So, I was looking on CoolROMs.com to try and find a game for my SNES. Upon my search, I found that even though you can still download the Emulators for Nintendo licensed game consoles, CoolROMs has removed all Nintendo games from there site. This is due to a copyright issue that Nintendo of America brought up to the site.

This leaves me to wonder if there are other sites that are doing this for the same reason.

What are your thoughts about it?

Nintendo has always been a bit stingy with their copyrights. Vizzed is small enough to slip under the radar, and we rent games (instead of offering them for download), so we don't have a reason to be concerned.

Now, the observant user will notice that playing games DOES download a ROM into a specific folder within the RGR Plugin folder, and may ask how that would still qualify as renting. Here's my take on it.

Let's say, for example, that you borrow a DVD from the library and watch it on your laptop. Nothing wrong with that, right? All the files are accessible from your computer (Ripping), but they're within their designed limits. The same goes for ROMs downloaded via the plugin. The ROM is downloaded, yes, but within designated limits. If you move the ROM outside the folder David set up, then it's on you. So long as you don't edit the folder we give you, we're still renting the game to you. If you move it outside the folder, then Vizzed can't be held responsible.

Hopefully that was clear enough. You're renting because the ROM is within designated limitations placed by the renter, and any changes to the ROM's status isn't the fault of Vizzed.

mrfe : As far as how Vizzed works in terms of ROM playability, I completely get that. My main focus on the thread was in regards to the ROMs no longer being available on CoolROMs. I have noticed that other game systems are have ROMs available (i.e. PlayStation).

I have noticed that there are still some websites that provides downloadable ROMs for Nintendo systems, though, but what you need to do to get them is far too complicated.

-decided this part was best removed-

As for Nintendo doing this, I can understand why they would pull ROMs of games that they have on Virtual Console or whatever it's called, but why force the removal of Splatterhouse - Wanpaku Graffiti, or other games that they aren't making money on? Why decide that the game has to die just because you aren't selling it anymore? Are we little children saying "I'm not gonna play with that toy, but you can't touch it because it's mine"? Dedicated gamers acknowledge these as works of art and should be allowed to preserve them. Forcing them to be removed is like forcing people to quit selling Van Gogh paintings because the maker of the painting is no longer receiving the money.


So yes, DS ROMs should be removed as well as classics that Nintendo supports still, but all of the others should be allowed to remain. Why destroy your own heritage, Nintendo?


EDIT: I would also like to add that my policy with emulation is: download it, try it, and if you like it enough that you would have bought it after a test play, buy the actual game when you get the chance. Of course that doesn't apply to things like MAME or old systems like Apple II.

EDIT 2: Just realized that the place I recommended also had browser based emulation in addition to downloads, so that would be considered advertising a competing site. Not that their browser based selection could hold a candle to Vizzed, but rules are rules. Maybe try get-your-rom.com?

I think it makes no sense. If you are going to do a website like that why not support every single console? What is the point otherwise?

Eirinn :

You make mention of your policy on emulated games. Mine is "I don't play any emulated games unless I have or have had a copy of the game". The only exception to the rule is when there is a hack of said game.

Honestly, I don't even know why they bothered. Is emulation really cutting their profits enough that this would be worth their time? I can understand when the games are on the Virtual Console or if the games are still being sold, but are there really so many people clamoring to play Hydlide or some other obscure NES game that it's making their profits less? Now, technically, they're in the legal right when they do this. But the point here isn't that it's technically allowed for them to do so, it's that they wasted their time taking down ROMs from ONE site when there's tons of sites on the Internet that provide ROMs.

mrfe has mentioned that Vizzed just slipped under their radar, but I personally don't agree. If it's within the top 100,000 for web popularity, you'd think they would've noticed it. I mean, Atari actually took notice of Vizzed and forced them to take down the ROMs for a few Atari 2600 games. Personally, if I was going to take down all ROM images of my company's games from the Internet, I would at least try to be thorough with it. Honestly, I'm glad that they weren't thorough with it, otherwise the Retro Game Room would probably lose at least half of its playable games.

Also, it's kind of dumb that they didn't take down the emulators too. If you're going to try your best to stop people from emulating your games, why not go all the way?

To summarize the above post, I don't even know why they bothered, especially since I don't even think CoolROM is the biggest ROM site on the Internet. They're in the legal right, but their actions were completely and utterly pointless. And not only were their actions pointless, but they weren't even thorough enough to make their actions worthwhile in any circumstance.

NovemberJoy : In short, I agree.

RetroGamer9000 : I was kinda angry about it in the beginning but I guess it is there right to do that since they made the games but there are some sites that still have Nintendo ROMs such as RomHustler but that's about it.

P.S Don't think I advertised did I?

I'd rather them take off rom support for a certain brand of consoles and keep their sites up IMHO, they got a complaint and had to comply with it or they would be up against the suits, and if Nintendo could beat universal when they were a small card and arcade machine company... **Shudder**...

Nintendo goes to great lengths to protect their brand. The most trying of these choices is the DRM. I had a 3DS XL break on me, and when we got a replacement, I had to redownload the games, instead of using the games/saved progress on the card. Nintendo specialists felt like it was possible to keep progress, but didn't seem to be able to help me very well with my problem. It wasn't a huge deal, but I feel they could at least offer less strict DRM on downloaded games. I don't know how difficult it would be to allow games from an SD card to be played on a different 3DS/Wii U, etc...but I believe that would be the ideal for many people. Perhaps Nintendo's pushing people to buy physical copies this way. I can understand that. Nintendo is a business. But it's a business that has made a lot of poor decisions, imo.

They probably want royalties no matter what, and if downloads are available one place, then they can spread, and Nintendo would lose (?) money. On a game that is out of production? But, I do get what they are getting at, even if I don't agree with it. Like how I don't agree with about 80% of the decisions Nintendo makes, ESPECIALLY Nintendo of America. I'm not a fan of those morons.

Meh. That site's horrible IMO. With most ROMS sites, there's a chance of getting viruses, and that site has boatloads of them with every ROM u downloaded. Even looking around that site without downloading n e thing could give u a virus. And with this news, CoolROM should just go away.

Now I do understand why nintendo are doing this, after all, the games are indeed copyrighted. But the thing is, Nintendo shouldn't be a grump towards people putting ROMs out of older games, that are considered to be ' dead '