Poll: Am I a bad person to use Emulators?

[Tenkage]

If you don't know what an Emulator is, what it is basicaly, is that it lets my computor think its a console (in my case its GBA and SNES because it is easy to operate) now defined as I don't pay for the games its piracy, but lets say I want to play a game I can't find any more or is too costy to buy.

The Two games I need to explain why I need to Emulate might make you understand

Terranigma, which was never released in the US, just in PAL Format, a really good RPG

Earthbound, the price to find the SNES copy (without Guide mind you) can go well over 500 bucks, plus according to legal issues, will never be released (see the Happy Video game Nerd's video on Earthbound for more details, its near the end)

So I ask you, am I bad person to use emulators, despite not paying for most of the games.

Yes it is piracy by definition, but my arguement is that they don't make these games any more, the consoles have been considered obsolete by everyone but retro gaming fans.

 

[disgruntledgamer]

If a game is over 15-20 years old I'd say it's fair game. People who made it probably aren't getting money from it if you managed to buy it anyway.

 

[ToastiestZombie]

Hmm, that's the most grey area in this whole debate. It always will be. Personally, my viewpoint when it comes to emulation is: I will only get an emulation of something I've bought before, but just can't find or the machine doesn't work anymore.

For example I emulated the original Rayman for the PS1, I had bought it brand new and I had bought the PS1 but both had gone missing and I really wanted to play it. There wasn't anywhere I could buy it again, so I emulated it. But, if there is an option to buy it somewhere else then yeah, I will buy it again. A prime example being the Sega MegaDrive collection for the current gen consoles. That was an amazing bundle of awesome games, which I bought instead of emulating.

Please note that I do not believe emulating a game just because it's easier is good. You should ALWAYS try to buy a game legally instead of getting it free. For example, if someone were to emulate Super Mario 64 even though you can easily get it on the Wii's Virtual console then they're still in the wrong.

 

[w9496]

If you were emulating a modern console, say an Xbox 360, then yes, you would be a horrible person. But if the game is from the PS1 era or further, then I'd say it's okay.

 

[Tenkage]

Glad to see that people agree with me

 

[Vivi22]

You know what, if new copies literally are not sold anymore or you're emulating games you own, I don't have a problem with it, and I don't see how anyone can say there's anything morally wrong with it.

Plus there are benefits to emulating. I've been playing FFX again through an emulator (my own original copy by the way) and it's pretty awesome. Save states, higher resolution, etc.

 

[jamesworkshop]

I don't see the problem, most stuff that is emulated well has long since past retail availability.

 

[lRookiel]

The only emulated game I've ever played was Medievil, and I owned both the first and second medievil games for the PSX beforehand. I think if it's too old to find, or if you owned it prior to the emulated version then it's fair.

 

[WoW Killer]

It's all about that #pirate-copies =/= #lost-sales thing. In the case of an old game that isn't available anywhere else, then that's very clearly not a lost sale. I don't see anything wrong with it. Developers should be working towards new games to create their revenue. Look at id, and their policy of going open source with older works. It doesn't hurt them, in fact it only helps in keeping people interested in their games. There are a number of game series I've only been interested in due to having emulated older works. For instance, Star Ocean. I've since bought the PSP remake of the original, but I'd have never been into the series if I hadn't emulated the SNES version.

 

[Jazoni89]

If you are pirating brand new games, or games from this current gen, then yes you are bad, very bad.

If you are emulating games from 20 years ago, that are hard to get copies of, or are not freely available, for your personal enjoyment, or nostalgia, then go on right ahead.

Personally I prefer playing on the systems that the games are mean't to be played on. I do admittedly dabble in a bit of ISO burning though for old CD based consoles. That's how I've mostly played most of the 3DO library (Yay for Copy protection free gaming!).

Emulation is not as bad as most people make it out to be. It helps in preserving games (especially Arcade games, which would be lost forever if not for emulation) for a new generation of gamers. It also helps youtubers make easy let's play's, and it's a great platform in order for gamers to try out games that were never released (such as Starfox 2, which is freely available as a near final ROM on the net).

It also bumps up the graphics of the games a bit, which is good in my book.

 

[ShadowTrooper-A-E]

no not really as others stated above. If the game is something like from near 10 years ago or later than i say no problem even more so if if your emulating a game you own since at that point it's legal.

 

[darlarosa]

In some cases it is the only option. I doubt anyone will be upset over wanting to play a 10+ year old game that has not been released on anything. I think its fine and necessary at times.

 

[Pink Gregory]

Have you SEEN how much even a used copy of Earthbound is?

It's not like any sales of anything that came before this console generation (doesn't count for PC titles so much) is going back to the developer/publisher anyway, why line someone else's pockets for something that's simply out of production when it's available with emulation?

 

[CAPTCHA]

Nahhh... A lot of these retro titles cost so much because they are collectors items and the data is secondary to it's physical form. It only really comes to things that are being sold for the data itself where I'd consider downloading to be piracy. My morals are a bit iffy regarding abandonware for the PC now that we have GOG however, since I dislike the company and their practices. But that's a topic for another discussion.

 

[BeeGeenie]

Your motives are good and you should feel good.

Like everyone else said, if you can't get it anywhere else, go ahead.
If the original creators thought they could make any money off it, they would have re-released it by now.

 

[Tanis]

Here's the test:
If you can only buy the game used because NEW copies don't exist.
-Then I'd say it's fine.

IF you CAN buy a game NEW, but you're too poor/cheap/lazy to do so...
-Then you're doing some that's 'morally' wrong.

 

[Lunar Templar]

Terranigma?

thanks for reminding me to go find that.

and no, you good far as I'm concerned, its not a current gen console so there shouldn't be an issue