Poll: Is pirating old games morally permissable?

[Zarkov]

Yeah, course it is. If you can't find a game, and there's no chance you will, pirate away.

I'll admit it; I pirate games. I have an SNES emulator, and a copy of good 'ol Chrono Trigger and a couple of other Square productions. I also have a GBA emulator, because my local Gamestop doesn't sell GBAs or even the games for that matter, or any that I care for anyway. I could buy all of these things online, but the money required for some rarer games become ridiculous and I like to avoid putting my credit card online whenever possible. So yeah, I pirate games.

Is this wrong legally? Probably. Morally, I think the people who put their heart into these old games would just love to see people playing the games, regardless of how it was obtained. The money doesn't go to them. They have no incentive to keep legal action over these games.

If I made a game that was twenty years old and people were STILL playing it regardless of the new technology, I would be overjoyed. And I don't think I'm that far off from what the developers would feel too.

I loved the SNES games and the GBA games from back in the day. It's too bad that they aren't accessible anymore besides pirating. It's a shame really.

Do you know what I think is worse than people getting wrathed for admitting to piracy?

The fact that this guy won't be wrathed.

(note: I don't think you should, I'm just pointing out a hypocrisy. Ideally no one would get banned for admitting to piracy, but whatever)

I'm not too sure I'm catching your drift, could you explain your opinion a little?

 

[blankedboy]

Well if there's no other way of obtaining the game, go for it.
In my opinion I don't see the point of paying full price unless the developers are actually getting paid, this more than comes under that category.

 

[Android2137]

If I can't get it legitimately, if I can't get it via any other means, why not? James Portnow himself said he doesn't mind if people pirate his games if they honestly can't get them any other way.

 

[Et3rnalLegend64]

If it's impossible to get nowadays, I think it's fine. If it's available through digital download or something, then you should get it that way.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Morally? I consider it justified, even if it's technically against the law.

 

[number2301]

I voted yes, but I would also vote yes to the question of 'Is piracy morally permissible'. I'm not saying you should rampantly pirate everything and pay for nothing, but a general low level of piracy doesn't really hurt anyone.

Some music scenes were built on the idea of piracy with sampling and sharing of tape packs.

In essence, be a responsible member of the community, tend towards buying as opposed to piracy. Just don't do it in excess.

I really don't see how pirating a games is that different from the fact that I wait until the price has dropped to <£10. In both cases the developer gets virtually no money. As for it being illegal as justification for it being wrong, sorry the law has very little to do with morals.

 

[FalloutJack]

The answer is yes, definitely yes, and without a doubt.

These games are OLD, and you can't expect to have to pay for them if they can't even be physically FOUND.

 

[Bob the frantic]

I say yes. There is too much awesome out there to be ignored because no one will make a profit from it.

..The day they make my FF6 remake is the day I remove my SNES Emulator (Since Crono Trigger already came out for the DS)

 

[Kanatatsu]

if you would not otherwise buy the game, or you cannot buy it, it's fine. pirating is wrong when you deprive someone of a reward they would have otherwise gotten but for the piracy. doesn't apply in the two cases noted.

 

[TheScientificIssole]

It's okay. It's not good or right, but its okay, and If its so far out of circulation that it wouldn't profit the developers, then its better.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Only if there is no other way of getting your hands on it, like it isn't available in retail anymore, that sorta thing.

 

[babinro]

While I agree with the idea of piracy being okay for old games. The examples you gave are not old enough. The Wii has an entire marketplace for legit purchases of NES/SNES era games for reasonable prices. Steam offers some classic Sega titles as well.

Thus, pirating those games are no different than it is a current gen title.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

If you can't find a copy anywhere, including digitally, it's fair game.

 

[frehls]

hue

 

[Pearwood]

Why do topics like this keep popping up? You don't need strangers to justify every action you take. If you're just looking for discussion you can use the search bar and read one of the countless discussions that have already been done about this.

 

[Zhukov]

Yes.

Piracy is considered bad because you are getting the product without paying the people who made it.

In this case, the people who made it aren't producing or selling it anymore. They're not going to get your money anyway.

 

[Xooiid]

I see it as this: If the company can't make money off the game anymore [Say, they no longer exist], then I don't feel bad about it. If I can get the game using a legal, payable method, then I will. For example, Planescape: Torment. For a while the only way I could play it was by a torrented ISO and DaemonTools. Now, I have a purchased copy I can download at any time, so I tossed my old copy into the File Shredder.

 

[TCPirate]

Yes - IF the game is not available to be purchased new or from Digital Distribution.