format that was first developed for an emulation project in the mid-'90s. By far the most likely reason that header is in an official Nintendo product, Cifaldi says, is that the company downloaded a copy of its own game from the Internet. "Nintendo is pirating its own ROMS and selling them to you!" he said.

I think there is a typo and it should be : 'By far the most likely reason that header isn't an official Nintendo product'

 

[pmprog]

I think there is a typo and it should be : 'By far the most likely reason that header isn't an official Nintendo product'

You're sending corrections to the wrong place
But whilst you're at it, "Nintendo is pirating it's own ROMS and selling them to you!" is also wrong. Just because they downloaded an already ripped image, doesn't mean they're pirating as they literally "own" the game.

Kinda reminds me of a friend who used to work at Macromedia. Apparently when they needed their own software installing on dev machines, they'd go and download a pirate keygen because something like they lost their original generator

 

[Agricola]

That's kind of the same with all media though, eh? You may own a VHS copy of some movie, but if you want to watch it today you either need to find a VHS player or rebuy it on DVD, maybe even BD just for the added future proofing, if you can find it.

Your analogy is flawed: While Blu-Ray re-releases of a movie/show have more available data storage than the VHS release and use it a lot (most times better resolution, often more bonus content etc.), re-releases of old console games via Nintendo's Virtual Console have no enhancement other than what can be deduced from the originally released data (and an emulator that's inferior to what you can download legally for free). GoG releases at least have a bit more bonus content or updates already installed, also it's a lot more of a hassle to get old DOS games to run on modern computers.

 

[levi]

That's kind of the same with all media though, eh? You may own a VHS copy of some movie, but if you want to watch it today you either need to find a VHS player or rebuy it on DVD, maybe even BD just for the added future proofing, if you can find it.

As Agricola says, when I buy a Bluray of something I already own on VHS, I'm trying to get closer to the original 35mm (or whatever) film. There is no historically more authentic version of Super Mario Bros on the NES, at least in the game data - I still do like to bring out my old consoles from time to time to get the full experience, but I guess that's another topic. To do the same with film I'd need to rent a movie projector and the film and project it, in both cases I'm looking for the most authentic vision of the art while minimising all the other inconveniences related to exhibiting that art.