Why doesn't Nintendo port old NES/SNES/GameBoy games to smartphones and sell them for $1-$2 each? They're so much more fun than all these compulsive microtransaction games.
[deleted]
Show HN: Play multiplayer and singleplayer NES games online
31–40 of 89 posts
Re: Show HN: Play multiplayer and singleplayer NES games online
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
> If I bought the game in 1989 I can still legally play it in digital form, yes? No, that's not how copyright works. That's a myth. In some cases you can make a backup of the game if you do it yourself. But you still can't download someone else's copy. > I'm not sure why copyright now means a company can charge me 100 times for the same product in different forms. Because copyright means the company that sold you the…
Your first point is not so clear cut. A ROM is a ROM is a ROM. Do you have any citations where you own a physical copy and use an identical digital copy from a different physical source a breach of copyright?
Not sure about the legality of downloading it, but it's established that providing it (uploading it to someone else) is where you're usually in hot water.
Re: Show HN: Play multiplayer and singleplayer NES games online
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
If I bought the game in 1989 I can still legally play it in digital form, yes? I'm not sure why copyright now means a company can charge me 100 times for the same product in different forms. It didn't used to and I'm not sure how this changed mindset in any way helps creators or society.
> If I bought the game in 1989 I can still legally play it in digital form, yes? No, that's not how copyright works. That's a myth. In some cases you can make a backup of the game if you do it yourself. But you still can't download someone else's copy. > I'm not sure why copyright now means a company can charge me 100 times for the same product in different forms. Because copyright means the company that sold you the…
https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-digital.html
"Under section 117, you or someone you authorize may make a copy of an original computer program if:
the new copy is being made for archival (i.e., backup) purposes only;
you are the legal owner of the copy; and
any copy made for archival purposes is either destroyed, or transferred with the original copy, once the original copy is sold, given away, or otherwise transferred."
Someone can do it for you. Also, this doesn't even have anything to do with copyright since it is actually like your friend letting you play a copy of his nintendo with a copy of his game. Totally different paradigm.
Re: Show HN: Play multiplayer and singleplayer NES games online
#34Earlier quoted context omitted.
> If I bought the game in 1989 I can still legally play it in digital form, yes? No, that's not how copyright works. That's a myth. In some cases you can make a backup of the game if you do it yourself. But you still can't download someone else's copy. > I'm not sure why copyright now means a company can charge me 100 times for the same product in different forms. Because copyright means the company that sold you the…
Your first point is not so clear cut. A ROM is a ROM is a ROM. Do you have any citations where you own a physical copy and use an identical digital copy from a different physical source a breach of copyright?
> Do you have any citations where you own a physical copy and use an identical digital copy from a different physical source a breach of copyright?
Re: Show HN: Play multiplayer and singleplayer NES games online
#35Given the list of mirrors, it appears the author knows what they're doing is illegal. You don't have to agree with copyright law (and by all means, please try to change it!), but please don't take other people's work and build products out of it without their permission.
You're like the angry little kid who runs to the teacher when other kids have fun doing forbidden but perfectly reasonable things that harm nobody.
Re: Show HN: Play multiplayer and singleplayer NES games online
#36Given the list of mirrors, it appears the author knows what they're doing is illegal. You don't have to agree with copyright law (and by all means, please try to change it!), but please don't take other people's work and build products out of it without their permission.
You're like the angry little kid who runs to the teacher when other kids have fun doing forbidden but perfectly reasonable things that harm nobody.
A more apt comparison is the kid that warns the other kids that someone will be coming by shortly to shut the whole thing down so not everyone gets in trouble.
While we're here, throwing around some ad hominem trash is a good way to show everyone else that you're the one who's angry.
Re: Show HN: Play multiplayer and singleplayer NES games online
#37Given the list of mirrors, it appears the author knows what they're doing is illegal. You don't have to agree with copyright law (and by all means, please try to change it!), but please don't take other people's work and build products out of it without their permission.
What if widespread non-compliance with corrupt, unfair, or antiquated laws is one of the natural means by which people apply pressure to "try to change" them?
Re: Show HN: Play multiplayer and singleplayer NES games online
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your first point is not so clear cut. A ROM is a ROM is a ROM. Do you have any citations where you own a physical copy and use an identical digital copy from a different physical source a breach of copyright?
> Do you have any citations where you own a physical copy and use an identical digital copy from a different physical source a breach of copyright? https://www.nintendo.com/corp/legal.jsp#copy_illegal
The party in question saying "Yes yes, that's illegal" isn't worth the bytes used to transmit the message.
Re: Show HN: Play multiplayer and singleplayer NES games online
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your first point is not so clear cut. A ROM is a ROM is a ROM. Do you have any citations where you own a physical copy and use an identical digital copy from a different physical source a breach of copyright?
> Do you have any citations where you own a physical copy and use an identical digital copy from a different physical source a breach of copyright? https://www.nintendo.com/corp/legal.jsp#copy_illegal
That's not a very useful citation. Nintendo takes an extremely expansive view of copyright (for example, they try to prevent commentators from using clips from their games in YouTube videos), is not an authoritative source, and is not exactly an impartial commentator on this matter.
Re: Show HN: Play multiplayer and singleplayer NES games online
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
I would have thought the Nintendo Lawyers would have sent out their Scud Missile on that server within 5 minutes.
I have an idea: make it so that you have to supply your own rom files that the site will only store locally, and you then can get matched with anyone else who has roms with the same md5s. No legal problem because nothing copyrighted will be on the server, and it'll support much more roms than the small selection supplied.
Neat idea, but I guarantee they would find a way to shut that down too, even if it's completely legitimate and completely non-harmful from a copyright stance.
Nintendo is incredibly hostile to even fair use, let alone something closer to the line like what you described.