[game_preservation] More games pulled from virtual console

[Benj Edwards]

Devin,

My article actually centers around the legal impediments to the proper 
preservation and cultural sharing (think libraries) of software.  It 
does not intentionally glorify piracy, at least not in my opinion.  In 
fact, it says that piracy unintentionally preserves some software -- in 
spite of itself -- and that we'd be better off doing that kind of work 
legally.

I quote: "It is up to us, as a generation, to preserve our cultural 
history. We must also push for reforms in copyright law that allow 
software to take its rightful place in historical archives without the 
need to rely upon the work of pirates."

I'd rather that every piece of software get preserved properly and 
legitimately (and I know that such efforts are underway in some 
quarters), but in practice (and historically), that is not going to 
happen.  We'll all have to either fall back on the work of pirates or 
our own illegal DRM-breaking, media-shifting, and public-sharing actions 
to preserve software in the future if copyright laws don't change.  The 
reasons why are spelled out in the article.

Regards,
Benj

On 11/19/2012 3:42 PM, Devin Monnens wrote:

> Yeah, I've read the Technologizer article. The trouble with it is that 

> piracy does not equal preservation. Piracy is concerned with access 

> and playability. It attempts to get software out, though this 

> obviously subverts copyright and developer profit (perceived or 

> otherwise). The focus on playability means PC emulation tends to be of 

> higher quality than console emulation (such as Virtual Console or 

> classic collections). However, piracy is not interested in data 

> authenticity because access and playability are its focus.

>

> Preservation is interested mostly in authenticity and longevity - 

> making sure the data is accurate and that it is preserved in a format 

> that will last well into the next century.

>

> There is some overlap I feel in the playability department (making 

> sure the games are playable as well as accessible), but I think that 

> articles like this have the tendency to raise and praise the pirate 

> flag while ignoring legitimate preservation efforts.

>

>

>

> On Mon, Nov 19, 2012 at 3:15 PM, Andrew Armstrong 

> <andrew at aarmstrong.org <mailto:andrew at aarmstrong.org>> wrote:

>

>     Yeah, software piracy is about it, shame the same can't be easily

>     done on other consoles.

>

>     None that I know of Benj regarding lost to history games. There

>     are a few noted rarities in various articles, but no compiled list

>     AFAIK.

>

>     Andrew

>

>

>     On 19/11/2012 20:10, Benj Edwards wrote:

>>     Seconded, Frank.

>>

>>     On a tangential topic -- has anyone ever made a list of video

>>     games that have apparently been lost to history (or are

>>     particularly endangered)?  I've though about undertaking it a few

>>     times, but it's hard to make a list of things that are, well,

>>     lost, because few people know about them.

>>

>>     Benj

>>

>>     On 11/19/2012 3:04 PM, Frank Cifaldi wrote:

>>>     Indeed. As far as I know, the raw files from every Virtual

>>>     Console release have been ripped and torrented thousands of

>>>     times over, so I'm not personally worried about games getting

>>>     pulled. It's not ideal, but it's the best we can expect to have

>>>     accomplished I think. Too bad we can't say the same about other

>>>     digital Nintendo stuff from the past, like a lot of the games

>>>     that were beamed into the BS modem in Japan.

>>>

>>>

>>>     On Mon, Nov 19, 2012 at 11:54 AM, Benj Edwards

>>>     <editor at vintagecomputing.com

>>>     <mailto:editor at vintagecomputing.com>> wrote:

>>>

>>>         One link:

>>>

>>>         http://technologizer.com/2012/01/23/why-history-needs-software-piracy/

>>>

>>>         :)

>>>

>>>          Benj

>>>

>>>

>>>         On 11/19/2012 2:52 PM, Andrew Armstrong wrote:

>>>>         Local until your console fails, you send it back for repair

>>>>         and it is wiped in the process.

>>>>

>>>>         Sigh.

>>>>

>>>>         Andrew

>>>>

>>>>         On 19/11/2012 17:39, Philippe Dubois, association MO5.COM

>>>>         <http://MO5.COM>, Président wrote:

>>>>>

>>>>>         :(

>>>>>

>>>>>         I believe that "local copies" of your legal stuff bought

>>>>>         for the Virtual Console will still continue to work, i hope !

>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>>         Best regards,

>>>>>

>>>>>         Philippe Dubois, Association MO5.COM <http://MO5.COM>,

>>>>>         President

>>>>>

>>>>>         -- 

>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>>         	

>>>>>

>>>>>         I didn't know Nintendo had pulled games previously, but

>>>>>         now the DKC games are no longer available on US Wii

>>>>>         Virtual Console and will soon be unavailable in the UK

>>>>>         (and probably in Japan soon after).

>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>>         http://www.nintendo-gamer.net/2012/11/19/the-donkey-kong-country-games-are-being-pulled-from-virtual-console-this-sunday/

>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>>         I guess the thing that's worse about stuff being pulled is

>>>>>         stuff being pulled with no announcement.

>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>>         -- 

>>>>>

>>>>>         Devin Monnens

>>>>>

>>>>>         www.deserthat.com <http://www.deserthat.com>

>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>>         The sleep of Reason produces monsters.

>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>>         _______________________________________________

>>>>>         game_preservation mailing list

>>>>>         game_preservation at igda.org  <mailto:game_preservation at igda.org>

>>>>>         http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation

>>>>

>>>>

>>>>

>>>>         _______________________________________________

>>>>         game_preservation mailing list

>>>>         game_preservation at igda.org  <mailto:game_preservation at igda.org>

>>>>         http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation

>>>

>>>         -- 

>>>         Freelance Writer / Editor in Chief VC&G

>>>         http://www.benjedwards.com

>>>         http://www.vintagecomputing.com

>>>

>>>

>>>         _______________________________________________

>>>         game_preservation mailing list

>>>         game_preservation at igda.org <mailto:game_preservation at igda.org>

>>>         http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>     _______________________________________________

>>>     game_preservation mailing list

>>>     game_preservation at igda.org  <mailto:game_preservation at igda.org>

>>>     http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation

>>

>>     -- 

>>     Freelance Writer / Editor in Chief VC&G

>>     http://www.benjedwards.com

>>     http://www.vintagecomputing.com

>>

>>

>>     _______________________________________________

>>     game_preservation mailing list

>>     game_preservation at igda.org  <mailto:game_preservation at igda.org>

>>     http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation

>

>

>     _______________________________________________

>     game_preservation mailing list

>     game_preservation at igda.org <mailto:game_preservation at igda.org>

>     http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation

>

>

>

>

> -- 

> Devin Monnens

> www.deserthat.com <http://www.deserthat.com>

>

> The sleep of Reason produces monsters.

>

>

> _______________________________________________

> game_preservation mailing list

> game_preservation at igda.org

> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/game_preservation


-- 
Freelance Writer / Editor in Chief VC&G
http://www.benjedwards.com
http://www.vintagecomputing.com

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/game_preservation/attachments/20121119/8178e4ac/attachment.html>