Isn’t Switch emulation illegal?
The fact is, I’d imagine a solid 90% of people using Switch emulation are using it for piracy of games that are usually still available on the shelf - or worse, brand new.
As a homebrew developer for, EG; the SEGA Saturn and Atari Jaguar - I absolutely do get that there are a few of us that legitimately use emulators for legal purposes.
I also download ROMs all the time of even mainstream titles that have never seen a re-release. (Here’s looking at you, ‘Knuckles’ Chaotix’ for the SEGA 32X…)
But the issue with Switch emulation is that, yes; I’ve got a few friends who simply downloaded and played all the way through the new Zelda title released just recently via emulation, and it’s just kind of…it’s easier to understand why that isn’t really ‘okay’ to me.
Many people I know just buy the game (because game devs need to eat) but prefer to play on an emulator because it provides an objectively superior experience. Increased framerate and the ability to manage your own save files is enough to justify using an emulator.
Care to elaborate why you think artificially high prices on outdated console games (your SD full of ROMs) in any way helps a software developer - in either venture capital (we are on HN) or their take-home paycheck. Because as far as I can tell, the only people it helps is rent-seekers on ancient IP. You know, the kinda people we wanna “disrupt”?
Speak for yourself. I don't want to disrupt anyone by explicitly not following laws i don't like.
If you were to complain about the anti circumvention clause in DMCA, or Nintendo going after the guy who sold mods under that (somebody got jail time), then I think that stuff is not justified. But i wouldn't personally sell software i have no right to distribute on Amazon.
For that scenario, providing a download for free is still illegal but less unethical.
Yes, what he was doing was different, but the ends rhyme. I hope nobody is prosecuted, but Nintendo is already after the key dumping software. It’s never a safe space to tread with a company as litigious and eager to make examples as Nintendo.
If you copied the game and you have already bought it, then it is fine. Distributing the ripped game for others to download for free is piracy and is illegal.