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"We have the wolf by the ears -- we cannot hold onto it, nor safely let it go."
— Thomas Jefferson
We live today in a world caught in the grip of a fast, frenzied pace ruled by the technology we use. It seems as if every day gives birth to a new tool or program we can use to our own benefit. Creating tools and technology that's better, faster, and more productive than their predecessors is ingrained into the human spirit, all the way back to the time of our ancestral grandfathers when they smelted the very first metals, and into today when a laptop computer can hold such massive amounts of data in a package smaller than some textbooks.
Technology, in and of itself, is an amoral entity. It can't feel, doesn't think (at least, not in the ways human beings can), and -- Hollywood films aside -- has no capacity to turn against its creators. A tool can only have any "morality" depending on the intentions of its creators, and the intentions of its users. A weapon has no feelings to sway, yet it can be used for protection or assault. Likewise, a book has no ability to think, and can be used for constructive logic or partisan hatred. So, let's segue from the general to the specific, and the obvious question -- what does this have to do with games and gaming?
One word: emulation.
The technology that allows gamers to have access to and play games they neither own nor pay for is both wonderful and very dangerous for numerous reasons. For those not in the know, emulators are programs usually found and used on personal computers, and these programs enable a user to play specific files programmed into game carts and discs, called "ROMs," or "ISOs." The legality of owning and playing ROMs and ISOs is a topic better left to another article. While the popular opinion appears to be that possessing and playing a ROM is legal so long as you own the original cartridge (supposedly this "fact" was certified by no less of an entity than Nintendo), I can neither speak to the certainty nor legal standing of such things. Hearsay has a way of spreading around, and until I see official word from someone in the position to make such statements, I'll withhold my own judgement on the matter.
Before I go further, in the interests of both professional and personal integrity, I will admit to having used and played emulators. It might not be a pleasant subject to discuss, but emulation has been the proverbial elephant in the room for a long time now, no matter how many of us might try to ignore it. While some might choose to explain away their use of emulation as legit, it's worth stepping back to look at the entire picture in order to get a better grasp of the serious weight this issue carries.
Why do people choose to play games through emulation? There are a number of reasons to explain this, but I would offer these three theories:
- The games can be obtained for free.
- The games exist as a "backup" for a cartridge or disc.
- The games are no longer in circulation, or cannot be easily obtained.
Free games are an easy temptation. I personally have long been used to new games costing anywhere from $40-60 USD upon release, even when Nintendo was just beginning to break into the North American market. By and large, over the years this price point has remained relatively unchanged, with some exceptions (I believe that Neo Geo games were going for $199 USD at one time), and prices vary from one market to another, but it goes without saying that gamers usually have to put down a fair amount of cash on a single title.
So why not rejoice at the option of a free game? True, there's always the logic that some use about "sticking it to the man," but for every copy of a game that doesn't sell on the retail market, a part of that much money can't be used to create new games. Most gamers (those who aren't pirating games simply on rebellious impulses) realize that the games they play cost a lot of money to make, and thus aren't too hard-pressed to pay for a real copy of the game. After all, by process of elimination, new pirated copies can't be made if a company doesn't supply games to pirate in the first place.
The subject of ROM or ISO "backups" isn't so easily nailed down, however. Some have argued previously that emulation should be allowed to continue simply to supply a playable copy once the original goes down for good. Sadly, this is more of an eventuality than a possibility, as the companies responsible for making game cartridges in the past, and even some console makers have cost corners in the quality of the hardware they supply, in order to save more money when it comes time to sell that hardware to the consumer. As such, older systems and games eventually just stop functioning, and repairing that hardware can range from difficult to downright impossible.
On the flip side of this argument is the sad fact that in order for legit gamers to backup their games, pirates are able to supply illegal copies to those who're able to do a little snooping and investigative work. It then becomes a question of whether honest gamers should have the option of backing up their games at the risk of not-so-honest ones having games for free, or if everyone should lose all access to these games completely. Putting aside the fact that millions upon millions of copies, both legal and illegal, are easily accessible on the Internet, it seems doubtful that any company could find a way to eliminate any way for pirates to copy their games.
Lastly, the matter of original copies of games and consoles has to be discussed. Since most who read this are RPGamers, it's an acknowledged, yet sad fact of life that rare and out-of-print games go for a premium through auction sites, if they can be found at all. Also, some ROMs come from games that couldn't be found in some parts of the world at all (such as Japanese RPGs that are later translated), which makes the original cartridges' availability go from slim to impossible to find. Whether from a small circulation or the inevitable passage of time, games just become harder and harder to find in their original form, which leaves emulation as one of the few options left. Should this "excuse" some gamers because they have no possible way to locate or purchase an original copy?
"To emulate or not to emulate" is the loaded question every gamer has to answer. Some chose not to out of principle, while others might explain away why they play under the threat of a guilty conscience. A rare few might not even have to emulate at all, if their collections are large enough. Some pay-to-play download services (a service like Gametap, or Xbox Live Arcade, or the rumored Revolution download service once it goes live) are making legitimate emulation a possibility, but while a free alternative exists, some gamers will take advantage of it.
In truth, as technology progresses and games become more and more complex to make and copy, it means that illegal copies are harder to find. ISOs are extremely large in size and are hard to find, and sometimes even require special coding and copying equipment to place onto a blank disc before they can be played in the first place. While money might be saved in the long run, it seems like a complicated process just to play a game that might not even work to begin with. And the final question of how long Copyright Protection lasts for a video game won't be answered for many years to come. Needless to say, the jury's still out on this one, leaving gamers to their debates on the subject for a long time to come.
Now who's up for a game of Pong?
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