Mister Beefhead

Why not?

happyday

That's actually not quite that sweet of a deal because it is 15 games and a system for a $100.

Pirated games work fine and you can get them for cheap.

zero

If you need this explained to you then you shouldnt be asking.

zero

If by cheap you mean illegal and not worth anything if traded in or sold to someone who wants them, then be my guest. I guess it's just me and I dont think Im truly alone here, but pirating games for a dead system is just stupid. You can get almost anything you want on the DC at very CHEAP prices. CDR or "burns" for that price? hell the seller should be paying him for even considering buying his system. What if he decides to post this collection in the Trade Forum or sell them ebay? Either way it leads to trouble and if thats the way you game...then I feel sorry for you.

Be original, buy original. If the games are pirated pass it up and hunt for your own bargain.

Oh and since I failed to mention it CDR copies of games are hell on the DC laser. Something to think about before telling someone to buy illegal copies of games that he can get for dirt cheap if he knows where to look.

heavywear

games are legit and I think I will pick it up guys - talked him down to $80. thanks for the feedback

Mister Beefhead

Give me a funkin break. I shouldn't be asking? Why? The point was, I was just curious as to people's views as applies to pirated copies of games that are no longer available new. It doesn't seem morally wrong to purchase a pirated copy of a discontinued game, as no matter how you purchase it no money would be going to the manufacturer or the holder of the copyright. As far as legally, of course it's not strictly legal, but theoretically neither is taping a television show and giving it to a friend, or making Xerox copies of pages from a book at the library.

happyday

I guess the worth would depend on who the buyer is wouldn't it.
I didn't mean to spark up a debate here. Just speaking from experience my DC is over three years old and plays backups without a hitch. I am not sure how the copyright issues work here when games are no longer available it would seem that CD-R's are a reasonable option. I am not sure where you have been looking but some DC games still go for over $20, not cheap in my opinion. As Mister Beefhead mentioned there are so many "everyday" violations of copyright that go on it isn't really worth debating that point.

heavywear

spainlinx0

Lol, what is that thing?

zero

Give you a what break? Heres an example...Evil Dead. That movei is no longer new so if you took your video camera to a theater and pirated the movie is it still morally wrong? Wrong is wrong no two ways about it. The games ARE available you just have to get up off your lazy arse and look for them. Plain and simple.

Mister Beefhead

Funkin. Funk-in. As in, "Get the funk up, batman!"


That is a terrible example. Evil Dead is availible nine ways to sunday in new form. If you want a copy and you are not buying it new, you are denying profits from the copyright holders of the movie.

It is neither plain nor simple. We're not talking about something no longer new, we're talking about something that is no longer availible new, period. What possible benefit to anyone is there in hunting down an original disc as opposed to getting a copy from a friend?

zero

I guess you dont shop ebay much do you? People sell off their originals to people like me who refuse to have CDR copies of games. I have lot of games that are considered "rare" and all of them are the original disc. If I ever needed to sell them off for what they are worth (mainly the imports) I would get good money for them. I prefer having the actual game as opposed to having a crappy disc with the title scribed on it with magic marker. I know that the games are not available new anymore, but that still doesnt make getting copies of them right.

TeeSeeJay

First you must separate that which is "legal" from that which is "ethical" -- I do not believe that the term "morality" applies to discussion of "abandonware."

We're talking about a product that at one point generated revenue for many different parties: retailers, software developers, and hardware developers.

This may be a simplication, but I will assert that there is no way to presently purchase a Dreamcast game that in any way generates revenue for software or hardware developers, or profit for a retailer. Since there are no new shipments of Dreamcast games to retailers, all revenue from this product line has been realized. Retailers that still have DC products in stock merely want to get rid of them by selling them at cut-rate prices, eliminating their profits. Remember that revenue goes to the developers when the retailer purchases the product from the supplier, not when you purchase the product from the retailer.

Now. There is no ethical difference between buying a used original Dreamcast game and buying a burned dreamcast game on CDR. Is it legally right to purchase or sell a pirated game? No. Is it ethical to sell a burned game for a profit? No. Is it ethical to sell a burned game for the cost of labor and materials? Sure, why not?

Basically, it is a situation in which no manner of purchasing a Dreamcast game results in revenue for those who developed the game. Therefore, the manner or format in which you purchase the game is irrelevant.