RetroN 5 $129.99 with free shipping @ ThinkGeek - The RetroN 5 deals thread

Drclaw411

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$129.99 with free shipping at ThinkGeek


Important Information
​Warranty registration - http://www.retron5.com/warrantyregistration_/
Patch Notes / How to Update (Last update 6/10/2014) - http://retron5.in/?src=98f13708210194c475687be6106a3b84

I've included the text from the pre-order era of this OP in spoilers for reference.
UPDATE 5/27/14: It's real this time. Hyperkin's June 6 release date is happening. Many mom and pop stores that have received their units have started selling them already, and many people who have ordered from Amazon (myself included) are reporting getting emails from Amazon notifying them that their orders qualify for release day delivery and are updating estimated delivery status to June 6th, no longer showing the "we need more time" placeholder. It's worth noting that so far only people who have ordered the grey unit from Amazon are receiving order updates (which coincides with Hyperkin reporting on their facebook page that they had shipped Amazon's grey preorder units, but Amazon had yet to place an order for the black units). All consoles that have been shown off online by reviewers, people who have been able to buy them before the street date, or Hyperkin themselves have all been grey consoles to this point. No word on black consoles. Another note: Chris Gallizzi of Hyperkin responded to an inquiry about Newegg orders by saying that he is not aware of any issues with Newegg's preorders, and they should be good to go for the launch.

UPDATE 5/22/14: Just one day after IGN and Polygon reported that Hyperkin would begin shipping units to retailers on May 22 (today as of this writing), Hyperkin essentially confirmed that. They have announced that the launch date for the long overdue RetroN 5 is June 6th, 2014. In a much quieter fashion (just by responding to a random person's comment) they confirmed this would be for North America only and that the console would launch in the UK in September. There is also one more small hitch. The rumor that the first batch of units would be only for mom/pop B&M retailers and that NO units from this batch would go to Amazon or Newegg has been gaining some serious steam. While Hyperkin has been responding to a decent amount of comments on their facebook page from excited fans, they continue to ignore questions about when Amazon orders will ship. So it seems those of us who preordered on Amazon still don't have a solid release date. Fulfillment could happen any time between June 6th through September or beyond.

UPDATE 5/21/14: IGN today reported that the RetroN 5 would begin shipping out on May 22 (tomorrow, as of this writing)! This coincides with Chris Gazzilli, Hyperkin's project manager, posting a picture on his facebook page of a massive shipping container full of RetroN 5 units. Ladies and Gentlemen, it seems hell may have just frozen over.

UPDATE 5/13/14: Hyperkin has listed the RetroN 5, and it's controllers, on their company wholesale store for authorized retailers to buy. The console (both colors) and controllers (both colors) are listed as sold out. I'm not sure if they were in stock and sold out quickly, or if they haven't been made available yet. Regardless, it's good news that the system is listed for the first time ever. Additionally, reviewers such as GameSpot and several youtube reviewers have received their review units, which appear to be retail units. The RetroN 5 seems to finally be around the corner. We'll see, but things look promising right now. One thing to note: the listing for the console on Hyperkin's wholesale page indicates that each wholesale box contains six units. If this is the case, it would seem to debunk the previous report of the console being shipped in quantities of four per retailer.

UPDATE 4/25/14: While this hasn't technically been confirmed by Hyperkin, I take it as fact. It's worth remembering that NOTHING has been officially confirmed by Hyperkin. Hyperkin has remained silent until unofficially confirming almost all known info in random interviews with various youtubers and forum members. Therefor, again, I take this as fact:

I spoke to Hyperkin today.

Here are the "unofficial" details.

The "end of May" release is a "soft" release. Meaning they really are waiting for the next batch due in the summer for the official real release. Amazon is NOT getting any of the units released at the end of May. Each retailer is only getting 4 units. Retail on the unit is $139.99 and $39.99 for the additional controller. The reasons for the price increase are both cosmetic and technical but if it works as it should then it should be a great retro system.

Our 4 are already taken with pre-orders. If you know any stores locally that are getting units, and you want one for end of May, then i suggest you contact them and put money down. Keep in mind that each store is getting 4 units only for the soft launch.
UPDATE 4/17/14: Hyperkin has increased the price of the RetroN 5, saying "north of $100, between $129.99 and $149.99". Alll pre-orders from Amazon should be honored via their pre-order price guarantee. I believe Newegg has the same guarantee, I am not sure about Stone Age Gamer or 8 Bit Classics. Think Geek still hasn't opened pre-orders on the unit, instead offering a link to be signed up for email notifications as to when it will be available. Also on the Amazon front, they have sold out or pre-orders. Furthermore, it is more likely you'll learn the ETA from Amazon, Newegg, or whoever you ordered it from. Hyperkin has gone on record of saying they will never again announce a hard release date for anything.

UPDATE 4/12/14: After Hyperkin denied the console was delayed again and vigoruosuly shoved the month of April up everyone's ass for half a year, today they delayed the vaporware console yet again. At the Midwest Gaming Classic, they did their annual presentation. They ignored the planned April 2014 release, but finally somebody in the crowd asked about it. The Hyperkin rep said it was releasing in "30 days, guaranteed". This is not the first time they used the word "guaranteed", last time was about April so this doesn't mean jack shit. So maybe it'll randomly show up at people's houses at the end of may, maybe it wont, and maybe my ass will fly out of my ass.

Retron 5 Delay History:
-Summer 2013 (which they continued to say after summer was over, claiming they meant "Indian Summer" or "California Summer"....i'm not making this up)
-December 10 2013
-Quarter 1 2014
-Quarter 2 2014
-First two weeks of April
-April 2014, guaranteed
-Gauranteed within 30-40 days of April 12, 2014
-June 6 2014

DELAYED. ANY UPDATES FROM HYPERKIN WILL COME ON THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/HyperkinGames

UPDATE: In a recent interview, Hyperkin confirmed that the initial batch of units WILL NOT BE ENOUGH to meet day ome demand. Also confirmed was the ability for the system to act as a multitap. Example: in a four player SNES game, two players could use snes controlles, one player could use the retron controller, and one player could use a genesis controller. Interview can be found here.


Pre-order at Amazon (SOLD OUT)
Pre-order at Newegg: Black (SOLD OUT) or Grey (SOLD OUT)
Pre-order at Stone Age Gamer (DUE TO HIGH DEMAND, RELEASE DAY DELIVERY NOT PROMISED)
Pre-order at 8 Bit Classics (DUE TO HIGH DEMAND, RELEASE DAY DELIVERY NOT PROMISED)





UPDATE: Hyperkin claims that they opened up some packaged retail units and discovered some units had faulty pins. because of this, the Retron 5 has been delayed. No new release date has been announced, although Hyperkin has stated the unit will release in 2014 and that they are aiming for Q1. This is the Retron 5's third delay.

EDIT: Preorders are sold out at Amazon and Newegg.

Retron5 pre-orders have finally (about damn time) opened.

For those of you who have been following this console, you know it's quite highly anticipated and looks to be far better than any clone system released before.

For those unfamiliar, here's a little info:

  • It's one system that plays games for the following systems: NES, SNES, Genesis, Mega Drive, Famicom, Super Famicom, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance.
  • Two controller ports for each console will be built in with the system. It will also come with one wireless universal controller.
  • Outputs in HDMI and upscales for HDTVs. Early impressions and videos of this have been extremley postive. From the website: "The RetroN 5 will up convert the video signal to show clearer and cleaner images, with vibrant colors on an HDTV with a resolution output of up to 720p through the use of shaders. You will also be able to select the aspect ratio in our GUI, from the standard 4:3 to the HD ratio of 16:9."
  • Features a user interface (dashboard. Somewhat similar of the PS3 interface in appearance, in my opinion).
  • Features save states. From the website: "Most games did not allow for you to freely save your games. The RetroN 5 will allow you to save their games at any point during gameplay, and will feature an autosave feature upon shutdown. You will be able to load your saves at anytime during gameplay."
  • Button reassignment supported. From the website: "Users will be able to program the controller to assign buttons to their preference. In turn, the RetroN 5 will save these custom layouts, so that users will not have to constantly reconfigure the button configuration. This feature will also be available to people wanting to remap their buttons on their original controllers."
  • 100% game cartridge compatibility, without lag.
  • Sega Power Base Converter compatible, allowing Sega Master System games to be played.
More information is here. It may be a bit dated since this was from back when they first announced the console, but I figured it was the best site to link since it also featured some screenshots as well. http://hyperkin.com/blog/2013/03/retron-5-details-revealed-from-the-midwest-gaming-classic/ There is also plenty of info on Hyperkin's facebook page.

I've been looking forward to this for a long time, and i'm extremley excited that pre-orders are finally open. For one console that not only plays all of these console's games, but upscales them and features save states (either to the cartridge (if supported) or the console itself)...this seems like a great deal. And if you've been following the hype for the console, there is a good chance it could end up selling out. Hyperkin isn't a huge company and this thing has a TON of pre-release demand (just check out the comments on the facebook page). I like the look of the black one a bit better, because it seems to be the traditional console color nowadays. But I opted for the grey model because the black console and controller seem like they'd be fingerprint magnets.

Preorder either color here at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hyperkin-RetroN-Gaming-Not-Machine-Specific/dp/B00DZIX3CQ/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1378958043&sr=8-13&keywords=retron+5 or here at Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=retron%205&N=-1&isNodeId=1&RandomID=65244712392254220130925161655

Here are pictures of the two consoles, since the pictures on Amazon aren't that great:

Grey:
Retron-5.jpg


Black:
e3_retron5_03550.jpg

 
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For fuck 's sake would the whiners and complainers please cancel your preorders and move the F on? I'm so tired of reading your complaints about a product that you claim to want then crap all over when it doesn't release on time. Seriously, some of you people really need to chill out and relax already. Surely you have some other games you can enjoy until this releases. I hate using the expression entitled but it sure seems like there are a lot of people around here that feel like Hyperkin owes them anything at all. They don't. If people would stop pressuring them to give a release date for a product they aren't ready to ship they wouldn't keep missing their times. Just let the poor fools work on the console in peace. If you want to play the old school games bad enough go buy an original console already. You should have one anyway if you have the games. If you are like me and looking to save some shelf space then you have absolutely no reason to complain as this product is strictly a convenience piece that isn't hurting you at all while you wait. I understand the frustration (I'm right there with you) but for the love of god learn some patience.
finally someone agrees with me....the complaining is pretty sad in this thread....OH NOEZ ITS NOT COMING OUT IN APRIL *Preorder cancelled*

 
For fuck 's sake would the whiners and complainers please cancel your preorders and move the F on? I'm so tired of reading your complaints about a product that you claim to want then crap all over when it doesn't release on time. Seriously, some of you people really need to chill out and relax already. Surely you have some other games you can enjoy until this releases. I hate using the expression entitled but it sure seems like there are a lot of people around here that feel like Hyperkin owes them anything at all. They don't. If people would stop pressuring them to give a release date for a product they aren't ready to ship they wouldn't keep missing their times. Just let the poor fools work on the console in peace. If you want to play the old school games bad enough go buy an original console already. You should have one anyway if you have the games. If you are like me and looking to save some shelf space then you have absolutely no reason to complain as this product is strictly a convenience piece that isn't hurting you at all while you wait. I understand the frustration (I'm right there with you) but for the love of god learn some patience.
Couldn't agree more!
 
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For fuck 's sake would the whiners and complainers please cancel your preorders and move the F on? I'm so tired of reading your complaints about a product that you claim to want then crap all over when it doesn't release on time. Seriously, some of you people really need to chill out and relax already. Surely you have some other games you can enjoy until this releases. I hate using the expression entitled but it sure seems like there are a lot of people around here that feel like Hyperkin owes them anything at all. They don't. If people would stop pressuring them to give a release date for a product they aren't ready to ship they wouldn't keep missing their times. Just let the poor fools work on the console in peace. If you want to play the old school games bad enough go buy an original console already. You should have one anyway if you have the games. If you are like me and looking to save some shelf space then you have absolutely no reason to complain as this product is strictly a convenience piece that isn't hurting you at all while you wait. I understand the frustration (I'm right there with you) but for the love of god learn some patience.
Well said as I feel the same. Some CAGs act like there's no other systems or games to play while we wait. The delay on the system isn't the end of the world. The price increase sucks but if you got a pre-order with Amazon then keep it or cancel it. Life goes on!
 
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For fuck 's sake would the whiners and complainers please cancel your preorders and move the F on? I'm so tired of reading your complaints about a product that you claim to want then crap all over when it doesn't release on time. Seriously, some of you people really need to chill out and relax already. Surely you have some other games you can enjoy until this releases. I hate using the expression entitled but it sure seems like there are a lot of people around here that feel like Hyperkin owes them anything at all. They don't. If people would stop pressuring them to give a release date for a product they aren't ready to ship they wouldn't keep missing their times. Just let the poor fools work on the console in peace. If you want to play the old school games bad enough go buy an original console already. You should have one anyway if you have the games. If you are like me and looking to save some shelf space then you have absolutely no reason to complain as this product is strictly a convenience piece that isn't hurting you at all while you wait. I understand the frustration (I'm right there with you) but for the love of god learn some patience.
I have no interest in a Retron5 but I clicked and read this thread when it kept popping up to the top of the main page. Anytime someone "guarantees" something and doesn't deliver, it's going to be frustrating. When they do that same thing over and over again, it's going to cause a lot of frustration, not just at the lack of follow through, but at the increasing lack of trust in that person. This goes for the Retron5 and almost anything else in life.

If I tell someone that I'm going to do something, then I darn well need to do it. If I DON'T do it, I'm going to be apologizing, explaining the holdups, giving my progress update, and helping that person understand the process. I am NOT going to sit there with a smile on my face, ignore my mistakes, and make more empty promises.

I am going only off of what I've read on this thread, but this sounds like a major case of people getting toyed with, in which case this reaction is very normal.

 
The fact that people buy these and whenever I see the thread title change makes me laugh so hard
The fact that people are interested in buying these makes me laugh so hard. I laugh with the same fervor whenever I see the thread's title change.

I know it's not a perfect revision, but it's certainly better than your original post. The sentence was no good.

Back on topic...

Retron 5 will come out. I promise I will review the beast and post a link to said review here. Then, everyone can get a better opinion of whether or not it's a waste of money, not worth the price increase, totally worth the price increase, a redundant piece of tech, the next Ouya, the ultimate in retro gaming hardware, etc. etc. etc.

Until we've got it in our hands, debating value is a waste of time.

EDIT: Okay, a little bit of value debating. For those of you not sure why this product is worth it when it costs more than the authentic systems, it's because of the HD output to a TV. If this console has a good scaler, we're (retro gamers) looking at the wonderful proposition of NOT having to buy an X-RGB mini.

 
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Jesus. With all the delays, problems and other stuff, they're making it hard to put any trust in the company OR the product. I was definitely interested in this when I first heard about it (the only reason I didn't preorder it was because I didn't have the money), but that interest is rapidly waning.
 
It feels like Hyperkin watched Operation Rainfall handle their preorders and release of their collector cases and decided to follow that business model.
 
Well I feel like most people I think when I say don't mind the delays as much as I really hate the way they've gone about things thus far. I've been playing video games for nearly 25 years of my life, this is not the first product delay I've lived through and it won't be the last. Still I get the frustration with the crappy PR work, unexpected price hike, and the micro delays (a month, a month, now weeks, etc) here near the end. I do see where it can lead to distrust with the company and that's huge. Consumer trust is a extremely valuable and powerful force that essentially drives the technology marketplace. Hell it's practically 75% of Apple's business model. They are a prime example of people still trusting and following a company despite more than one PR gaffe (remember when everyone was just holding their new iphone 4 "the wrong way"...)

That said I really encourage you all to go ahead and keep canceling your pre-orders for this puppy because apparently mine is locked in at lower price than MSRP and the more you all cancel your orders then the sooner I will get mine fulfilled...

 
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The fact that people are interested in buying these makes me laugh so hard. I laugh with the same fervor whenever I see the thread's title change.

I know it's not a perfect revision, but it's certainly better than your original post. The sentence was no good.

Back on topic...
Retron 5 will come out. I promise I will review the beast and post a link to said review here. Then, everyone can get a better opinion of whether or not it's a waste of money, not worth the price increase, totally worth the price increase, a redundant piece of tech, the next Ouya, the ultimate in retro gaming hardware, etc. etc. etc.

Until we've got it in our hands, debating value is a waste of time.

EDIT: Okay, a little bit of value debating. For those of you not sure why this product is worth it when it costs more than the authentic systems, it's because of the HD output to a TV. If this console has a good scaler, we're (retro gamers) looking at the wonderful proposition of NOT having to buy an X-RGB mini.
Real retro gamers play on the actual consoles noob
 
I'm still looking forward to it and I'm glad I got my order in before Amazon closed them. Based on the demos so far this will be worth the long wait. I have quite a few carts with dead batteries so being able to save to the console will be nice.
 
Jesus. With all the delays, problems and other stuff, they're making it hard to put any trust in the company OR the product. I was definitely interested in this when I first heard about it (the only reason I didn't preorder it was because I didn't have the money), but that interest is rapidly waning.
I'm not sure if "over the course of eight months" could be considered rapid.
 
Make that NOT using composite video. Say what you will about the so-called "emulator look", there's a point where setups get bad enough to disrespect games' artistic integrity.
fuck all that shit. Real old school gamers still play using RF adapters.

 
Idk about you guys, but I've kept up with the Retron iterations over the years, and accounts and reviewed have been mixed to say the least. On the surface, it's an amazing product and concept. On the other, every iteration has seen large amounts of reports of certain ports in the device malfunctioning or just not working, period. In fact, the only glowing reviews are from people who had only owned it for a few weeks, while the long-term owners (more reliable, applicable, and informative) seem to have complaints of ultra fast wear and tear.

so that I say, thanks, early adopters (Guinea pigs)- I'll be waiting a year for your reports. Who's to say this model isn't made with the same cheap parts? It seems that the original consoles are still more reliable today than this retron.

Don't get me wrong - I want to have and love one of these so badly, but reality tells me to not front the money until true, heavy testing of the product takes place.
yes, I'm quoting myself - dont judge. I just wanted to bump this older post I made because I think it's these recurring hardware issues that have been delaying the product.

thank the lord for Wii homebrew! Any Nintendo game I want, free, and without clutter. Still, there's something about using the cartridges and original controllers on a CRTV that makes retro gaming twice as fun.
 
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yes, I'm quoting myself - dont judge. I just wanted to bump this older post I made because I think it's these recurring hardware issues that have been delaying the product.

thank the lord for Wii homebrew! Any Nintendo game I want, free, and without clutter. Still, there's something about using the cartridges and original controllers on a CRTV that makes retro gaming twice as fun.
Thank the lord for Wii homebrew? I think you mean, thank the lord for software piracy.

 
Thank the lord for Wii homebrew? I think you mean, thank the lord for software piracy.
First off, ROM legality is a confusing mess, and is even contradictory at times. Disc-based games have copyright protection a la PSX but cartridge games do not. And if you want to make it a social issue, I own or have owned nearly all of the games of the ROMS I use now. Until there's a real legal effort being put into it - which there has never been and probably will never be due to the messy, confusing laws and t echnicalities that protect the consumer - ROMs being "allowed or not" is a social issue over a legal one, I'd say. You are allowed to be able to have a backup of games you own. Add to that the fact that these ROMs are not for sale anywhere else (used game cartridges don't count. It has to be a sealed, MSRP-ified retail copy), therefore no company can make any "loss of damages" claim.

On the Wii side, I'm not stealing Wii channels: I'm using LEGAL software to inject ROMs into channels to be playable on Wii. Homebrew isn't illegal, and you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone who finds owning a ROM of a game you own illegal let alone socially unacceptable.

The only people I find who hate homebrew are those who don't use it nor understand it. Homebrew =/= piracy. Get that straight bud.

Answer this: Zombies Ate My Neighbors is not for sale in physical form at MSRP (obviously) and is not available via Virtual Console or Steam or ANYWHERE. How would you go about playing it? As far as I'm concerned, the ROM's public domain. No one profits from it and no one CAN profit from it. If anything, it helps the publisher more than hurts.

 
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...Answer this: Zombies Ate My Neighbors is not for sale in physical form at MSRP (obviously) and is not available via Virtual Console or Steam or ANYWHERE. How would you go about playing it? As far as I'm concerned, the ROM's public domain. No one profits from it and no one CAN profit from it. If anything, it helps the publisher more than hurts.
You could do what I did and just buy the actual game so you own the game instead of pirating it.

 
First off, ROM legality is a confusing mess, and is even contradictory at times. Disc-based games have copyright protection a la PSX but cartridge games do not. And if you want to make it a social issue, I own or have owned nearly all of the games of the ROMS I use now. Until there's a real legal effort being put into it - which there has never been and probably will never be due to the messy, confusing laws and t echnicalities that protect the consumer - ROMs being "allowed or not" is a social issue over a legal one, I'd say. You are allowed to be able to have a backup of games you own. Add to that the fact that these ROMs are not for sale anywhere else (used game cartridges don't count. It has to be a sealed, MSRP-ified retail copy), therefore no company can make any "loss of damages" claim.

On the Wii side, I'm not stealing Wii channels: I'm using LEGAL software to inject ROMs into channels to be playable on Wii. Homebrew isn't illegal, and you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone who finds owning a ROM of a game you own illegal let alone socially unacceptable.

The only people I find who hate homebrew are those who don't use it nor understand it. Homebrew =/= piracy. Get that straight bud.

Answer this: Zombies Ate My Neighbors is not for sale in physical form at MSRP (obviously) and is not available via Virtual Console or Steam or ANYWHERE. How would you go about playing it? As far as I'm concerned, the ROM's public domain. No one profits from it and no one CAN profit from it. If anything, it helps the publisher more than hurts.
You seem to be twisting the "second copy rule" to justify piracy. YOU are allowed to make a back up copy of the game if YOU currently own a lawful copy of the game. It does not allow you to download a copy of Zombies Ate My Neighbors because you own a copy of it but it does allow YOU to make a copy of the game you own. Then it gets into the gray area of you are allowed to make a backup/archival copy but the copier devices are "illegal". Even if you can't go to your local store and pick up a copy of Zombies Ate My Neighbors it still doesn't make copyright law invalid.

Companies can indeed make a "loss of damages" claim even if the product is not widely available. Just because I can't go buy a new copy of Zombies Ate My Neighbors doesn't mean that the product still doesn't have value to it.

 
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Answer this: Zombies Ate My Neighbors is not for sale in physical form at MSRP (obviously) and is not available via Virtual Console or Steam or ANYWHERE. How would you go about playing it? As far as I'm concerned, the ROM's public domain. No one profits from it and no one CAN profit from it. If anything, it helps the publisher more than hurts.
You're free to rationalize theft/piracy any way you like it but that doesn't make it any less of a crime. Old games are NOT public domain (copyrights don't expire until at least 50 years after the death of the author and video games have barely existed that long at all). Just because they are difficult or expensive to acquire does not mean they cannot be aqcuired. Do you feel this way about antiques too? Since Sumaria doesn't exist anymore and the original creators of Sumarian artifacts cannot claim ownership and receive a portion of profits from sale of those items it's okay to walk into an antique shop and steal them? Nope, still a crime as the current owner of the product is entitled to their property.

However, in this particular case, original copyright owners do not pursue pirates because they do want people to play their old games and they know that the number of available copies is so limited compared to the potential player base. They are allowing the gray market to exist but be aware that it doesn't make it any less illegal.

 
I don't have a problem with people downloading games that otherwise wouldn't be available legally. There are so many ways for companies to make their old games available for purchase online that there aren't too many excuses for not doing so.

Now, with THAT said....if said company does someday make the game available for purchase, I feel that anyone who illegally downloaded it is morally obligated to purchase it immediately, whether they enjoyed the game or not. If you are going to download a game illegally because it's not available to buy legally, put your money where your mouth is. :)

 
You're free to rationalize theft/piracy any way you like it but that doesn't make it any less of a crime. Old games are NOT public domain (copyrights don't expire until at least 50 years after the death of the author and video games have barely existed that long at all). Just because they are difficult or expensive to acquire does not mean they cannot be aqcuired. Do you feel this way about antiques too? Since Sumaria doesn't exist anymore and the original creators of Sumarian artifacts cannot claim ownership and receive a portion of profits from sale of those items it's okay to walk into an antique shop and steal them? Nope, still a crime as the current owner of the product is entitled to their property.

However, in this particular case, original copyright owners do not pursue pirates because they do want people to play their old games and they know that the number of available copies is so limited compared to the potential player base. They are allowing the gray market to exist but be aware that it doesn't make it any less illegal.
Your antique analogy does not work very well. People reproduce antique items all the time, and people buy the, because it is much more affordable. For lots of games there is no equivalent, because there is the old school cartridge, or roms. While the collector feels great about purchasing the orgignal game, someone who just wants to play the game has no interest in spending $100s of dollars to do so. It would be nice if some of these companies tried to fill that void. Selling legal ROMs for a couple of dollars each would be a great way for them to get some moment from their old games, and give consumers a better, legal option.
 
Answer this: Zombies Ate My Neighbors is not for sale in physical form at MSRP (obviously) and is not available via Virtual Console or Steam or ANYWHERE. How would you go about playing it? As far as I'm concerned, the ROM's public domain. No one profits from it and no one CAN profit from it. If anything, it helps the publisher more than hurts.
https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/BGBqw1DWIj9ziuwbudpEVe-B_SSOw-Fg

Once again, you're greatly mistaken and I just verified it on the Wii Shop. Since we know you have a Wii, pony up the 800 points.

 
Reproduced antiques are usually called forgeries. No one buys them on purpose, they are looking for the originals. The exact same problem is occurring in the old cartridge market. People have been reproducing the high end carts and passing them off as real. I saw a Ducktales 2 fake a few weeks ago go for about $90. I really doubt anyone would have bid anywhere near the ~$100 a real cart is worth for a forgery. Whether a person has the interest in paying the high price of the cart or not has zero bearing on the legality of pirating a copy. Period.

 
Reproduced antiques are usually called forgeries. No one buys them on purpose, they are looking for the originals. The exact same problem is occurring in the old cartridge market. People have been reproducing the high end carts and passing them off as real. I saw a Ducktales 2 fake a few weeks ago go for about $90. I really doubt anyone would have bid anywhere near the ~$100 a real cart is worth for a forgery. Whether a person has the interest in paying the high price of the cart or not has zero bearing on the legality of pirating a copy. Period.
That is a part of the reproductions market, sure. But there are lots of things made in an old style, that are just newer. I am not talking about things sold as antiques that are fakes, just things in a retro style. And I was not talking about legality, I was talking about a practical way to cut down on piracy while making the owners of the copyrights some money, because as far as they are concerned, the person who pirates or the person who buys the genuine copy are the same. Neither one gives them any money, so the copyright owners are the looser either way.
 
I don't have a problem with people downloading games that otherwise wouldn't be available legally. There are so many ways for companies to make their old games available for purchase online that there aren't too many excuses for not doing so.

Now, with THAT said....if said company does someday make the game available for purchase, I feel that anyone who illegally downloaded it is morally obligated to purchase it immediately, whether they enjoyed the game or not. If you are going to download a game illegally because it's not available to buy legally, put your money where your mouth is. :)
So because a company is not wanting to put money into getting old games to work on PC that justifies stealing them? Don't get me wrong I have downloaded a rom or two in my day but I also went out and bought the games I downloaded.

 
That is a part of the reproductions market, sure. But there are lots of things made in an old style, that are just newer. I am not talking about things sold as antiques that are fakes, just things in a retro style. And I was not talking about legality, I was talking about a practical way to cut down on piracy while making the owners of the copyrights some money, because as far as they are concerned, the person who pirates or the person who buys the genuine copy are the same. Neither one gives them any money, so the copyright owners are the looser either way.
Okay, I get the retro-style thing. That makes sense, but there's a difference between retro-style and passing something off as an original work.

Do you really think that game companies consider pirates the same as people who own genuine copies? Did you proofread what you just posted? Come on, that's just absurd. You don't think they appreciate that there are people out there that are actively pursuing their original works? The fact that they don't receive any money for resale of their product does not mean they look at secondary owners the same as pirates.

 
So because a company is not wanting to put money into getting old games to work on PC that justifies stealing them? Don't get me wrong I have downloaded a rom or two in my day but I also went out and bought the games I downloaded.
Well, if they don't want my business... like I said, I'll buy them the second they become available to purchase legally.

 
Well, if they don't want my business... like I said, I'll buy them the second they become available to purchase legally.
They already are on the original consoles. Most games that people actually want to play are not that costly. They are even cheaper if you don't care about the case, manual, artwork...etc.

Most games that cost a lot of money are complete in box ones and sealed. Hell most of the costly games are mostly bad games that just had a limited release.

 
They already are on the original consoles. Most games that people actually want to play are not that costly. They are even cheaper if you don't care about the case, manual, artwork...etc.

Most games that cost a lot of money are complete in box ones and sealed. Hell most of the costly games are mostly bad games that just had a limited release.
Buying a game off some Ebay gouger doesn't help the creators or game companies one bit. It just encourages gouging.

 
Do you really think that game companies consider pirates the same as people who own genuine copies? Did you proofread what you just posted? Come on, that's just absurd. You don't think they appreciate that there are people out there that are actively pursuing their original works? The fact that they don't receive any money for resale of their product does not mean they look at secondary owners the same as pirates.
Actually, yes I do think the companies view used and non first hand selling of games as the same as piracy, and we all know it to be true because this is the only reason it is settled law today. Garth Brooks on the music side and I believe EA on the gaming side have gone to court to try to stop used sales because they said it was a violation of their intellectual property rights, because it was a sale of their property that they did not profit from. The courts did not rule in their favor, but many companies have this view, and it is not nearly as outlandish as you make it sound.
 
Do you really think that game companies consider pirates the same as people who own genuine copies? Did you proofread what you just posted? Come on, that's just absurd. You don't think they appreciate that there are people out there that are actively pursuing their original works? The fact that they don't receive any money for resale of their product does not mean they look at secondary owners the same as pirates.
There's certainly precedence for at least some publishers/developers thinking that- that's the reason you saw online passes and other things that basically required that you either buy the game new or pay the publisher some fee in order to use part of the game. It's a big part of the reason behind the push for digital distribution. It cuts off second-hand sales. I mean, remember the whole Xbox One used games fiasco?

I don't think game companies view people who buy used copies the same as pirates, but it's quite possible they might hold nearly the same amount of disdain for both.
 
And don't get me wrong, I've bitten the bullet and BOUGHT off those gougers before. Hell, I bought the Japanese Mother 3 GBA cart after the English patch came out. But I don't begrudge anyone who downloads a game that there's no legal way to buy. Companies need to be a LOT more pro-active about putting their old games on sale. They're leaving money on the table.

 
Actually, yes I do think the companies view used and non first hand selling of games as the same as piracy, and we all know it to be true because this is the only reason it is settled law today. Garth Brooks on the music side and I believe EA on the gaming side have gone to court to try to stop used sales because they said it was a violation of their intellectual property rights, because it was a sale of their property that they did not profit from. The courts did not rule in their favor, but many companies have this view, and it is not nearly as outlandish as you make it sound.

There's certainly precedence for at least some publishers/developers thinking that- that's the reason you saw online passes and other things that basically required that you either buy the game new or pay the publisher some fee in order to use part of the game. It's a big part of the reason behind the push for digital distribution. It cuts off second-hand sales. I mean, remember the whole Xbox One used games fiasco?

I don't think game companies view people who buy used copies the same as pirates, but it's quite possible they might hold nearly the same amount of disdain for both.
Sure for games that are currently for sale, they want the money. Have they sued people buying games they no longer produce?

 
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Sure for games that are currently for sale, they want the money. Have they sued people buying games they no longer produce?
But has anyone been taken to court for downloading ROMs either? If that is the definition of a company endorsing something, they are aparently fine with that as well.
Edit: not that I am endorsing that, there it has not been a whole lot of action on this gaming wise legally. It is hard to say where it would be legally if used sales of games and other media had been stopped, or changed some how, where would that put sales of old games, legally? It would all be quite different than how it happens today and that seemed to be the direction the industry wanted to go.
 
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But has anyone been taken to court for downloading ROMs either? If that is the definition of a company endorsing something, they are aparently fine with that as well.
Well I know years ago when ROMs first began to surface a lot of websites were served with cease and desist orders to prevent them from spreading. Those websites subsequently shut down. Times have changed and ROM websites seem to be allowed to exist. The difference now? I honestly have no idea.

 
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Well I know years ago when ROMs first began to surface a lot of websites were served with cease and desist orders to prevent them from spreading. Those websites subsequently shut down. Times have changed and ROM websites seem to be allowed to exist. The difference now? I honestly have no idea.
You can't stomp out a forest fire.

 
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