Pirates accidentally preserving gaming history?

[Chibz]

I also, on a rather unrelated note, find it funny how pro-piracy these forums can be, yet many people are anti-used sales. That strikes me as rather funny.

It strikes me as all sorts of backwards. Especially given the thoroughly legal nature of used game sales, and that the physical product was STILL a sale.

I work with an older woman who is one of the most "by the book" people you will ever meet but she didn't bat an eye when her grandson told her he'd rather have an R4 cartridge for Christmas this year rather than any specific games for his DS. She thought it was "neat" that he could get his own games now for free.

This is actually an example that most people (especially older people) don't understand the issue of piracy at all, or the technology involved. If she understood that he was basically doing the equivalent of sneaking onto a train (Being a free rider) she likely wouldn't approve as much.

Otherwise, I'd question how "by the book" she really is.

 

[Chibz]

Also quoted, because there is one game that I can assure you will never be remade or rerelased until Nintendo of America decides to pull their heads out of their arses: Earthbound.

Pardon my double post, but I wanted to make sure leet_x1337 saw this...

Earthbound not being remade or rereleased isn't a matter of "head up ass" syndrome. It's really MUCH more due to the fact that it would have massive licensing and copyright problems.

Fortunately there's much more knowledgeable people who spent a lot more time perfecting their explanation. Here. http://earthboundcentral.com/2009/02/earthbound-legal-issues/

It would have to be butchered so far that it would barely resemble the Earth Bound you knew and love. Ain't gonna happen.

 

[FalloutJack]

The only comment I will make here is this...

"The Neil Gaiman Defense."

End of story.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

Snipped own post.

Pardon my double post, but I wanted to make sure leet_x1337 saw this...

Earthbound not being remade or rereleased isn't a matter of "head up ass" syndrome. It's really MUCH more due to the fact that it would have massive licensing and copyright problems.

Fortunately there's much more knowledgeable people who spent a lot more time perfecting their explanation. Here. http://earthboundcentral.com/2009/02/earthbound-legal-issues/

It would have to be butchered so far that it would barely resemble the Earth Bound you knew and love. Ain't gonna happen.

Yeah, but...Still. A guy's allowed some hyperbole and wishful thinking sometimes, isn't he?

I've read other articles on why EB for Virtual Console ain't happening, but the thing is, who would have their head stuck so far up their own arse that they'd call out a 15-year-old game for using tiny snippets of music from other songs? Seriously? And, heck, all the people who played the '4Kids' version would probably find out about the original online, and since they technically have a copy of the game it wouldn't be illegal to download that version.

Which brings me neatly back on topic: Piracy preserves history. Which was really the point of the original; I just rambled a bit.

 

[Aerograt]

The problem is that pirates are pirating games that are out now because they're just being thieves, they're not doing it to help anyone, especially developers (Or the chance of getting sequels, didn't think of that now did you?). Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo just need to make all old games available for a discounted, ie, "really low since they should be thankful we're interested in archaic games in the first place" price.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Not somuch accidentally as it is the will/vote of the people, torrents stay active as long as someone feels the content is worth sharing so good content will stay around alot longer.

The console companies should finally learn and add the golden oldies to their arcades, and at fair prices because I just know some asshole is reading this and thinking "Yes, yeess, sell Tetris at $20 muahahahah!"

 

[Twilight_guy]

Well you know except for all the people who already though of this and began legally preserving gaming history. Issue 177 of the Escapist was on a similar theme and had a story or two that address this. Go look it up... right now... what are you still reading this post for!

 

[Triforceformer]

Wouldn't releasing hard copies of compilations of these downloadable games and DLC solve this problem?

And this is why I prefer hard copies of everything. You can lose data, run out of hard drive space, but you can always find more shelf space

But what happens if the disc gets ruined, or there's a fire? Wasn't that a big reason digital distribution took off so well?

 

[Wintermoot]

I think that,s the point of piracy
nowadays the only way to play 80-90% of the game published BEFORE the 2000,s is by pirating it either that or strolling the internet/flea markets.