This is sort of a heated topic in the game community and while I recall a few posts briefly delving into discussing it, I don't think its ever had its own dedicated thread.

What do you think of game piracy? As defined by downloading a ROM online to play a game instead of purchasing it.

In short, it's always bugged me. Games are entertainment, they're a luxury. You're not exactly Jean Valjean stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family. That said, I think a case can be made for exceedingly rare or unlocalized games to live on through emulation. In some cases, this can give a work more publicity than it'd normally get.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to hearing other opinions on this matter.

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@J.K. Riki

Sometimes I feel like driving through a stop sign where no one else is at (and where I can clearly see that nobody is around). But I don't. Damn laws. Built into my psyche!

Make games affordable and available on many platforms and ill pay, Restrict it with high cost and bad DRM policies and ill go else where.

Its the Same with TV Shows for example Game Of Thrones in Australia the only way to " Legally" watch it on release in 1080p quality is to have a Cable subscription $46.00 per month for Minium 6 months contract.

Which is an absolute joke, in turn it forces people to download illegal copies of the show,

Right now i could use my phone to play just about any console game upto and including PS1 on my phone via emulation and ROMs , With on-screen controls or by using a Blue Tooth controller.

The technology is here but the owners of these games some of which are 20+ years old are out of touch with what people want.

I just visited Nintendo's website and couldn't even confirm pricing for Super Mario World or any game, The website tells me I have to have to vist the Eshop on console to even be allowed to see pricing in this day and age that's a Joke in itself.

@Joshwaahh

Here SMW goes for $8 per system. If you wanted it on every platform capable of playing it on VC you'd be paying $24 minimum and of course if any of those platforms get stolen or break its on you to contact Nintendo to figure out the license. I don't think that you can carry progress between versions either but I may be mistaken on that. And presumably you'd be expected to pay again to play it on NX.

It's just so little value for the cost they ask.

What? Nintendo want you to pay three times if you want three separate copies of a game?

Madness!

I'll remember to tell the cashier at JB Hi-fi this traumatic story when I go down to pick up my free Xbone and PC versions of Star Wars Battlefront that I'm clearly entitled to seeing as I already bought it once on PS4.


It could be worse though. I could have paid for the same game 3 or 4 times on the one platform. Wouldn't that have been something to complain about, eh?

@Shadowlink

So you would be happy to re-purchase any app's you own on your android tablet if you were to get a new tablet?

@Joshwaahh

I haven't purchased any apps. Lucky me eh?

Of course let's play devils advocate for a moment and pretend that I had...I'd like to think I was smart enough to check and see what purchase actually entailed, instead of complaining about something I was never actually offered. *shrugs*

But man, imagine if I had to pay for the same app 3 or 4 times for the same tablet? Wouldn't that suck?

@Shadowlink

Nintendo can do whatever they want, but I'm not going to buy in to a service with so little value. Like Hinph says, buying it once is okay but after that emulators or bust.

@Stephen

Don't buy it if you don't want to. That's fair. No-one can make you.

But if you want to play those games, then don't use Nintendo's perfectly reasonable policies to justify your own (or Hinph's or Josh's) piracy. That doesn't fly. You can afford 8 bucks if you really want to play Super Mario World. No-one is making you pay for it three times in order to play it.

@Shadowlink

I assume then that you pay for the cable subscription Josh was talking about in order to watch Game of Thrones?

Wouldn't want to be a hypocrite now.

@Shadowlink

Yes Lucky you,

What I'm trying to get across is that it is pretty much considered the norm to have cross platform purchases / for digital media.

I purchase a Song on my Phone, i can play that song on my phone, tablet or listen to it via any computer with google Chrome installed.

I purchase an app on my phone , 3 phones later i can still download that app and use it.

Xbox Play Anywhere , a prime recent example of a recent change in DMR done right, You yourself only the other day were hoping like hell they add the rare re-play to it so you can play the game without having to buy a console.

Nintendo is very backward in how it does things, DMR policies, Youtube Policies, Even down to how they treat Store owners who sell their products.

And yes they have every right to do what ever they want. while they continue to get it wrong in the eyes of the majority of gamers they will be ignored by the mainstream.

@Stephen

Ah yes because when Nintendo sells you Super Mario World, they also charge you an extra $60 *a month* and throw in Dog Football, Urban Champion, NES Volleyball, and a pile of other NES games you don't want. Yep, I'm sure that's exactly the situation that you're protesting.


Of course this also ignores the fact that as per my earlier thoughts, the key factor in this equation is whether or not the creators are supported. I tend to think that my purchase of the novels and my previously stated intentions to purchase the eventual Blu-Ray set of the show do much to diminish your charge of hypocrisy, wouldn't you think?

I'll have to make a note that whenever the show comes out on a new format, that they owe me a whole new copy for free though. Wouldn't want to be ripped off.


@Joshwaahh

This is the 'Everyone else's parent's said yes!" argument. It's not relevant. Just because other companies offer something, it doesn't mean Nintendo has to. I also note that none of those companies have the back catalogue Nintendo does. BTW, I purchased many VC games on my Wii in 2006, and I can still play them on my WiiU in 2016. Is that not what you're describing?

I just can't automatically play those same games on an entirely different platform. That's to be expected.

And you still haven't addressed the situation of buying the same content three or four times on the same platform. Why aren't you complaining about that?

@Shadowlink

Nope. If you want the show play by HBO's rules.

That's how things are apparently. No room for personal assessment of value or anything reasonable like that.

Oh and you could buy the show episode by episode from something like iTunes.

But you don't do you? Hypocrite.

$8 per instance of a SNES game that you don't even own the rights for is a fucking joke.

I just love the irony of you telling me how you pirate the show with a 'catch you later' attitude is apparently okay but me emulating the game after having already bought the original cart AND the VC copy on Wii isn't.

Take a fucking seat.

@Shadowlink

No its not 'Everyone else's parent's said yes!" argument its the fact that other companies are moving forward but you are too much of a Blind Nintendo fan boy to see anything else and won't admit there is a better way, you are " NINTENDO CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT AND THEY DON'T DO NOTHING WRONG" Camp


What are you talking about buying the same content 3 or 4 times on the same platform?

@Joshwaahh

I never said there couldn't be a better way. I'm arguing against the notion that it's somehow unfair or unreasonable. It really isn't. The only people who think that have unrealistic expectations. Which is funny when one of them had no problem paying for Destiny 3 or 4 times, but thinks Nintendo's policies are outrageous!!

But nice job on the 'LOL BLIND FANBOI!!' argument. You've got me! I'm totally convinced now! .

@Stephen

They're not HBO's rules. They're Foxtel's. But nice try though at trying to claim a simple transaction of a few bucks for one game is the same ballpark of 'fairness' as $250+ for a pile of shows you don't want.


If you've bought the VC copy, then why are we talking about emulation? Play your VC copy and be happy. You keep stating that you refuse to support Nintendo by buying digitally. So have you bought the game or not?

I'm supporting the actual creators of the media in question (not the middleman wholesaler). If you're intending to simply emulate the game and refuse to buy it despite being given a *fair* opportunity to do so, then you're not supporting the creators. That's the key difference.

In fact we have pretty much the exact opposite occurring here. An interesting roundtable has just degenerated into another Nintendo bashing opportunity for the usual suspects. And I've broken my own rule getting involved with rehashing the same tired topic. Snooze. Linking to all the relevant points again, and leaving it at that.

http://au.ign.com/articles/2013/01/26/5-reasons-wii-us-virtual-console-is-totally-fair

@Shadowlink

Yes I purchased Destiny 4 times (sold one Copy for what I paid for it)

Have posted this fact on social Media pages, have never denied the fact.

Not something I planned on doing, and I was annoyed at needing to buy the 2nd Copy due to bad DMR policies on Playstation.

The 3rd was a Bundle that included new content and exclusive content.

and the 4th I resold for the same price i paid for it.

If you have something to say, say it, Don't leave cryptic bullshit in your post.


I never once said it's unfair or unreasonable , what I've said is "Nintendo is very backward in how it does things, DMR policies, Youtube Policies, Even down to how they treat Store owners who sell their products.

And yes they have every right to do whatever they want. while they continue to get it wrong in the eyes of the majority of gamers they will be ignored by the mainstream."


And the fact you jump on your Nintendo high horse , dressed in Full Nintendo Amour to Defend Nintendos Honur at the sound of anyone that doesn't agree with Nintendos Current policies is why My brother YOU ARE A BLIND NINTENDO FAN BOY.

@Shadowlink

Buying the show on iTunes supports the creators. Why don't you do that?

Oh right.

Hypocrite.

Run away like always. And keep linking articles written by people who shill so much they get hired by the actual company for PR lol.

EDIT: Also your entire premise why one is okay and not the other is because one is "fair". You realize you're just applying your own standards of value and trying to hold people to that? And enough with trying to pin this on us trolling. Other people have said pretty much the exact same thing in this thread but you dodged them because you can't get away with claiming it's just a bias against Nintendo. Fucking pathetic.

Guys guys guys. We've had this EXACT same discussion before, and it got exactly this ugly before it petered out unsatisfyingly for everyone just as it no doubt will again this time.

Walk away.

@Guillaume

Gui you know what he is like. It just never fucking ends and follows you from thread to thread. Go back and actually read the posts that brought this about. It's the same as always actual on topic conversation gets sidetracked by him (even though other people expressed similar POVs before) and it ends with him running away pretending like it's just too much for him to deal with when in reality he brought it all upon himself. Until this behavior gets addressed you are just getting the same problem next time or asking me to ignore this blatant baiting and snide remarks.

I've no problem with actually arguing my on-topic stance but I am the one being attacked for my viewpoints.

I understand, but with the community we have here and the options moderators have, ignoring the bait might be the most effective tactic. There are a few things I read here that made me write up snarky remarks, but ultimately I did not hit Post.

Good post btw.

@Shadowlink, find a different strategy to argue your case because clearly sarcasm isn't helping. Please avoid talking down to the people you argue with and strongly imply things about their intelligence level.

I'd say for now we should all move on, though. Everything's been said. Let's just keep this in mind for next time.

Let's not stoop to calling each other "fanboys", okay? (also it's "DRM", not "DMR")

In general though, I really disagree with the notion that it's reasonable to rebuy a Virtual Console game on multiple platforms. That's like asking someone to rebuy the same music album on a phone, on a computer, and on a tablet. Sure, you could perhaps technically, legally enforce such a form of DRM for your platforms, but when you're providing such an inconvenient experience, I don't think you should really be surprised if people aren't enthusiastic to give you money in return.

I'd personally much rather search out an original cartridge copy of said game, because at least I can use a device like the Retrode 2 or the Kazzo to dump my own ROM from it, which I can use on whatever platforms are capable of supporting emulation of said system. I'd be more interested in buying older games digitally if I could freely play them on whatever platform I want, which is something that storefronts like Steam and especially GOG offer. Also no, your save data can't be transferred between Wii U and 3DS Virtual Console games, which is another downside to Nintendo's set-up. Really, it's not an absurd notion to acknowledge that Nintendo is behind the times in many areas, and their archaic approach to digital distribution in general is one of the most glaring faults they have, as a company.