uc pseudonym wrote:Vyse, in general I am glad that you stand up for copywrites and the like, though you could do to look your position over carefully. Here, however, you happen to be wrong.
Due to laws recently passed, games that required hardware to play that is considered "obsolete" can be legally converted to different formats. The definition of obsolete is (of course) variable, being, according to the text of the law, either:
1) The required hardware cannot be found easily at a store, or
2) The required hardware is no longer in production.
In the case of the SNES, it is definitely no longer in production, and most likely fits under the first definition as well. As such, unless Radical Dreamers is remade on a newer system, it is legal within the United States.
This past week Nintendo released a series of "classic NES" games for their GBA. Those titles are not obsolete and there is a way to continue to play them. Yes, it requires a new piece of hardware, and a new copy of the software, but they are keeping the titles available. So... if someone never had a copy of a SNES game, they can go download a ROM of it now and it's all ok, even while Nintendo is rereleasing the games for newer consoles (e-reader, GCN collections, bonuses in games (Animal Crossing, Metroid Prime + Fusion link-up, etc))? Nintendo and others are rereleasing a lot of their older games in new formats. How can you get a ROM of a game legally when there's the chance that it WILL be remade on a new system? There's almost always that possibility.
(edit)It not only seems unfair for people to get to download games for free just because availability is lower a few years later, but wouldn't it seem to lower the incentive for companies to rerelease games later because they'd get less customers? If I have one copy of a game, I wouldn't feel the need to get another. If I had a ROM of a game (and didn't think it was wrong), I wouldn't want to spend money for something I already have. Maybe it doesn't lower the incentive for video game companies, but it seems logical that it would lower their profits... and people would be getting something for free that others are paying for, and the people who own the rights to the game wouldn't be getting anything for those ROMS. (/edit)
Also, I know that
I can easily find an SNES. Yes, production has stopped, but they are still available. Who determines "easily" available?
(edit)Anyway... back on topic...
I'm not sure that I would buy a PSP just for one game. I haven't played these games before, though, so maybe I'm just not aware of how great they are. ^_^ (/edit)