emulators are not warez

[grab_grab_the_haddock]

presumably this thread (http://www.zeropaid.com/bbs/showthread.php?threadid=7382) was closed because it was reckoned to be a warez thread. it might be handy to point out that emulators are not warez at all, they are perfectly legal, what IS illegal is downloading or running copyrighted game roms on the emulator without permission. ( just in the same way that WINE is not illegal, but it would illegal to run pirated software on WINE)

Im not trying to have a pop, the dividing line between legal software and warez is often unclear, so its an easy mistake to make.

Anyway, to answer TFOS fans question there is currently no PS2 emulator, although there is one in development. Called PCSX2 so far it can only play demos, and a release date for the final version still seems some way off (no date has been set) you can find the home page for PCSX2 here http://pcsx2.ngemu.com/

There is also NO emulator for Xbox, although one is in development. I think its called CXBX or something similar.

If you do a search on almost any p2p app you will find Xbox and PS2 emulators available for download, of course these are all fakes, and should NOT be downloaded as they very often contain trojans.

You can find out more about emulators over at the emulator zone (http://www.emulator-zone.com/)

[nasrules]

cxbx is the only xbox emulator in development.

i believe you are allowed to have the roms on your hd for 24 hours for 'evaluation purposes'. unless you have the full game of course.

[Ken17625]

I didn't know that thread was closed. Oh well.

[[NK]Mutant]

Gotta agree with haddock on this one. I was wondering why that thread was closed. Quick, everyone post here before this thread is closed too!

[wingnut2600]

If an emulator has BIOS, then it is Warez--since BIOS are copywritten. But an emulator in and of itself is not illegal. It can be used to play open source or free games created by enthusiasts as well as to debug games in production.

In fact, I believe emulators to be analagous to p2p programs. They are not illegal by themselves, it is what is done with them that is questionable.

[DainBramaged]

If you have the tools necessary to extract the BIOS from your own machine, it isn't illegal.

[Jared592]

Yeah, I was also wondering why that thread got closed. It was a simple question about the availability of an emulator. Perhaps mods have been instructed to practice the shotgun method of moderation. :-P

Next up: Closing threads because they mention trademarked brand names! PEPSI, COCA-COLA, SONY!!! WooooH! Breakin' the law!

(Just kidding, ya hawt throbbers)

[Captinspliff]

Originally posted by nasrules
i believe you are allowed to have the roms on your hd for 24 hours for 'evaluation purposes'. unless you have the full game of course.

thats not actually true it was just made up so that rom site owners could pretend to have some legal use for their sites :)

[Crazy Horse]

It looks like Seph made the last post so it probably was him that closed it. Maybe someone should ask him to explain why it was closed. (nicely of course)

[WoGiTaLiA]

Emulators themselves are not illegal, neither are Roms, Roms do however become Illegal if you dont own the real original version for whatever machine, and Emulators become illegal if they require a BIOS to operate, which makes all Sony and i believe Dreamcast/Xbox/Gamecube Emulators illegal to use, unless you own the machine, and in that case it is not illegal to use the Bios.

[Jared592]

Originally posted by WoGiTaLiA
Emulators become illegal if they require a BIOS to operate, which makes all Sony and i believe Dreamcast/Xbox/Gamecube Emulators illegal to use, unless you own the machine, and in that case it is not illegal to use the Bios.
It is possible to emulate a machine without using the original BIOS. That's how stuff like Bleem! and UltraHLE worked.

[Sephiroth]

Its a very iffy subject and every single Emulator thread in the past has always ended up where do i get roms or how can i play, burned,downloaded games. There really is no way for anyone to determine if anyone here owns the machine so its ok for them to be using a emulator anyways.

People looking for emulators are better off at some search engine like google anyways.

[TFoS_Fan]

thanks grab grab the haddock

pleased to see somebody agrees with me, I was so annoyed when they removed my thread.

don't know who it was, seph was the last to post telling me basically to stop being sad and get a ps2, so I think he is prime suspect. Don't know though, so don't quote me, don't know for sure he is a mod.

Anyway thanks for the info.

And for all the people who believe seph is right, remember computer consoles are as over priced and capatilistic as music CDs. Anyway if it wasnt for the capatilistic world we live in all the companies, sony, microsoft etc...could come together and make a perfect console with all the best features of each, but they are all just wanting the market and the profits for themselves.

[peace]

[wonderboy2005]

Originally posted by TFoS_Fan


And for all the people who believe seph is right, remember computer consoles are as over priced and capatilistic as music CDs. Anyway if it wasnt for the capatilistic world we live in all the companies, sony, microsoft etc...could come together and make a perfect console with all the best features of each, but they are all just wanting the market and the profits for themselves

counsoles are not overpriced. the companies that make them LOOSE money selling them. they get their profits from the games annd/or royalties from other game makers.

you dont like the capitalistic ideal? maybe you should go live in china you commie.

[The Hunter]

For those that dont know it by now, yes Seph is a mod. Also he was pretty much the only mod here for quite a while, that is until us newbie mods showed up.

[TFoS_Fan]

Interesting that you believe me to be a communist just because I point out that capatalism is not perfect. I still dont see how a console costing in excess of £100 pound is not capatalism, even though millions are sold, probably billions are sold.

[peace]

[grab_grab_the_haddock]

Originally posted by TFoS_Fan
Interesting that you believe me to be a communist just because I point out that capatalism is not perfect
[peace]

come on TFoS fan, wonderboy is American! any foreigner more liberal than a fascist military dictator is a commie as far as hes concerned!

we cant help it if our friends across the lake would rather stuff their faces with burgers and play on new games consoles than enjoy free healthcare and pay every worker a decent wage!

pay no attention to the less informed tho, and don't let it dent your good ol fashioned scottish socialist pride. alltogether now, hands clasped to chest, heads held high......

The Peoples' flag is deepest red,
it's shroaded oft' our martryed dead.
And 'ere their limbs grow stiff and cold,
their heart's blood dyed its every fold.
So raise the scarlet standard high,
beneath its shade we'll live and die.
Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer,
we'll keep the red flag flying here.

[Sephiroth]

Originally posted by wonderboy2005
counsoles are not overpriced. the companies that make them LOOSE money selling them. they get their profits from the games annd/or royalties from other game makers.

you dont like the capitalistic ideal? maybe you should go live in china you commie.

Not to mention that there are alot of great games that you can get for 20 bucks.

[TFoS_Fan]

Lol, grab grab the haddock, I take your point.

Also, very well pointed out, seph, also dont you think it wierd that people are always going on about Microsoft software prices, but fail to see the rip-off in their x-box console as well. I do like the x-box and the other consoles, but surely they will soon have to change, just as the music industry is.

[peace]

[Psilaxs]

Originally posted by grab_grab_the_haddock


we cant help it if our friends across the lake would rather stuff their faces with burgers and play on new games consoles than enjoy free healthcare and pay every worker a decent wage!




it is called paying your own way, and EARNING what you have.

people in society today think they are entitled to every fucking thing under the sun.

[chipperrox]

consoles arent just sold at a loss, THEYRE sold at a HUGE loss! As for the american comments, you know what I love? 3 Big Macs, no lettuce, extra cheese. and I'm not stuffing my face with it, i eat it with joy, slowly. and i use my dainty little napkin to wipe my face. and to all those people who say american food is so bad and people are greedy. well hell yea people are greedy, but thats takin out of context. Its just like how americans think that almost all the russians are "commie bastards". its just ignorance at its finest/worst

[grab_grab_the_haddock]

Originally posted by Psilaxs
it is called paying your own way, and EARNING what you have.

people in society today think they are entitled to every fucking thing under the sun.

indeed. how dare those loafing disabled people try to get out of paying their way - they dont need charity - what they need is a good size 10 up the posterior.

and what about being elderly? just sounds like an excuse for being a layabout to me. The sooner they get off their rear ends and start paying their way the better as far as im concerned.

and dont even get me started on the sick. Id have those work-shy b*stards dragged out of their supposed "sick beds" and stuck up chimneys and shoved down coal mines before you could say "minimum wage"

after all, everyone has to pay their way.

[Psilaxs]

No you are taking what i said out of context intentionally.

I have no problem with society taking care of the elderly, as they should, it was the elderly who came before them and built society to what it is.

As for the disabled, I have a cousin who has a severe case of down syndrome, of course i dont think he should have to "work"

As for the sick, i am not against helping people in need, but socialized everything isnt the answer to all of societies problems.

[wingnut2600]

"Its a very iffy subject and every single Emulator thread in the past has always ended up where do i get roms or how can i play, burned,downloaded games. There really is no way for anyone to determine if anyone here owns the machine so its ok for them to be using a emulator anyways.

People looking for emulators are better off at some search engine like google anyways." --Sephiroth

I would agree that that thread was inappropriate for Zeropaid, but I was just replying to the topic at hand since emulators are not warez.

I "dabble" in emulation (actually it is kinda my hobby--goddamned video games--why do you rule my life), but usually just end up playing games that I have purchased and sold at some point in time (why did I trade FFIII for a PSX before beating it--I was on such a high level and just never beat that wily Kefka). I always wonder if this type of emulation is illegal since I actually bought the game new and traded/sold them for so much less?

Since you can't purchase an emulated system or purchase the games and many of the manufacturers no longer exist for the older systems I wonder why it is not "okay" to play them. I understand copyright laws, but the people that distribute them are not trying to receive any money. Where is the harm?

(By the way, this holds true with only systems before the PSX generation since these games and systems are still being sold)

I agree with Grab_Grab and Psilaxs and should not enter into their dialogue as I may incite a riot and close this lovely thread.

[Power Penguin]

Why bother? Who wants childish pointless exercises in hand eye coordination. My God, take drugs, you get more pleasure.

Helicopter pilots ignore this post. Especially if I'm in it.

[grab_grab_the_haddock]

Originally posted by wingnut2600
"
I agree with Grab_Grab and Psilaxs and should not enter into their dialogue as I may incite a riot and close this lovely thread.

yes you are right wingnut, i will voluntarily desist.

I can see how their might be a problem with emulation of ps2 and xbox games, but like wingnut i dont see why their is a need for laws governing the use of games like the original pacman or donkey kong.
personally i love these old games, and spent so much pocket money (not to mention time) playing them when i was younger that i feel i practically have a right to them. i wouldn give up my MAME roms for any big company. I think this is just about control. big companies like to be in control of everything and dont like to give things away unless they're forced to.

[grab_grab_the_haddock]

Originally posted by Will Rae
Why bother? Who wants childish pointless exercises in hand eye coordination. My God, take drugs, you get more pleasure.



done the drugs thing, waste of time. too much time frothing at the mouth and mumbling incoherently.

of course emulators are completely pointless and futile. kind of like life in microcosm, thats why theyre so great.

[Psilaxs]

What i dont understand is, why they are against ROMS that are no longer even in production, I actually called nintendo to find out their position on game over 15 years old (For the original NES) well, i am sure you can guess their response to that, they even threatend me somewhat if i had them LOL.

I guess they have to set precedent, because they would have a harder time battling piracy if they allowed games over a certain age to be distributed.

Still doesnt make sense to me though, if they are no longer produced, cannot be bought, and the game company wont profit from it, (or they are out of business) then they should not care.

[CompuGeek]

With regard to Nintendo being pissy about ROMs has to do with copyright law. I'm not an expert, but the way I understand it is that a corporation has to make a visible effort to protect all its IP or else any lawsuits it makes to protect its new stuff (e.g., GC) might be dismissed because they didn't protect their old, off-the-market stuff (e.g. NES).

[Tremaine]

i love snes roms and emulators, the only ones i actually used i havent tried ps2 or ps1 emulators but i do think consoles are a waste of money because theres always a new one coming out computer finaly slowed down so i might get a new one pretty soon.