Reptars Revenge
Member
Because they own the intellectual property.
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Eurogamer: Did Nintendo download a Mario ROM and sell it back to us?
- Thread starter allintospace
- Start date
Because they own the intellectual property.
WhiteRabbitEXE
Member
The NES Classic was developed by NERD, an internal Nintendo studio.
Didn't Capcom do this too with the Mega Man Legacy collection?
Yep, that's why I wouldn't sell it.
All my nintendo games are made of diamond.
The file format is definitely not Nin's to use/sell, and it is copyrightable.
NOLA_Gaffer
Banned
Pretty much. Jim Sterling and others seem to get really caught up about Nintendo "selling us ROM files" but it's not really that simple...they own the game, it's their property, they can do what they like with it.
always crazy bacon
Banned
I worked for a very well known game developer and once posed that question in the lunch room? "If I had a ROM of one of our games on my work PC that I downloaded, is it illegal? The game is already on our network somewhere, the PC is owned by the company and there's even some copies of the game around the office"
Was a very interesting conversation.
prag16
Banned
How is it unethical.. It's their own IP. You can laugh at them for being lazy and stupid. But unethical?
You don't need source code to rip a rom off a cartridge though. Any old cart would do.
Lord of Ostia
Member
Well, has Nintendo ever actually stopped you from downloading ROMs of those games from the internet? Sure they say it's bad, and they send the occasional ROM hack that gets too much visibility a cease and desist, but they don't really crack down on the tons of ROM sites out there. Not out of benevolence, but because it isn't worth it to do so.
orthodoxy1095
Banned
Ha, that's amazing.
They do have extensive certification processes, I'm pretty sure especially if it was an external developer (which Eurogamer provides a Nintendo statement saying it was internal...) they would have had just as stringent certification as their other platforms.
And I don't think I need to say this but will anyways: Internally they have proven a quality with first party releases.
So you won't mind if I go around finding ROMs that Nintendo hasn't put on their VC yet, dig into the code to carefully tweak it to remove unused data and replace it with code that bricks consoles or activates copy protection clauses upon triggering a certain random event, and then spread it around in places for Nintendo to conveniently download and then put on their VC?
Cool.
HerroRygar
Member
Didn't Nintendo try pretty hard to issue legal takedowns against ROM distributors back in the day? It's hypocritical to go after these people legally then turn around and use their service. Whether or not they own the IP is irrelevant when they were the ones pursuing the matter legally.
30yearsofhurt
Member
I never thought someone would outdo this
is the rom different on wiiU or 3DS virtual console? Do any other virtual console games have these telltale signs of just being an in house emulator that uses .NES? I have questions that this video isn't answering.
the difference is with the dumps being done by the company itself, with either using complied code lying around on a storage tape or dumped from hardware on site, vs just grabbing the rom off bigtittygames.lol and calling it a day
-shadow-
Member
Out of curiosity, couldn't it be they do have their own ROM but just went with a well established file format that's already being used for the platform? Why create a new one when there's already one seems like a logical step.
That's amazing. I'd love to sit there just stalking and seeing the conversation unfold. The conversation would be a very weird one to have/
That's amazing. I'd love to sit there just stalking and seeing the conversation unfold. The conversation would be a very weird one to have/
It's unproven that they in fact downloaded a rom.
Maintenance
Member
Spiral Insanity
Banned
Apparantly IT IS JUST ROMZ
So what people! It's all just files. Not everything can be a Sega 3D Classic.
(But they should have ripped it from their own archive copy, not like this)
Azure Dream
Member
It's common. Companies talk up preservation efforts as piracy, then use those very efforts to sell retail products back to consumers. Then those consumers talk up the company's work as the purest, most accurate example.
orthodoxy1095
Banned
It's not this simple either.
There's more to be had with this discussion regarding piracy and preservation than just "it's theirs, whatever."
Yeah, this is more of what the video is talking about. There's definitely a bit of (humorous) hypocrisy between Nintendo's statements on emulation and this Mario rom.
are you really serious?
mullet2000
Member
I don't really have a problem with this but it just seems bizzare to me.
Given how protective of their IP Nintendo is I have to imagine they have a pretty well maintained archive. I just find it bizarre that a company that large wouldn't just use their own copy. It just seems like the simplest way of ensuring that the game you're putting out is most true to the original release.
Given how protective of their IP Nintendo is I have to imagine they have a pretty well maintained archive. I just find it bizarre that a company that large wouldn't just use their own copy. It just seems like the simplest way of ensuring that the game you're putting out is most true to the original release.
frankie_baby
Member
This is old news, i remember hearing it like 10 years ago
Sectorseven
Member
If you were the guy who originally dumped the rom, could you put this on a resume? "My work is so good it was used by Nintendo."
QuantumBro
Banned
Don't they realize that they're devaluing their IP???
SmiteOfHand
Member
This was discussed when Frank's talk first went up in the GDC Vault, but I guess it is worth revisting since Eurogamer apparently just found it.
I believe the most likely answer was that Nintendo used the same hardware to dump their roms as pirates since they are probably not going to bother to build out the hardware themselves.
I believe the most likely answer was that Nintendo used the same hardware to dump their roms as pirates since they are probably not going to bother to build out the hardware themselves.
Clearly haven't watched the video. Nintendo have a hardline stance on emulation/piracy considering it the greatest threat to their IP. Yet they are selling a pirated and emulated copy of their most famous game. It's about the hypocrisy.
axisofweevils
Holy crap! Today's real megaton is that more than two people can have the same first name.
Kind of reminds me of the bands who officially sell DVDs of fan recorded concert movies.
I thought that most of the VC releases being nicked from ROM sites (complete with RIPPED BY [dude]" text remaining in the header" was already known in emulation and hacking circles.
It was actually Streets of Rage 2, but yep! And it was hilarious!
It was actually Streets of Rage 2, but yep! And it was hilarious!
This was from the Frank Cifaldi talk, yes? This was just based on the file format, which I don't think really says anything one way or another. They could have used open-source ripping tools or converted to known file formats because it's easy to work with on PCs with existing emulators and tools. Authenticity doesn't necessarily mean reinventing the wheel for the sake of it. Likewise I would not be surprised if they looked at open-source emulators for ideas or ways to solve certain challenges.
Even if they sourced it elsewhere the only real difference lies with whether or not it's a 1:1 copy or if the source tampered with it. Otherwise it doesn't really matter where it came from because it's identical.
Even if they sourced it elsewhere the only real difference lies with whether or not it's a 1:1 copy or if the source tampered with it. Otherwise it doesn't really matter where it came from because it's identical.
Like the hat?
Banned
You own copies of the games. They own the games.
I don't really understand why so many of you are saying ”it's ok, they own the IP." Yeah, no shit; that wasn't the point of the article.
The point is that Nintendo is completely against 3rd-party emulators on the basis of them being used exclusively for piracy, disregarding their place in the preservation of old games.
Yet Nintendo couldn't source a ROM for Super Mario Bros. internally; instead, they had to download a ROM... because they couldn't preserve their games well. While saying that emulators are only good for piracy and hurt their bottom line, and no good for anything else.
The point is that Nintendo is completely against 3rd-party emulators on the basis of them being used exclusively for piracy, disregarding their place in the preservation of old games.
Yet Nintendo couldn't source a ROM for Super Mario Bros. internally; instead, they had to download a ROM... because they couldn't preserve their games well. While saying that emulators are only good for piracy and hurt their bottom line, and no good for anything else.
Aw, I was hoping it would be from that really old site that changes the ROM header to put their URL in it.
Kinda disappointing that Nintendo is benefiting off work from people that they usually condemn (e.g. the .NES file format, the dumping process while it was still a pain and expensive, the cataloguing of good ROM dumps) but I'm not going to really care too much. It's not like they'd ever come out and say they approve piracy or third-party emulation now.
Kinda disappointing that Nintendo is benefiting off work from people that they usually condemn (e.g. the .NES file format, the dumping process while it was still a pain and expensive, the cataloguing of good ROM dumps) but I'm not going to really care too much. It's not like they'd ever come out and say they approve piracy or third-party emulation now.
And I'd be downloading a copy of the game I own. Not selling that copy to others.
Trogdor1123
Member
Really? That's crazy. Could you post so.e examples?
Spiral Insanity
Banned
Are you trying to justify piracy? Do you expect Nintendo to not go after rom sites? What are you arguing?
MagnoSauce
Member
It's hypocritical in the sense that they gave a ROM site hits and ad revenue at the same time they try to make people who use those sites seem bad.