The legality of emulating games has always been a grey area. The law currently states that owning emulators and ROMS is not illegal but contrasting laws and opinions cast uncertainty over what you actually can and can’t do.
Nintendo has once again flexed its legal muscle against emulation, this time swiping at Dolphin. Where do we go from here?
Uuuhhhmmm. Emulation is literally software that imitates hardware to run code on nonsanctioned, no licensed hardware. That code and the architecture it runs on are intellectual property of Nintendo. So you are in fact running software that they own that you got someplace else on hardware that was not licensed nor sanctioned - this is essentially copying and stealing. It’s literally the epitome of what licensing agreements were created for. In that license agreement you agree to running a copy of their game on their hardware under their rules. Even if you can run the actual Nintendo software you purchased from Nintendo, you are still running it on separate hardware which is a violation. Those are the stipulations. That is how bad emulation is.
No, stop, just stop. I get it, you're a Nintendo fanboy, but stop it. Really, stop. Nintendo or any medium that targets pirating sites and sues for money, were doing it just for that reason, MONEY. People who tend to pirate for nefarious reasons, weren't going to buy those products to begin with, so Nintendo wasn't going to make a single dime from them. If it was just about protecting IP, they would sue to take down the site, but having some schmuck pay millions? Nintendo would have you pay millions even if you owned a legit copy but also an emulated version. That's how BAD Nintendo is. I mean, they're argument is always "lost of revenue."
"you are still running it on separate hardware which is a violation."
Okay, so who does this hurt? If I have purchased a Gamecube. And have purchased a copy of Luigi's Mansion. But want to play it on my PC because my Gamecube is in storage (for example.) How does this hurt Nintendo? Serious question here.
Getting so many disagrees for asking an honest question? Kinda weird, but okay, you guys could at least let me know why you disagree. I was just curious.
@Tapani - I can understand that to an extent, especially the part about putting up videos where games are running better than the original hardware. Thanks for at least giving your input! I don't really mess with emulation these days, but it's an interesting topic to discuss.
I fully agree. I don't have anything against the homebrew communities and creations, and I get the "freedom to do what I want with what I buy" argument, but I feel for the people who create art and it's taken from their hands exactly as is, and then put into a container in which it was never meant to be. It's like watching a 16:9 24p movie at 48fps at 4:3 and auto HDR on, and having some image and performance quality problems while at it. That's not how the creator wanted it to be watched, and would not give the cinemas a permission to run it like that.
I feel for Nintendo, they are heart-warming people creating products that are interesting and fun, and then other people take their thunder away and flood youtube full of videos of 8K version of their game, which can at points look better, but may also have bugs that cannot be squashed due to lack of controlled QA environment. Also, Nintendo creates products for a particular screen, with particular hardware and controls.
I get it from both sides, but I would have to take the side of creators on this one. I honestly feel like it is stealing and morphing their products into something they were never meant to be in the first place. I would simply not want someone to do that to something I would create, and would feel personally very bad about that, and like someone stole from me.
Emulation is not bad at all. People who use it for bad intentions, weren't going to buy your game to begin with. This is just Nintendo trying to profit by getting money they wouldn't have gotten otherwise. Second, privacy can be good, as sometimes people who originally pirated a movie, or game, ended up buying it because they enjoyed it and wanted to show support. Third, some people use emulation to make their own games, look at the Sega Dreamcast. Fourth, some people own legit copies, but also an emulated version to take it on the go.
Only nintendo could get away with trash polices like this. I'm glad they're not in the dedicated home console race anymore. I never supported them, and ill never spend a cent on Nintendo products.
Nintendo's relentless fight against emulation has led to controversial tactics, but fans remain resilient. Patch 11.17.0-50 aims to disrupt 3DS emulation, but the battle is far from over. Will Nintendo ever embrace their fanbase and find a permanent solution?
Nintendo doesn't want to keep the online store open because they don't care about 3DS or game preservation. But they also don't want piracy, because they don't care about their fans. Nintendo doesn't care about anyone but themselves, and their ability to exert control over their fan base.
Didn't matter. Same day they dropped the update, the homebrew community already had a way around it. Apparently it is already live for EU/JP systems, and one for US systems is around the corner.
This, it's an exercise in futility and they can't afford to keep patching it every time some gets around it.
A new version of EmuDeck is in the works, with a big focus on UI improvements, the introduction of a new store, new emulators and much more.
EmuDeck is awesome. Happy with the steady updates that make an already great project even better.
They already are legal. Emulators have always been legal. Roms are the grey area, they are legal as long as you own a copy of the original cartridge, cd, whatever.
If their old games why not
They are fine the way they are, they dont need promoted by a law nor do they really need some enforced laws to forbid them.
Legal or not my psp says thank you lol.
I don't see anything wrong with emulator and roms. It doesn't hurt corporations.