Video game emulators allow modern computers to play games from outdated systems without buying the original machine. Emulators are legal, but downloading copyrighted games or ROMs is not. Companies have released compilations of older games, and the Nintendo Wii has a built-in emulation component. Emulators are a legally gray area, but they allow players to access games that are otherwise impossible to find.
A video game emulator is a computer program that can make one computer system act like a different system. Using emulators allows people with modern computers to play video games from outdated systems or from a different platform without having to buy the operating system or the machine. While using your modern machine to play the original Atari® Pitfall may be awesome, there is considerable legal controversy over copyright issues in emulation.
Console emulators recreate other systems and make them compatible with your computer. While they are most often used to revisit long-out-of-print classic games or systems that have been out of business for decades, they can also be used to modify or translate games. Recently, fans of classic games have been able to create new games for old consoles using emulation systems.
The first widely used video game emulator was released by a game development company called Bloodlust Software. The emulator, first created in 1997, replicated the original Nintendo Entertainment System® and was nicknamed NESticle. The program proved to be a huge hit for those longing for the glory days of console gaming and was quickly followed by Bloodlust Software’s Sega Genesis® emulator, Genecyst.
Emulators are available for download on the internet and now have working models that mimic most of the early gaming systems. It’s entirely possible to have Sega Genesis®, Super Nintendo®, Atari ST® and Intellivision® games all playable from your desktop or laptop. Due to how copyright laws work in the US, most emulators are protected from legal threats. Most emulators are created through reverse engineering, a form of technology protected by the laws of many countries.
The legal dispute is over video game downloads, or ROMs, themselves. These are protected by copyright laws and it may be an infringement to download or use them. This leads to an interesting situation, where it’s perfectly legal to own a video game emulator, but not own any games for it. Many game emulator and ROM sites post a disclaimer saying you can only download games if you own the respective real versions of them, but this is often ignored.
In recent years, computer gaming giants have attempted to combat the spread of emulation gaming with both legal and innovative means. In addition to lobbying government committees to crack down on websites that provide ROMs, many companies have also released compilations of older games for use on modern machines. More recently, the Nintendo Wii® game machine has a built-in emulation component, allowing users to legally purchase games for many classic consoles and play them on the Wii®.
Emulators are a risky subject and a legally gray area in many places. While they may cross some copyright laws, they allow players the ability to play games that are impossible to find otherwise because the system is no longer available. If you want to try using a video game emulator, download it from a trusted source and keep in mind your local copyright laws.
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