Poll: Is it wrong to download very old games (that have been re-released)?
- Thread starter DaMan1500
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My own opinion is that humanity should keep track of pretty much every useful piece of information -- books, movies, games, scientific data -- it can get its grubby little hands on. Because once it's gone, it's gone forever, no matter how badly future generations may wish it was still around.
Therefore, in the event that the new release is a functional equivalent of an older release (same exact graphics, music, story, etc.), just updated to run on modern computers/consoles, I would consider it the same game, and worthy of purchase if you want to access the original. But if pretty much anything has been "updated" or "improved", I consider it a separate version of the same game. It still may be worthy of purchase, but that doesn't mean that the original can be swept into the trash heap of history and be forgotten.
Therefore, in the event that the new release is a functional equivalent of an older release (same exact graphics, music, story, etc.), just updated to run on modern computers/consoles, I would consider it the same game, and worthy of purchase if you want to access the original. But if pretty much anything has been "updated" or "improved", I consider it a separate version of the same game. It still may be worthy of purchase, but that doesn't mean that the original can be swept into the trash heap of history and be forgotten.
Abandonware is fine.
Freeware is fine.
If someone owns the IP it is stealing.
If someone owns the IP but refuses to sell the product anymore, it is still stealing, just less reprehensibly so.
Freeware is fine.
If someone owns the IP it is stealing.
If someone owns the IP but refuses to sell the product anymore, it is still stealing, just less reprehensibly so.
You have define "Wrong" if you want that answered.
In my other post i postulated that the current copyright laws needs to be changed in a manner of time. back there i suggested a 15-10 year limit to videogames. Meaning that after 15-10 years the game goes into public domain and thus is accessible to everyone. With the speed of gaming, very few games, which are exceptions from the rule, really do bring in any profit, and such laws as is now is there only to limit, not to protect.
so i voted no, its not wrong to download very old games in my personal opinion.
it is wrong according to law in most countries however.
In my other post i postulated that the current copyright laws needs to be changed in a manner of time. back there i suggested a 15-10 year limit to videogames. Meaning that after 15-10 years the game goes into public domain and thus is accessible to everyone. With the speed of gaming, very few games, which are exceptions from the rule, really do bring in any profit, and such laws as is now is there only to limit, not to protect.
so i voted no, its not wrong to download very old games in my personal opinion.
it is wrong according to law in most countries however.
According to the law? depending on where you are from. According to common sense: No, it's not stealing.
I don't see anything wrong in downloading old games for unsupported platforms (DOS, NES, Genesis). these game have already made their profit (or loss).
If a publisher wants to make money out of these games, he should make a proper remake/sequel.
I don't see anything wrong in downloading old games for unsupported platforms (DOS, NES, Genesis). these game have already made their profit (or loss).
If a publisher wants to make money out of these games, he should make a proper remake/sequel.
Unless the original devs own the rights to the games, most of them never see the royalties from re-releases. They all go to Ubisoft, Activision, and EA, as those pretty much own the portfolios of all the other publishers that tanked in the lat 90's early 2,000's.
I won't straight up say it isn't stealing, but as far as I can see, when somebody wants to produce a sequel to a franchise that isn't an FPS, they take it to KS and give it a new name, so I don't really care if the big 3 get any money from the older titles.
I won't straight up say it isn't stealing, but as far as I can see, when somebody wants to produce a sequel to a franchise that isn't an FPS, they take it to KS and give it a new name, so I don't really care if the big 3 get any money from the older titles.
You can say "fuck 'em" all you want, it's still stealing. You can make the argument that sometimes stealing is ok, morally grey or 'good' even. But it does not change the facts of the matter.Sansha said:
If your question is: 'is it stealing?/is it legal?' then I would say no, it is not. Piracy is piracy, it does not matter what your reasons for doing it are. It's a simple binary equation.Sansha said:
If you're asking if its justifiable or morally right? Then that's an altogether different issue.
If it is a new HD release, then presumably some work went into updating to HD. People don't work for free, companies can't afford to have them work on projects to be released at no profit. So downloading an updated version is morally bad even if you owned the old version.
If you are simply downloading the exact same version that you already purchased and have lost access to, then it falls under the morale grey/good category. It's still technically piracy but I doubt anyone would really come after you for it. And with jury nullification, even if they took it to court, you'd likely win.(Which btw, a surefire way to get kicked off a jury is to say that you believe in the right to jury nullification.)