What really bugs me about Live Arcade and the Wii VC

[Gamerforlife]

I don't understand the point of the argument here. If you like piracy, then stick with piracy. If you dislike it, whether due to the risk or the complexities of it, then enjoy your legal alternative. Either way, no one loses. Whats the problem?

Well the legal alternative for something like Sin and Punishment for gamers in the US, is the EXACT same thing as the piracy. Either you download Sin and Punishment on your PC illegally, or you pay to download it on the virtual console.

Either way you're just getting a file on a hard drive

I just don't see how Nintendo is doing anyone any favors. They're essentially offering a method of playing Sin and Punishment that is ALREADY AVAILABLE. That what bugs me, a great game like Sin and Punishment deserves a REAL US release(like it was originally planned to have).

When I see all this hype on websites about Sin and Punishment being released in the US, it seems ridiculous to me. Oh great, we can download it now. Thanks Nintendo, like we didn't already have that option in the first place.

In my eyes, it's like this classic still gets the shaft. As someone else said, I'd prefer it either getting re-released as a budget title, or be put on some kind of compilation. There's a ton of compilations in Japan that never even get released here, and we're just supposed to jump for joy because Nintendo makes the game downloadable OFFICIALLY, which is basically all they have accomplished.

I guess I just don't see what all the excitement is about. It's emulation, nothing really new.

The Dracula X: Chronicles. THAT's something to get excited about.

Just my opinion. I wasn't trying to attack anyone who prefers downloading stuff to buying something physical, but I will be sad if the world in 20 years or so only caters to you guys and everything will just be digital

I've already heard people talk about how comic books may eventually go all digital, kind of like Penny Arcade. So much for the fun of going to an actual comic shop. It's kind of like how we play everything at home now, and the joy of going to arcades is practically nonexistent.

I don't want everything in the future to just be invisible files.

[aaron]

Physical stuff is overrated

haha this is an awesome quote

[aaron]

I don't understand the point of the argument here. If you like piracy, then stick with piracy. If you dislike it, whether due to the risk or the complexities of it, then enjoy your legal alternative. Either way, no one loses. Whats the problem?

Well the legal alternative for something like Sin and Punishment for gamers in the US, is the EXACT same thing as the piracy. Either you download Sin and Punishment on your PC illegally, or you pay to download it on the virtual console.

Either way you're just getting a file on a hard drive

I just don't see how Nintendo is doing anyone any favors. They're essentially offering a method of playing Sin and Punishment that is ALREADY AVAILABLE. That what bugs me, a great game like Sin and Punishment deserves a REAL US release(like it was originally planned to have).

When I see all this hype on websites about Sin and Punishment being released in the US, it seems ridiculous to me. Oh great, we can download it now. Thanks Nintendo, like we didn't already have that option in the first place.

In my eyes, it's like this classic still gets the shaft. As someone else said, I'd prefer it either getting re-released as a budget title, or be put on some kind of compilation. There's a ton of compilations in Japan that never even get released here, and we're just supposed to jump for joy because Nintendo makes the game downloadable OFFICIALLY, which is basically all they have accomplished.

I guess I just don't see what all the excitement is about. It's emulation, nothing really new.

The Dracula X: Chronicles. THAT's something to get excited about.

Just my opinion. I wasn't trying to attack anyone who prefers downloading stuff to buying something physical, but I will be sad if the world in 20 years or so only caters to you guys and everything will just be digital

I've already heard people talk about how comic books may eventually go all digital, kind of like Penny Arcade. So much for the fun of going to an actual comic shop. It's kind of like how we play everything at home now, and the joy of going to arcades is practically nonexistent.

I don't want everything in the future to just be invisible files.

it's TOTALLY not the same thing as piracy. you pay for the rights to download the file. you didn't pay for anything when you downloaded the no-intro set from UG or whatever. that is piracy.

also you could legally get sin & punishment in the US by purchasing a physical japanese copy and a japanese n64 (or a converter, i think those are legal).

your argument seems to be based around the idea that you have a right to be downloading these files illegally and that nintendo should recognize that and almost reward you for it.

[Mozgus]

it's TOTALLY not the same thing as piracy. you pay for the rights to download the file. you didn't pay for anything when you downloaded the no-intro set from UG or whatever. that is piracy.

also you could legally get sin & punishment in the US by purchasing a physical japanese copy and a japanese n64 (or a converter, i think those are legal).

your argument seems to be based around the idea that you have a right to be downloading these files illegally and that nintendo should recognize that and almost reward you for it.

I'm a total pirate, yet that's exactly what his post sounds like to me.

[RadarScope1]

GFL isn't talking about piracy vs. non-piracy. He's saying that he's already downloading this stuff (yes, illegally) so getting stuff from XBLA or VC is simply the same thing he's been doing for years now, only he has to pay for it to feel better about it. And that's not worth the cost for him. (Do I have that right GFL?)

I guess we just have to remember that not everyone emulates games. How many average Joe PC users would love to have a free copy of SMB3 or Sonic on their computer? Probably anyone under the age of 30. But how many actually do it? Not that many overall, because they have to go through the process of downloading an emu and searching for ROMs, blah blah blah. For the average person XBL and the VC makes it as easy as getting a song from iTunes -- it's idiot proof. And they can charge for it.

[aaron]

yeah i mean don't get me wrong, i have full sets of roms for many systems on my hd, and a plethora of backup cd-rs strewn about, but i know the risk and i know the legality of it.

re-reading my post makes me sound like i'm just scolding you, gamerforlife, which i'm not trying to do, but i just don't understand what your problem is. NOA could have just said "eat a bag of cocks, treasure fan boys!" and never released the game over here at all. if anything i am sure nintendo is aware of the piracy issue and used a direct download release as a way to smack those who downloaded the game in the face.

either that or they just don't want to spend the money on a retail release of such a niche game (in the grand scheme of things) for fear of how it would perform. maybe if you poured more money into nintendo they'd have more money to release the games you like with a special tin box, covered in neat screenshots, encrusted with gold and diamonds, dipped in the fountain of youth, and with a free movie ticket to see Enchanted in it.

man i really think i sound like a dick sometimes...

[marurun]

I think his argument is that downloads are more ephemeral and vulnerable, easier to lose, destroy, etc... If he's going to spend money he wants to get something which physically houses the game and gives him a solid product. I can understand those concerns. It bothers me to spend money on 1s and 0s without the security I'll be able to get them back later or the risk that the vendor can essentially drop support for them at the flip of a switch.

[Jubal]

I think his argument is that downloads are more ephemeral and vulnerable, easier to lose, destroy, etc... If he's going to spend money he wants to get something which physically houses the game and gives him a solid product. I can understand those concerns. It bothers me to spend money on 1s and 0s without the security I'll be able to get them back later or the risk that the vendor can essentially drop support for them at the flip of a switch.

exactly

if I purchase a game disc from a store and play it, what I bought still has value beyond my own experience. I can sell the disk to recoup some of my original cost, I can save it pristine in the back of the closet for 10 years, I can trade it with my friends.

You can't do any of this with a download.

the question being raised is what will xbla and vc do to 'collecting' and the culture of games...
especially in years to come after they "drop support for them at the flip of a switch"

[Ivo]

I think his argument is that downloads are more ephemeral and vulnerable, easier to lose, destroy, etc... If he's going to spend money he wants to get something which physically houses the game and gives him a solid product. I can understand those concerns. It bothers me to spend money on 1s and 0s without the security I'll be able to get them back later or the risk that the vendor can essentially drop support for them at the flip of a switch.

That may very well be his argument, but I'm not so sure it is correct (but then again, I have some cards on an online TCG). I think the physical copies are actually more vulnerable, easier to lose, destroy etc. You can get your physical copies worn, stolen, lost with about the same odds (or worse) than the digital ones; in terms of convenience, I think it is clear that for the majority of people, digital distribution AND storage is vastly more hassle free than physical distribution and storage... And finally, it is better for the environment (due to less transports and less packaging etc), and clearly more cost effective (which also permits lower prices).

It is nearly ALL upsides, unless you are and old-fashioned collector (which I readily admit, are getting shafted, and will continue to get shafted because the majority trumps them). But that is just the way it is with progress. Some people still prefer Vynyl, so it is hardly surprising that some people will prefer CDs / DVDs over 100% digital storage in HDDs or other condensed matter storage devices (flash drives seem to be the future, even HDDs look like they will be obsolete not far from now).

Ivo.

[Gamerforlife]

I think his argument is that downloads are more ephemeral and vulnerable, easier to lose, destroy, etc... If he's going to spend money he wants to get something which physically houses the game and gives him a solid product. I can understand those concerns. It bothers me to spend money on 1s and 0s without the security I'll be able to get them back later or the risk that the vendor can essentially drop support for them at the flip of a switch.

That may very well be his argument, but I'm not so sure it is correct (but then again, I have some cards on an online TCG). I think the physical copies are actually more vulnerable, easier to lose, destroy etc. You can get your physical copies worn, stolen, lost with about the same odds (or worse) than the digital ones; in terms of convenience, I think it is clear that for the majority of people, digital distribution AND storage is vastly more hassle free than physical distribution and storage... And finally, it is better for the environment (due to less transports and less packaging etc), and clearly more cost effective (which also permits lower prices).

It is nearly ALL upsides, unless you are and old-fashioned collector (which I readily admit, are getting shafted, and will continue to get shafted because the majority trumps them). But that is just the way it is with progress. Some people still prefer Vynyl, so it is hardly surprising that some people will prefer CDs / DVDs over 100% digital storage in HDDs or other condensed matter storage devices (flash drives seem to be the future, even HDDs look like they will be obsolete not far from now).

Ivo.

I guess there's a part of me that doesn't like progress.

Probably explains why I hang out on a retro gaming site