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In the long run, how much damage can Foley do?

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HoopstarsGarage:


--- Quote from: KevSteele on June 14, 2005, 09:46:25 am ---My main motivation in all of this is "the greater good". I'm caught between my desire to see legal ROMs and my distaste at Foley's hardball "business is war" assault on MAME.

I just have this vision of MAME going truly mainstream, perhaps even being legally bundled and sold with ROMs, with proceeds going to the MAMEdev team for their hard work.

--- End quote ---
What does "the greater good" actually mean though?

The problem is Kevin, with respect to ROMs, the cat is already well and truly "out of the bag"..

We are not talking about music piracy here where every day sees the release of a new "must have" song.  We are talking about a collection that for the most part, pretty much stays the same and will for all time be passed around between enthusiasts.  There are tons of avenues to get your ROMs and it would be next to impossible to shut them all down.  One ROM site shuts down and 5 more open..  Hell, one of the most powerful and richest companies in the world, Microsoft can't prevent piracy of their products.. what hope would these companies have of covering 5000+ ROMs?

Another thing is, even if they charged 10 cents per ROM, that is still $500 for a collection of all games.  And why would someone who already has or has access to the full set pay that kind of money then? (or make their mates pay for it..)

The owners of the ROMs have little interest in persuing the license - which is backed by the fact that they aren't protecting Foley's investment into them and that MAME has been around for well over 7 years without so much as a whimper from them (except maybe the odd few).

Foley has obviously invested heavily into his project and is keen to protect that investment (hence his "noise) - for that I don't blame him.  However, he has obviously gone about it in the wrong way and it has bit him on the ass - even he has admitted that clearly illusrated with his amazing amount of back pedaling.  That said, I do not support him or anyone who supports him in any way, shape or form.!!!!!!!!!

Foley is a spent force and will not make ANY impact on the scene..!! Why? Because all it would achieve is pushing it FURTHER underground.

Am I saying it's right?  Not at all..  But what if it was?  Then there would be a million Foley's out there trying to make money out of MAME and then going down the road of to try to prevent "unfair competition".

As someone said to me - there is only two things that keep the internet going: Pornography and Piracy.



Goz:


--- Quote ---Another thing is, even if they charged 10 cents per ROM, that is still $500 for a collection of all games.  And why would someone who already has or has access to the full set pay that kind of money then? (or make their mates pay for it..)
--- End quote ---

People with high moral standards might. I'm not a goody two shoes by any means don't take this the wrong way, but. Who really needs the full set? I don't know about you, but over the years I have only played maybe 100 games multiple times. Thats $10 and even with questionable morals I'd have no problem fully legitimizing the hobby if the games were 10 cents per rom or more as a matter of fact. ROMS use is the one thing that makes this hobby questionable from a legal / moral standpoint. I'm certainly hoping it doesn't come to a point where we may need to agree to a UELA before each game play; but something will change the way the ROMS are hanfled / managed at some point.

-Goz

pointdablame:


--- Quote from: Gozur on June 14, 2005, 11:19:16 am ---
--- Quote ---Another thing is, even if they charged 10 cents per ROM, that is still $500 for a collection of all games.  And why would someone who already has or has access to the full set pay that kind of money then? (or make their mates pay for it..)
--- End quote ---

People with high moral standards might. I'm not a goody two shoes by any means don't take this the wrong way, but. Who really needs the full set? I don't know about you, but over the years I have only played maybe 100 games multiple times. Thats $10 and even with questionable morals I'd have no problem fully legitimizing the hobby if the games were 10 cents per rom or more as a matter of fact. ROMS use is the one thing that makes this hobby questionable from a legal / moral standpoint. I'm certainly hoping it doesn't come to a point where we may need to agree to a UELA before each game play; but something will change the way the ROMS are hanfled / managed at some point.

-Goz

--- End quote ---

I have to agree completely here with Goz.  Who plays all of the 5000+ games?? no one.  Plus... take out all the clones and Jap/US/Asia/ et al versions of roms, and you SIGNIFICANTLY lower teh number of "games"  Now take out the awful games that just aren't worth playing.. and the quiz games if you don't like em... and mahjong... and the 500 "adult" games that are all the same crap wrapped up in a slightly different puzzle package....

I would buy games for .10 to a quarter without hesitation.  Hell, you can get an awesome collection going for $10 or $20 (less than the cost of a new console/PC game), and buy other games with your pocket change...

Just because people HAVE pirated games... doesn't mean that they won't want to legitamize their hobby.


EDIT: One more thing.. in the grand scheme of things... what the hell is $20 in this hobby anyway.  We spend so much money on these cabs to play old games... why wouldn't people spend a few bux for the ACTUAL GAMES?

KevSteele:

I certainly don't think we'll ever see the end of freely traded ROMs, but I think it's important to have a legal avenue for ROMs as well, if only to help give MAME legitimacy in the eyes of the industry.

The chance of lawsuits dimishes greatly when companies start looking at people as a source of potenial income (a lesson Foley never learned, and he has now burned his bridges with respect to selling to the MAME community, IMHO)

Having Legal ROMs is a Good Thing(tm) in this situation, no matter if people still swap ROM sets or not. I just wish someone else was doing it...

Kevin

hulkster:

well worst case, you have to buy the games starting on a certain date.  $10 per ROM or something stupid like that.  just backup what you have, and you'll be fine.  there will ALWAYS be a way to beat the system.   some ways take too much work on your part, but there is always some kid living in his mom's basement without a job or going to school who has nothing better to do than to find out how to get stuff for free.

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