In a just world, you could just download ROMs for free.
this post was submitted on 07 Oct 2024
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That's very cool but the backup law really is only effective with drm free games on PC, your console can't play your backups and if Nintendo had their way even modifying your console to run backups would be illegal, but thankfully only Japan is a dystopia in that sense, for now.
Honestly, as cool as this is, I just keep collections of downloaded entire game libraries like PS1, PS2, PSP, 3DS, NDS, GB, GBC, GBA, NES, SNES, etc.
I'm more interested in preserving my save games, which I can dump myself on my modded 3DS for 3DS and NDS games, plus my PSP I can just copy paste those save games from the memory card. Those are more what is really irreplacable. Everyone has my games, not everyone has my save games.
Idk about this one but my GB/C/A dumper can do both the ROM and the save (well, no save on GB because there are no batts, but on the C and A it can.).
I used it to back up my Pokemon Yellow cart, solder in a new batt, and put my save back on the cart.
I assume this likely can do the same with at least most of those systems. But out of your listed systems GBC/A would be all you need as this doesn't seem to do disks but only carts, you could just get a dedicated GBC/A dumper for backing those up, idk if they still sell the Joey Jr but that's the one I use.
Yeah, I could also use my DSLite to dump GBA saves at least. My GBC saves are unfortunately all long gone because the batteries dried up.
It is really cool being able to dump save games, so if these multi-dumpers can do so, that's amazing.
I sure they can, that's really the main point of cart dumpers.
As for the GBC games all you need is some tabbed cr2525 or cr2023 depending, a tri-wing screwdriver, and a soldering iron, replace em!
Yeah but if I replace them, it's not like I get my saves back, right?
No, but you'd regain the ability to create new saves, which also happens to give you an excuse to play 'em again!
And if you've been playing ROMS you can put that save on an official cart, too.
True, that's a good point. Well, two good points.
Better make a full copy of this project before Nintendo comes after it too.
At this point are there any cartridges on earth I couldn't find a torrent of in about 2 mins on Google? They'd have to be deliberately being kept for rarity.
Yeah honestly, what is the point of these devices when literally every retro game ever already has a perfect 1:1 dump available for instant download all over the internet? Why are new cartridge dumping devices still being produced? Even the rarest of rare games have easily-obtainable ROMs available. Who are these meant for?
- There are still undumped games.
- This device can also backup saves.
That's pretty neat about save games, actually.. but this seems like a service tool not a purchase for everyone.
I definitely believe there are a few handfuls of games out there that need dumps. Most of them are owned by collectors who don't want the value of their collection to go down. Eventually they'll die and we'll get those too.
Probably not, but it does add a touch of legitimacy to the claim that emulators are for playing your own backed up games.
Nintendo doesn't even care about that so tbh fuck em.
Did that claim have any actual grounding in reality? Or is it just an urban legend that keeps persisting?
It did, yes. Emulators as a piece of software that does not do anything illegal are not themselves illegal. But piracy is illegal, and downloading roms of games you haven't purchased constitutes piracy. But if you purchased a game and used an emulator to play it that's a perfectly valid use case that falls within the law.
Nintendo has been trying to push the envelope on that for years though. And it seems like they might recently be succeeding in some fashion.
Do you have anything to back that up? Or is it just "trust me bro" that kind of proves my point?
America v. Bleem, March 1999
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleem!
See the "Sony lawsuit" section. It isn't cut and dry case law unfortunately, it is very much a grey area. But Sony lost every one of these lawsuits and the only reason we don't still see Bleem around is because they went broke defending all of them. Sony couldn't beat them in court so they just bled them out of money
Two days after Bleem! started taking preorders for their emulator, Sony filed suit over violations of copyright. Sony had accused Bleem! of engaging in unfair competition by allowing PlayStation BIOSs to be used on a personal computer as this would ultimately damage Sony's sales of the PlayStation. The Judge had rejected the notion, and issued a protective order to "protect David from Goliath".
[...]
In spite of the loss, the release of the Bleemcast! caused Sony to file another lawsuit accusing them of unfair competition and patent infringement regarding the use of PlayStation BIOSs on the Sega Dreamcast. This approach had become problematic for Bleem!, despite no actual court ruling against them. The main issue regarded the financial problems Bleem! had faced as they had to deal with defense costs of $1 million per patent. This had caused Bleem!'s work to decline, so that they had only managed to release three games: Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo 2, and Tekken 3, for the Bleemcast!.[6] At this point, Sony had obstructed Bleem! from developing further video games for the Bleemcast! and had even threatened retailers selling these products.
Sorry, I should have been more specific. I'm asking about whether the concept of "you are allowed to play pirated games if you own a physical copy of it" is based on any legal truth.
I'm aware that the emulators are largely completely legal as long as they don't package console bios' with it. That's why you have to go find a pirate bios to make your emulator run
Well, not quite. If you dump the ROM of a game cartridge you have purchased and use that dumped rom to play your game that's legal. If you pirate the ROM, that's still illegal regardless whether you own the original game, however the end result is identical and there's really not many ways to prove you didn't dump your own roms.
Unless, of course, you don't own a rom dumper and have an internet history of visiting rom sites. Even then it's technically circumstantial evidence.
What is this based on? It sounds like something that would be against even the most basic licence terms.
I don't remember agreeing to any terms of service when I bought pokemon yellow, so as far as I'm concerned there are none.
You agree to the licence terms when you purchase the software. If you disagree, don't buy it.
Well informed consent is a thing, they didn't tell me, I'm not informed. Shoulda made me click a box.
Very few. However, this type of devices can also backup saved games.
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