A well-established ROM site that lasted 18 years after receiving a lawsuit against Nintendo's pirated distribution site declares the end of data distribution

by sebastiaan stam

At the end of July 2018, Nintendo filed a lawsuit against a pirate distribution site that illegally distributes game ROM data, and it became a big topic. The amount of compensation for damages amounted to a maximum of 2 million dollars (about 220 million yen), and the two sites sued were instantly closed down. Following the movement of eradication of pirated software by Nintendo, long-established store of ROM data distribution site " Emuparadise " declared that we should stop pirated delivery "We also need to change".

EmuParadise is Changing

Spooked By Nintendo, Popular ROM Site 'Changes' After 18 Years
https://kotaku.com/spooked-by-nintendo-popular-rom-site-closes-after-18-y-1828207099

Nintendo against Nintendo against "LoveROMS.com" and "LoveRETRO.co" sites that illegally distribute ROM data that allows various games to be played on the emulator "The two sites are the most open and famous for pirated video games It has become one of the online hubs. " The details of the action are touched in detail in the following article.

Nintendo sued a famous site to distribute pirated games, damages compensation is hundreds of millions of yen? - GIGAZINE

In response to this, MasJ who has operated ROM data distribution site "Emuparadise" since 2000 released an article titled "EmuParadise is Changing". "We have decided to start a new start, I am still passionate retro gamer and I'd like to continue doing something cool in the retro game area but now I get a retro game from Emuparadise We can not do it, "declared the end of ROM data distribution.

MasJ says in the article, "I can not endanger the future of the members who have conscientiously contributed to the site operation throughout the year.We enjoy Emuparadise with love for retro games and enjoy them I've been working to provide users with the time I can do but unfortunately I can not find a way to make everyone happy at the moment and not getting in trouble " I will.

About MasJ's declaration Kotaku of the game news site said that Jacob Mathias, the manager of "LoveROMS.com" and "LoveRETRO.co" appealed to Nintendo, is up to 2 million dollars (about 220 million yen) As a possibility of claiming damages for damages, "Comment on Emuparadise can not be blamed", commented. Also, "Although it is technically illegal to allow such games to be played for free, despite the fact that other game publishers were cracked down more strictly, despite the fact that companies like Nintendo are backing It is pointed out that the fact that the ROM site made it possible to create a catalog is bad in the first place. "

by Pat Kwon

From the viewpoint of convenience and accessibility, Kotaku argues that the piracy problem in the game industry is very similar to "a fight against a pirate distribution site of the music industry in which illegal copying has prevailed". However, it also says that companies like Nintendo and Sega will find it hard to find answers to use services such as Spotify and Netflix as back catalogs of their content, and every game is crossed across manufacturers We expect that it will be possible for entertaining platforms to appear.

Frank Cifaldi, the founder of the Video Game History Foundation , who is committed to preserving retrogels, said, "The close of the ROM site is a result of the fact that the video game industry has not made every game playable constantly, I think that people feel that it is a big event, but 99% of the past games are pirated, and there are few options (other than playing in pirated version) games that are about to be forgotten Pirated version was the only way to survive.ROM site was the only thing that saved the code and kept it accessible to everyone.The author of the emulator is to be praised "on Twitter .

The pirates are the ones keeping these games alive, both literally and metaphorically: they are the ones who saved the code, and they are the ones who keep them accessible so that people remember them.

- Frank Cifaldi (@ frankcifaldi) August 8, 2018

In addition, GOG, which is a download selling platform for games, is a field that nobody considered when it comes to business without the emulator culture, and emulation and ROM data itself should not be criticized, and should be criticized to the last It writes that people are trying to earn money through distribution of ROM data.

In fact I doubt any of these shutdowns would be happening if money was not involved.

- Frank Cifaldi (@ frankcifaldi) August 8, 2018