Emulators..??????

[PDA_designer40]

I was wanting to know how to use an emulator, or actually what are they. I might be thinking wrong about this. I have a lot of games and I see on here emulators. How do I use them? Thanks

[Raynne413]

An emulator will allow you play games for the system it is emulating. Like a gameboy emulator will allow you to play gameboy games. However, you need the ROM of the game in order for the emulator to work (and links to ROMs are not allowed on Aximsite).

[PDA_designer40]

Ok, question then. Are getting ROMs illegal or are they out there to get, I just have to go to sites to get them?

[deftech]

Getting ROMs that are of copyrighted games is illegal. Every now and then, you can find a ROM of a homebrew game that is freeware.....but 99.999999% of ROMs are illegal. It is against Aximsite rules to discuss ROMs, but feel free to discuss the actual emulator software.

[cmms_axim]

getting ROMs is not illegal unless you do not own the original game. As long as you own the game there are no issues. You can search for ROM on a search engine. Google is a good one for that.

[Raynne413]

Uhm. . . Yes to both questions. Technically ROMs are illegal, and they are out there to get, you just have to know where to find them. lol

[deftech]

Originally posted by cmms_axim
getting ROMs is not illegal unless you do not own the original game. As long as you own the game there are no issues. You can search for ROM on a search engine. Google is a good one for that.

Actually, that has no meaning at all. It is illegal to have the ROM even if you do own that game. That is just a bad "statement" that many websites (who have no legal knowlege) containing ROMs put up, thinking that it will save their butts if someone tries to sue them.

[cmms_axim]

Really???! I didnt know that. Do you think that would even hold up in a law suite then. They seem to be deceving us the user into doing something illegal w/o our knowledge. I only got the games that I have on disk or cartridge (I might as well have downloaded everthing on the website since what I did was illegal allready).


Thanks for the info deftech! I really appreciate that!

[deftech]

I don't really have a problem with ROMs of old NES games and stuff, so I'm not going to debate that much about it. I just wanted to make you aware that it is technically illegal, even if you own the game.

[almighty bob]

yes, dling a rom is illegal whether u own the original cartridge or not. also, some sites may have a "disclaimer" about being able to keep the rom for only 24 hours, but that is bull too. they are just trying to cover their own asses.

if u want to _legally_ obtain a rom from a game u own, u must dump the rom urself from ur original cartridge.

im pretty sure many old roms are treated as abandonware and that the owners no longer care if they are downloaded, but that doesnt necessarily make it legal...

[JmE]

There is also that "one backup" thingy that makes this kinda grey.


-JmE-

[bearcatx16]

As a newbie I also was wondering what an emulator was and how it worked, after reading previous sites and had become interested in placing an emulaltor in my AX.

If you have to have these rom's, which appears to be something illegal, to play the games, then what good purpose does an emulator do for the AX?

As I am not going to be on the receiving end of a subpeona for illegal downloading I think I will wait on getting and emulator.

In the game of Life there is no two minute warning!!!!!!!!!!

[JmE]

Originally posted by bearcatx16
In the game of Life there is no two minute warning!!!!!!!!!!

Conversely, there is no re-do either. Live life now or it is gone...

-JmE-

[deftech]

I think the way companies legally publish emulators, is because there are some, though few legitimate freeware ROMs that developers have created themselves.

[jimbosquid]

The main, legal purpose for emulators is for software testing. If you are developing software and need to run a test and emulator is what you need in the beginning phases