ROMs

[OatBob]

I'm a fan of emulators for the dreamcast and xbox, though I never really end up playing them.  I guess I just put them there for the heck of it while modding.  Its the homebrew scene thats more fun anyways.  Especially since I've started seriously collecting.

[ganonbanned]

I like 'em.  I plug in an xbox controller.

[Tondog]

ROMs are nice. I like them sometimes. I mainly play them on my PC with a Logitech WingMan RumblePad controller, which is sorta like a Playstation controller crossed with a Saturn controller...with a throttle! It lets me play Superman 64 rather well.

[Speedy_NES]

The only thing I've ever done with roms is take a few screenshots of some NES games for the database here, and I also installed a SNES emulator on my handheld pc once just to see what it would look and play like.  I see it somewhat like games for mobile phones...it sounds cool and everything, but it's not the same as the real thing...and owning the original feels like you actually had to do something to get the game other than simply download it. 

[Rejinx]

I don't like ROMs.  It's not the stealing issue,  I think that if your not depriving someone of property it's not stealing. (not trying to troll, just let it go).  I just rather have the real thing.

oh and....

DO NOT POST ANY LINKS ON THIS FORUM TO ROM SITES PLEASE

I've never seen you moderate so intensely, but I understand...
Covering your ass = good 

[TurboGrafxer AKA DCer]

yeah it seems as if i have started a touchy thread. but shimra is right this was in response to the comment:

Also... ROMs are awesome, they save a bunch of money, I know for a fact that many people who attend/run this site would agree.

i just didn't agree with that statement and just wanted to see what everyone else's 2 cents were.

i in no way started this thread in support of emulates and ROMs.

[The Metamorphosing Leon]

Dude it's too late for apologies, you're fired, clean out your desk and go.

[Ando]

No. Very no. Many very no.
I can't say I've never played a ROM, though. I used to. Back when I didn't know that the "Delete within 24 hours and you'll be fine!" stuff was a load of crap.
Now, though, no. Hate them. For several reasons: 1) You've got the whole fact that it's illegal, and my conscience can't handle that. 2) I can imagine wanting to kill someone when you just spent $15000 on, say, a gold Nintendo World Championships only for someone to say "Yeah, it's pretty sweet. I have the ROM." It takes away from the "Haha, only me and 25 other people have this!" factor of it.

[Pop Culture Portal]

Used to play around with ROMs ALOT and I loved them...my biggest problem with them is that they take up way too much room on my computer.  I've got better things to do than sit around and try to get a ROM to work on some emulator that MIGHT run the ROM I have.  Just too much of a hassle.

Burn them to CDs you say?  Meh..then they take up physical room in my Room of Doom and I'd rather fill that space up with legit, complete games....box, manual and everything.

After buying several actual arcade machines, the ROMs pretty much lost my interest and I got rid of them all.  There's just nothing like playing Centipede or Joust for real...and to smell that familiar smell of burning dust and the faint hum coming from those old coin ops makes me all nostalgic...those are the same smells and sounds from when I was growing up in and around the arcades.  Even when they're turned off, they still give off a pleasant smell AND feel you just can't get from a ROM...

[TurboGrafxer AKA DCer]

Dude it's too late for apologies, you're fired, clean out your desk and go.

**hangs head in shame**

[Cobra]

No. Very no. Many very no.
I can't say I've never played a ROM, though. I used to. Back when I didn't know that the "Delete within 24 hours and you'll be fine!" stuff was a load of crap.
Now, though, no. Hate them. For several reasons: 1) You've got the whole fact that it's illegal, and my conscience can't handle that. 2) I can imagine wanting to kill someone when you just spent $15000 on, say, a gold Nintendo World Championships only for someone to say "Yeah, it's pretty sweet. I have the ROM." It takes away from the "Haha, only me and 25 other people have this!" factor of it.

My sentiments exactly.

[chrisbid]

 2) I can imagine wanting to kill someone when you just spent $15000 on, say, a gold Nintendo World Championships only for someone to say "Yeah, it's pretty sweet. I have the ROM." It takes away from the "Haha, only me and 25 other people have this!" factor of it.

this is exactly why emulation is essential.  if history is to be preserved, then it does nobody any good to maintain an artificially low supply (collectors will always clamour for originals and maintain high demand).  the point of emulation is preserve and maintain neglected titles of the past.  this is especially true of arcade games by defunct companies and uber rare titles like the NWC cart or Air Raid on the 2600.  no media will last forever, and in 100 years, the only way to play vintage games will probably be through emulation or burned EPROMS or flashcarts on actual hardware.

secondly, the emulation scene fueled interest in retro gaming.  companies like taito, sega, capcom, etc would have never compiled their back catalouges if there was no visible evidence of people wanting to play those games. 

i fully support the rights of copyright holders, but in the cases where the holders refuse or cannot publish their work on any affordable platform, emulation is a great stop gap and shouldnt be ignored becuase nintendo says its bad (the company that pretends NES donkey kong is the arcade version)

[Shimra]

2) I can imagine wanting to kill someone when you just spent $15000 on, say, a gold Nintendo World Championships only for someone to say "Yeah, it's pretty sweet. I have the ROM." It takes away from the "Haha, only me and 25 other people have this!" factor of it.

Yeah that was pretty awesome when the Gospel of Judas was withheld by people who didn't know what it was, then upon finally getting it the book was in terrible condition thanks to those people. See what I'm getting at?

[Tynstar]

I have not idea what you are getting at.

As far as Ebay and spending 15k then some one has the ROM I could care less. I am a collector so I want the real deal not some ROM. ROM's mean nothing to me.

[Shimra]

Overtime the games will be lost. I don't care how well the people take care of them the games will be lost in due time. Roms preserve the games(while not exactly in cartridge form). Game companies rely on roms and emulators for their ports as well. Roms are not necessarily bad. Roming new games that have recently come out is however. That's what my terrible analogy was alluding to.

You don't have to play roms, they exist. If you do, good for you I don't mind. If you don't, more power to you. I however do play roms for hard to find games and games not released in the US, but only on 16 bit or less systems. If a game is rereleased which I like and have the rom for, I'll buy it. Hence why my GBA collection is mostly ports and I'm an avid fan of the Wii.