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General discussion (archive)Potential to release Console Games?(12 posts)(12 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted October 03, 2008
I'm wondering if there is any potential for GOG to start releasing console games, along with a freeware emulator, potentially ZNES or whatnot.
Don't get me wrong - I'm happy to see some quality PC games, but who wouldn't get a kick out of playing through Mario RPG again? I also have very fond memories or Tojam and Earl for the Sega Genesis. Overall, I think this could be a great way to expand GOG's library and customer base.
Posted October 03, 2008
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bocaJ: I'm wondering if there is any potential for GOG to start releasing console games, along with a freeware emulator, potentially ZNES or whatnot.

As in all similar topics, I say: sure, eventually. For now, it'd be better if GOG laid down its solid foundations, and expanded to other areas later. Having the service fail because they've stretched themselves too thin would be quite the untimely demise.
Patience is a virtue.
Posted October 03, 2008
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bocaJ: I'm wondering if there is any potential for GOG to start releasing console games, along with a freeware emulator, potentially ZNES or whatnot.
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pkt-zer0: As in all similar topics, I say: sure, eventually. For now, it'd be better if GOG laid down its solid foundations, and expanded to other areas later. Having the service fail because they've stretched themselves too thin would be quite the untimely demise.
Patience is a virtue.

i'mma make u a cookie.
i mean, yeah, what he said. you know, I'd love to see some console games, but it's just not going to happen yet, I believe.
Posted October 03, 2008
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bocaJ: I'm wondering if there is any potential for GOG to start releasing console games, along with a freeware emulator, potentially ZNES or whatnot.
Don't get me wrong - I'm happy to see some quality PC games, but who wouldn't get a kick out of playing through Mario RPG again? I also have very fond memories or Tojam and Earl for the Sega Genesis. Overall, I think this could be a great way to expand GOG's library and customer base.

(someone, correct me if I am terribly wrong with this...)
That is pretty old issue. About 10 years ago back at BBS scene, there was lots of talk of "legal" (s)nes roms and how to use them. However there was too many questions around them to put up a public Emulator site.
First there was this emulator question; is the emulator legal even by itself? If the reverse engineering of selected console was legal to do, then you still needed BIOS image from the original system and that was illegal always. Still today, Nintendo judges all the emulators to be illegal because of the potentially copied BIOS image.
Nintendo and Sega messages that emulators are only used to play pirated copies of emulated games, so the emulators are illegal.
Then there was this big issue of the game roms. Are the roms legal in any way? Some people likes to think that ROM's are legal if you do your own backup. That's not true because game copy devices are illegal. Some wants to say that you're allowed to create a backup... Well, I think that this is true in some countries, but still - devices to do this are illegal so you're not supposed to have ROM file on your PC and when the emulator is also illegal, you're not able to play legally. Some of the emulator people likes to say that these old games which has Copyright 1985 are outdated and now public domain. Welll. Maybe at 2060 becase it takes 75 years to outdate a creative copyright that has not been renewed.
Nintendo has said that its is hard to fight against ROMS and Emulators because there are countries that just goes over their word with these backup questions. But to answers to this thread - it is just too big open question and I think that even if you try to look it from all the directions, it still says "Illegal".
I also found this: http://www.nintendo.com/corp/legal.jsp#emergence
Post edited October 03, 2008 by Lanttu
Posted October 03, 2008
Considering that Nintendo is continually releasing old games on the Wii Virtual Console (and making a fortune off of it), I highly doubt you will ever see Nintendo or Sega products here. That being said, I don't see why there couldn't be third-party products that used to be available for Nintendo or Sega consoles available eventually. GameTap used to do that with Sega Master System games (before Sega sold its soul to the Wii) and there was nothing questionably illegal about it at all. As long as the current IP holder agrees to allow GOG to distribute the game with some type of emulator, there should be no problem.
As for the legality of emulators, pretty much everything before the age of the Dreamcast and PS1 did not have BIOS files that might hinder distribution. All those older consoles from the days of the NES and Sega Genesis were pure hardware consoles, no software or basic OS at all. Emulator apps just need to replicate the actual hardware, which is why emulators for those platforms are generally considered legal now.
Post edited October 03, 2008 by cogadh
Posted October 03, 2008
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Lanttu: Nintendo and Sega messages that emulators are only used to play pirated copies of emulated games, so the emulators are illegal.

Just to clarify, I'm not saying that GOG should just go find a big pile of ROMs and start selling those, rather they should work with some of the companies that aren't currently enjoying the sweetness of Nintendo's virtual console and try to re-release some of the old hits. This would also have the added benefit of legitimizing emulator technology, since there is a legal industry being built up around it.
Of course this is a long term project. For now, keep working to get the great old PC games out there.
Posted October 03, 2008
The legal side is certainly a hinderance. Another thing is that, playing an emulated game doesn't quite have the same feel as playing it with the original control scheme. Just imagine playing Street Fighter on your keyboard. The feeling isn't the same.
It would be cool if they could do somewhat of a legal "emulator" style console of their own. Where you can buy the console and then the games and play the games via some R4 style method. However, like pkt-zer0 said, definitely not something in their immediate future. There is also the problems of the major console companies already doing similar services.
@cogadh: You have to remember though, Nintendo is doing a similar thing that GOG is doing. Nintendo has to make a deal with the publishers of those games before they can sell them on VC. Of course, that's assuming the publishers don't come to Nintendo first. However, the companies still have to "re-work" their game to make sure they pass Nintendo's "standards," if you will. The "re-work" doesn't involve change of content. It's usually over other matters like the HOME Menu overlay and button presses working properly.
The only real way that GOG could compete with something like that would be to provide better terms of release and a good SDK to work with, or GOG would have to have a wider audience compared to VC, PSN, and Xbox LIVE. Referring back to the terms of release and SDK thing I mentioned, if it's too much a pain in the ass, why use GOG when there are other easier methods available to them?
Posted October 03, 2008
hahaha
lanttu and cogadh
you guys are silly. Of course he meant they should work with the companies.
Posted October 03, 2008
Nintendo would never allow it.
Sega already has done this with Gametap, so if GOG wanted to I don't see why not. Sega's also liscensed out emulator/roms for various Plug 'n Play TV Games compliations. So yeah, Sega would probably be open to the idea for the right price.
It would not include a freeware emulator though, it would be a Sega one, and probably done in such a way so you can't swap out the rom you bought with a pirated one.
Post edited October 03, 2008 by HadesGigas
Posted October 03, 2008
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bocaJ: I'm wondering if there is any potential for GOG to start releasing console games, along with a freeware emulator, potentially ZNES or whatnot.
Don't get me wrong - I'm happy to see some quality PC games, but who wouldn't get a kick out of playing through Mario RPG again? I also have very fond memories or Tojam and Earl for the Sega Genesis. Overall, I think this could be a great way to expand GOG's library and customer base.

Thats about 100% guarnteed it wont ever happen here and pretty much useless to even hope for it.
With playstation network, virtual console and xbox arcade they are releasing their games for download on their systems. That way they get 100% profit, they did it anywhere else they would have to cut them in. I dont see that happening, they have more control doing it themselves.
Posted October 04, 2008
Actually, companies like Sega aren't getting 100% profit. The platform owners (Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony) get a cut of each sale. I could see classics Sega games released here. There were several official Sega releases of Genesis games on PC years ago.
Posted October 04, 2008
For those asking for PS1 and PS2 emulators, please note that you would need a certain file which is illegal to have unless you have obtained it from your console.
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General discussion (archive)Potential to release Console Games?(12 posts)(12 posts)
(12 posts)