What do you think about ROMs?

[ZebesianSlayer]

So I'm just wondering what does everyone think about ROMs
if you don't know what a ROM is here's a link to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROM_cartridge,
but I'm talking about the one's that are for emulators on a computer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emulator
and also only the ROMs that use games for older consoles GCube and back (because you can't get those anymore).

What I think is that if it's not sold in stores anymore it's fine so no Wii or D.S.
because if you can't buy it anymore how does it affect the company?
I mean they don't get any money they don't lose any money what makes it so bad?

 

[Y0shiM0n]

I think they are ok because they only do games that are not out anymore. I use Drastic for the ds and there is none for the wii though

 

[Donkey Punch]

Ever heard of Virtual Console?

 

[ZebesianSlayer]

Ever heard of Virtual Console?

I mean if you can't get a physical copy anymore

 

[Y0shiM0n]

How do you reply to a single person? Because yes, I have heard of Virtual Console.

 

[Damien Lee]

Actually, they do lose money if you download ROMs. Nintendo have got their own digital download service for older games. I only recommend that people download ROMs if they already own a particular game and want to conveniently play it on another device through an emulator. Or, if one wishes to checkout a game when no demo is available before deciding to purchase the game officially.

Even if a title is out of circulation and not available through a download service, used copies are always available. There are garage sales, flee markets, used goods stores, game stores, online stores & eBay. Therefore there is no excuse not to purchase a game that you want to play. If you look around, you may even find the game you want at a good price.

 

[aboleth_lich]

I treat ROMs in the same fashion as I do downloading any other form of copyrighted art: I reserve it only for extremely rare out-of-print material that one could not find a proper copy of outside of spending a small fortune on eBay or the like. Sometimes, I might download something more widely available just to see what it's like (though renting legitimately serves precisely that purpose for video games)--but I make of point of buying it shortly afterwards if I like it or deleting it if I don't. In the case of ROMs in particular, emulators moreover offer the benefit of cheating to get past a particularly difficult part and see what later portions of the game are like. Outside of that rationalization (justified or not), I think that it's important to purchase the work legitimately and support its creators so that they can in turn afford to create further work.