Help the GP32 by NOT making a GBA...

[PulsatingQuasar]

Nintendo doesn't have a case anyway. You can't rule against GamePark for making an open-source handheld.

It's like ruling against Linus Torvalds for the open source Linux which made Lindows and other Win32 API emulators possible.

That is not going to happen and Nintendo winning a case against Gamepark for an open source handheld will also nog happen. Unless the judge is bribed.

 

[rcx21000]

Unless the judge is bribed.

And ofcourse thats NOT going to happen, nintendo has ONLY about a few million dollars to spare

 

[generalnmx]

These are all good points. However, I noticed some of them are rather off-topic, probably because of the nature of this site and this board. Maybe I am presenting the material unclearly, because it seems there is a lack of perspective. Let me clarify:

- To Gamepark, this is a "market test-drive". They aren't ready to compete against the GBA...yet.

- The GP32 looks almost exactly like a GBA.

- If the GP32 could emulate the GBA well, then it would obviously be superior to the GBA in every way.

- If the GP32 could emulate the SNES well, then that too could boost its superiority over the GBA (since a large market for the GBA is SNES remakes).

- Nintendo hates emulation and importing.

- If the Gamepark is to be a commerical success, it needs more commerical games designed specifically for it. They cannot rely on emulation alone, or else it will flop.

- The only reason we don't see more commerical games (and especially English ones) is because Gamepark isn't ready to push it commerically (a costly procedure, mostly financially).

If you need an example of silly and frivilous litigation, look at The Tetris Company - a corporation made of entirely of lawyers, with profits only from back royalties and settlements.

 

[Flack]

Right now, Nintendo doesn't have much of a case against GamePark. Yeah, it runs NES roms, big deal. While technically it's illegal, it would be pretty tough them to sue over games that haven't been sold in stores in over a decade. They don't make games for the GP32 and I don't figure they're going to, so it would be a pretty difficult sell in court on "monitary" losses.

The day a GBA emulator comes out, all hell would break loose. You can bet your ass Nintendo suits would be ALL OVER the GP32 community. You think that Tetris thing was a big deal? You can bet the big N would squash the GP32 emulation scene like a bug in a heartbeat.

I'm sure Nintendo isn't nervous about the GP32, but I'll bet the *are* curious as to why people would pick one over a GBA. People who go head to head against Nintendo almost consistantly lose, especially when it comes to copyright issues.

My guess is the guys at Nintendo probably think it's cool that 15 years after Super Mario Brothers was released, people are still playing it on handheld machines. But go head to head with them in the courtroom and no one will think it's cute any longer.

 

[Lord Namsu]

In previous posts in this topic its been mentioned that most GBA games are SNES remakes anyway. If that is the case then surely the GP32 is stepping on the GBA's toes already.
Lets face it who wants to buy a GBA for the SNES remakes when you can have the originals (in rom form) on your GP32. Not only SNES but all the other systems the GP32 can emulate.
The Mario Advance games are just Nes and Snes remakes for the GBA, but people could emulate them on the GP32 meaning they wouldn't buy the GBA versions and nintendo wouldn't get the money.
If you look at it that way nintendo has cause to go after gamepark already.

 

[NeoAP]

I understand all your arguments but hey, Nintendo can't just sue a company for making an open-source machine. Why there are so few games is because Gamepark has no money to finance development (also they are a small company) - they almost got no money for an official European release! And Gamepark doesn't rely on "emulation", as it was said in a previous post, they rely on the homegrown scene. That's what they are marketing - the homegrown scene.
I'm nervous too about Gamepark facing Nintendo and oh yes, you never no what Nintendo will do. But it's shitty if Nintendo sues a company that have made a good open-source multifunctional gamemachine, just because the users do the illegal stuff. <_<

 

[trooper]

I am very passonate about the GP32, But this thread seems to be going round and round in circles . As it has been said a hundered times before, Forget GBA emulation, You want the games, Buy the system, Simple .

Lets just look forward to megadrive and better snes emulation, Hopefully amiga emulation too .

Just my 2p.

Trooper

 

[PulsatingQuasar]

If most of the GBA games are SNES remakes then why bother with GBA emulation?

I think that with a decent amount of assembly, SNES and Genesis emulation would be fluent with perfect sound at frameskip 0. I'd much rather have them combine efforts to get these emulators perfect.

Then they can continue with other emu's like the NeoGeo before returning to the GBA emulation.

I mean; 6000 SNES games for an SNES emulator and 6000 of the same games for a GBA emulator seems pointless.

 

[Azure]

Some of the gba games are snes remakes. I still would like a gba emulator, because there are lots of good games for it, and new ones are still being made. It has great games that aren't remakes. Advance Wars, Castlevania Games (I know we have these for the other systems, but these have way better gameplay, graphics, and sound IMO), Golden Sun, Mario Kart Advance (I know there is a snes one, but this one is way better IMO, it has excellent graphics, sound, gameplay, and tracks), Megaman Zero...

And more games are still being made.

 

[Lord Namsu]

While Megaman Zero is a great game, I'd prefer being able to play the Megaman X games, X2 and X3 don't work :angry:

 

[Rico]

Of course N can't sue GamePark but they can exercise their influence over many retailers and block it's availability and marketing.

 

[PulsatingQuasar]

I think Microsoft thought that about Linux and Windows but they haven't succeded so far and they won't either.


What is important is getting more appearance under the open source community! If they start to embrace this little machine then the Gamepark gets into a savehaven.

 

[generalnmx]

Actually, I think we may be getting a bit off-topic because of a typo in the topic's title. It was suppose to read "Help the GP32 by NOT making it into a GBA", and the emulation point was suppose to include both GBA and, yes, SNES. My little 6-year old brother (to whom my old GBA now belongs to) plays the Super Mario World remake for GBA almost exclusively.

I think Nintendo will get plently mad even with decent SNES emulation coming out of the GP32. Take a look at your GP32, objectively. It looks almost exactly like a GBA. Even if Gamepark denies everything and makes a very strong case, I think it will be very difficult for a judge to turn down that fact - a handheld console that can emulate a SNES (very nasty word in the digital entertainment industry), and looks almost exactly like the GBA. Even if Nintendo can't sue them, they may be able to place sanctions on them, undermind their deals with retailers, and generally nip at their heels.

A normal competitor, Nintendo would probably treat fairly. But a competitor that can decently emulate SNES using illegally obtained ROMs along with having its own commerical games to compete with the GBA - Nintendo will probably go ballistic.

 

[jot2b]

I agree with Rico, Cartman, kraahl, and anyone else who believes Gamepark cannot be sued by Nintendo. Gun manufacturers cannot be sued because some people "misuse" their products, too. As long as Gamepark does not intentionally advertise emulation and illegal rom trading as a selling point, they will be safe.

Of course N can't sue GamePark but they can exercise their influence over many retailers and block it's availability and marketing.

This is absolutely true; however, Gamepark has an advantage of representing a niche market. Let's compare the two machines: a GBA that is simple to set up and play commercial games on; and a GP32, with mp3, video, text, emulation, and scheduler capabilities, which appeals to techies and advanced gamers.

Gamepark's machine is uniquely positioned halfway between handheld console and PDA. And Nintendo simply doesn't care about PDAs and PDA emulation. My prediction: Nintendo will be too busy fighting PSP and N-gage to worry about the little guy with his small, solid following.

 

[Vicious_Al]

Of course N can't sue GamePark but they can exercise their influence over many retailers and block it's availability and marketing.

'course they can, they just sued lik-sang over their gameboy link cables not long ago

 

[Mofokubik]

But gamepark has no control over the emulators that are developed for it, lik-sang DOES have control over what they sell.

 

[generalnmx]

Napster wasn't really responsible for their network traffic, yet got shut down anyway.

- Napster was created mainly to share music files.
- Any idiot would think some music files will be illegal.
- Napster knew they couldn't even dent the sharing of illegal music files, so didn't even try.

- Gamepark was created with the idea of a good PD community backing them up.
- One would think that eventually emulators would be developed for the handheld gaming system, as it looks exactly like a GBA, can actively receive files from your PC, and has the specs for it.
- Any idiot knows that emulation can easily be used for illegal purposes.
- Gamepark can't risk ostricizing the emulation community, so won't even try.

Remember - Nintendo sued retailers over selling imports of their games. This was just, what, about 4 months ago?

Has the world really changed enough?

[EDIT]
I'd also like to add some other points I just thought of. The real reason Napster got shut down is because it was operating on the Internet. The Internet to most older folks, probably including many of those old judges, was big and scary. And by default, anything we do not understand is probably wrong, evil, immoral, and illegal. That bias is how the Anti-Napster forces really were able to rally support - ignorance.

Emulation is also another big and scary topic, though its status dwarfed when compared to the Internet. To understand the underlying legality of emulation, one must be conversant with the underlying technical details of emulation itself. Nintendo might think it has the same type of chance, relying on ignorance to push Gamepark out of the playing field. Its even worse that Gamepark is in Korea. Even though Japan is also part of Asia, they might try to ally Korea with China, claiming the Gamepark32 is just another vehicle for bootleg material.
[/EDIT]