Nintendo Tells Website to Remove 2200+ Roms; Including Hacks?

Vizzed.com is a popular emulation website that was hit with a huge claim from Nintendo: they had to remove over 2200+ roms. But not just official Nintendo games, but hacks were also the subject of removal. This is a huge precedent for both emulation and rom hacks.

[EcoSos3]

Not the first time it happens I think it was CoolRoms that was hit with this to.

[gamerb6]

Good, well done Nintendo.

[Artemidorus]

Do you even play games or just sit there in a suit debating?

[Shinox]

THAT'S IT , somebody needs to stop this company from being dicks and trying to dominate the internet by deleting an ENTIRE archive of roms , once these archive of roms are gone THEY ARE GONE PEOPLE , a huge years of effort from decoding the roms from the cartridges will be wasted because of Nintendo !

[RosweeSon]

But they have every right to fight for their intellectual properties, I dabbled when I was back at school and it's good to be able to play games that would cost £60 even nowadays with no box because its that rare and can hardly blame people when Nintendo drip feed their VC console games so much.
However they are well within their rights it's their games you can just steal from people even big companies, why are they big because for over 30 years (in gaming at least) they've made some of the best games around and now we're all entitled to them for free? Doesn't quite work like that hence why Paul McCartney is fighting for his song rights even now. It's worth money money which is deserved as without them we'd never have the roms in the first place as they've have never created the games. Things that have been rereleased time and time again or now cost ridiculous prices and haven't been released by Nintendo elsewhere sure but it gets to a point where everyone has the entire library for free that's not exactly on is it. Try before you buy I'm down with that but when everyone just wants everything for free and illegally be used theft of property is illegal not down with that.

[ONESHOTV2]

no they dont i own the pokemon games i download don't come here with your shit.

[GordonKnight]

Why can't they just start from scratch? Shovel Knight is the way to go. These Devs need to create their own IP, instead of hacking Nintendo games.

[Lukejrl]

Just torrent the roms. They are hosted on a million different computers. Nintendo can't shut them down. I don't condone pirating games still available to purchase, but if the game can only be purchased and for an old system go to town dude.

[Artemidorus]

ROMs after a certain age should be open to the public.

Not like we can all get ourselves the consoles and fire it up again.

[Ck1x]

It doesn't work that way, the company still owns the rights...

[Artemidorus]

I know that but say a 30 year old game gets played, it's not going to make them any richer or more to the point whats to say the companies involved are even around.

[TheUndertaker85]

@Artemidorus: Same with buying used which many, many, many former platforms can only be purchased. Nintendo doesn't see a penny of that either.

[gamerb6]

By your logic all movies and music should be free after a certain time to.
Sony fanboy logic never makes any sense.

[Artemidorus]

Shows how ill educated you are calling me a Sony fanboy so troll harder.

I see no problem in old content being used for free. If I created something and it's old i'd be honoured people still want to play or use it.

But selfish greedy corporates and the jobsworth say different.

[rainslacker]

@Art

In theory, this content still has value. It's not uncommon to release anthologies or things like virtual console retro downloads.

Allowing these ROMS to exist just devalues the possibility that they can make money later.

Nintendo is protecting it's IP's, and copyright laws are not eternal. However, if a company actively protects it's copyrights, then it resets the date when it will become public domain. Music and movies can even fall into this time frame. The time it becomes public domain is something in the 80 odd years mark...something where the original copyright holder won't benefit anymore. however, nowadays, it's not uncommon to pass rights onto another person, and the only things that usually move towards open domain are those where the owner of the IP/copyright has become defunct for some reason.

So, yeah you can consider these companies greedy or selfish, but they have every reason, and every right, to protect the value of their work, and for Nintendo's part here, they are also protecting the work of many other copyright holders.

I don't personally disagree that archiving is a bad thing, nor should it be discouraged, but at the same time, archiving isn't the same as piracy, and I hate to say it, but downloading and playing these ROM's can be piracy, and more often than not is despite those who play the "but I own the original" verbage, which is laughable, because many of these ROMS are not that easy to come by, and many more are readily available.

When it comes down to it though, the license agreements for the games do not give the right to play it wherever one pleases. One is allowed to play it on the original system only. They technically are allowed to play copies, however circumventing any copy protection(if it even exists on these cart based consoles) is not actually legal, except sometimes it is...I dunno, it gets confusing either way.

Nintendo is pretty veracious in protecting their IP's and in this case the IP's of others who released on their system. You may not agree, and personally, I'm all for archiving, but archiving and distribution are two different things, and I don't for one second believe that these sites actually have a right to have backup copies of 2200 games....and they certainly don't have the right to distribute them.

[BrandanT]

Copyright laws say otherwise. Nintendo did not make those laws and the whole "fair use" thing is incredibly throughout every industry.

[Artemidorus]

We all know this, however Nintendo have a habit of diving on the rules as quick as possible.

[Ocsta]

Luckily I downloaded my fill from Coolrom before they were hit. My virtual retro collection lacks for very little.

[MRMagoo123]

You can find complete collections on torrent sites anyway........so ive been told 😒

[MegaRay]

That stupid, but understandable. They want to sell you 20+ years old games for $20...

[RosweeSon]

That's odd as I've never seen a VC over £8.99 and that was the Pokemon games the SNES games have been around £6-8 NES are £4-5, GBC are £5-6 sure can add up and be a little pricey buy $20 a game? Not to mentioned the 6 SNES games I've purchased so far were buy one £7-8 and get the other for half price. Shop around.

[Segata]

Most I seen is 9.99 for N64 games for anything that old. It's their right and property. Stealing is stealing.

[MRMagoo123]

Stealing is stealing.......but downloading roms isnt actually stealing because someone has to have something taken from their possession to be stealing.

[RosweeSon]

Oh yeah forgot about N64... Probably the massive catalogue ;) but yeah still £9.99 which last I checked it around $15 that's max so how are we getting to $20 a game? Some people ey.. It's like when people get sold for millions at football clubs it's start at 10 million then it's nah was 12 next thing your reading it was £25,000,000?! Whaa. Some people like upping them numbers it works both ways as you get people that go oh I've only downloaded the Roms for the games I already own... You own 2200 games get out, oh I've only downloaded the rare ones that are really hard to get hold of, how many, 2200?! Get out. Theft/stealing is just that it's theft/stealing it's illegal and if we all just felt the need to help ourselves it wouldn't be there to help ourselves to in the first place as they'd all go bust, I fully understand why Rockstar were Majorly reluctant to release GTA5 and why red dead won't ever get released people just help themselves so why would they invest time effort and money to just get everything robbed off them. Don't blame them one bit.
As for downloading roms is fine because your not actually taking their property as such is just utter tripe mate so I can just download a film off the internet even tho it's just got to the cinema or I'll just download an album of music but as long as it's not put on a physical disc or I don't have a case to show for it it's fine, nah that's still stealing dude, it cost you nothing yet cost someone else millions of £/$ to produce manufacture and release, some of these pirates logic is unreal, we're all hard up sometimes, especially if we're buying all the newest gaming consoles and games to play on it but don't mean can just start helping yourself. Oh I paid for one of their games before in 1993 so I'll just download the other 2199 roms?!

[Naughty_Cloud]

This is a case of cut down one head, 2 more will grow.

Anyway, they are right to their games/ips. But 3rd party games, I don't think so.

[RosweeSon]

No but if anything Nintendo are looking after the other Devs publishers who also did the same and spent money time and effort to create these games/Roms and now people just wanna help themselves, a couple here and there i personally would turn a blind eye (I did when I was back at school) but people get 1, then 3 then 10 next minute they got 2200?! That's not on any which way you look at it. Oh it's ok turtles was made by someone else oh California games was made by someone else, they still entitled to their money as well.

[SilverClock]

Well maybe if Nintendo didn't have such a small selection on their VC shop then maybe they wouldn't have as many people using ROMs...I personally can afford games but if they're not selling them...
But those ROM hacks...depending on the game, can contain a lot of original content created by the hacker. I am unhappy that Nintendo wanted those down as well.

[rainslacker]

If they contain even one piece of copyrighted material then they are still in breach of copyright.

If they were fully original creations...like some of the DC releases after the system went defunct...then they may be considered in breach of something due to not having the permission to distribute content for the system. It gets a bit murky due to the fact that emulation is taking place, and a lot of that emulation breaks copyright due to the nature of the systems hardware. That bios code which allows the game to run is protected under copyright, and it's very possible that unlicensed tools were used to create the game pipeline.

It's not to say they couldn't re-release a fully original game using more standard and open libraries, it just couldn't use the Nintendo emulated code. But I do agree that it sucks for things not actually infringing on copyright, because the hobbyist community can be quite passionate, and aren't trying to screw over the big corporations with their work.

[RosweeSon]

This is a major problem Nintnedos constant drip feed, I love Nintintendo games/consoles but I've been begging for months if not a year or so SNES games on 3DS, luckily I went for the "New" Majora's mask edition wanted the console never played Majora's and also wanted the better 3D and battery, so was lucky enough to be able to download these games 2 a week at that but now these are finishing on Thursday I fear how long it'll be to see the rest of the SNES games I mean look at N64 11 games (in the U.K. At lesst) 11? I know it's been said but rare replay had more for a while Nintendo have all those games from the original Wii and still they not up on Wii U or 3DS they have GBA games on the Wii U fair enough but where's the handheld versions for the 3DS, there's still a few NES games and GBC games I wanna play (turtles NES, solstice NES, Resi and metal gear GBC) and what happened to those GameCube games that were coming to Wii U supposedly oh they got leaked and Nintnedo decided to start VC-Ing the Wii games instead when you could just put the disc in anyway? And DS games on the Wii U but not on the 3DS I know you can just put the DS cartridges in again but it's it's good enough for Wii games on Wii u VC, surely they can do the other way, it's options for us gamers but yeah they are pretty darn slow, Pokemon games were the only announced VC games for months and now these SNES games are coming to and end its gonna be 1 a week-month again like it has been for ages... Slow Nintendo need to just hire another team dedicated to VC games. Get banging em out. Once they have a few more to chose from maybe then we'd see a few more sales on them but the SNES games had a pretty good launch promo same as some of the Wii games on Wii U but unless you get in there day 1 very rarely see any VC discounts.

[ZeekQuattro]

Sucks but Nintendo has every right to protect their property. Doesn't matter how old the game is. I dabbled in more than my share of roms and rom hacks but that was years ago. I barely have the time to play all the new games I get let alone games from yesteryear.

[Artemidorus]

I don't see the harm if it's a very old title, they should provide a long term cut off date and after that date it can be provided free of charge to anyone that wishes to use it.

Why should people lose out if people don't own an old console or it's not on a marketplace and a fan remakes it?

[jib]

"Why should people lose out if people don't own an old console or it's not on a marketplace and a fan remakes it?"

because you are not entitled to it. that's just life. there are a lot of things we're all missing out on & the world doesn't owe to us just cause we want it

[Artemidorus]

What a horrible attitude you have towards life in general. It's old content you won't see regularly and yet you seem to deem it as entitlement as a whole.

We play games to enjoy not sit there and discuss laws or numbers.

If you feel you are missing out in things in the world then I suggest you re evaluate yourself as a person and find out why you are.

[Ck1x]

Well tomorrow I want you to go into Barnes & Noble and see if they let you walk out with some old books and music. This failed logic people like to partially preach is absurd!

[jib]

lol how is that a horrible attitude? 'cause i'm not a big spoiled brat about it? you're the one who said "why should people lose out" as if its not normal for people to miss out on certain things in the world

i'm a big car fanatic and wish i could drive all the ferraris, lamborghinis, koenigseggs, etc the same way you feel about wanting to experience all the old games you want but guess what? i'm not going to get to and that's OKAY with me. i'm still content and happy. its called living within your means

[Maybay]

The proof's in the pudding? What this likely means is that the Nintendo NX won't suffer from the drop feed method they've (Nintendo) used for the nds, 3ds, Wii, and Wii U.

There was a rumor about Nintendo charging for a Netflix-like monthly service for their VC software.

[rjason12]

Roms I understand, but who cares about hacks. Funny how people love to try and defend stealing. Pulling a rom of a game is the same thing as walking into a store grabbing a game and walking out.

[Artemidorus]

Explain where you can buy a game thats no longer available?

[rainslacker]

Ebay, Craigslist, traders forums, retro video game shops, etc. I routinely buy old NES and SNES carts without any problem.

[Segata]

I do it all the time online and in retail video game stores. This month hauled in a bunch of old games.Sometimes if I have the hard copy and a digital version is avail I buy that also just to show support.

[Jag-T1000]

You guys keep spending your money on old games. I on the other hand will download roms and play for free.

[Segata]

Good for you but I like playing on original hardware and emulation often misses things. I also like to read old manuals esp 80s and 90s where a lot of thought was put into them. 90s Japan games all had something cool like a CD soundtrack just given with the game or stickers and posters and maps. One Saturn game I got recently gave me a full deck of cards to play along the game with Arcana Stikes and it's awesome. Plus not everything is avail on roms and emus as some stuff is very hard.

[hirobrotagonist]

God I hate self-righteous antipiracy assholes. Stop elevating yourselves with a false sense of moral superiority like you're on some higher plane of existence.I'm not talking about Nintendo either, specifically the whiny little boyscouts in this thread.

[rjason12]

And I hate douchebag theives, always making whatever excuses they can to justify their self-entitled theft. It's not "moral superiority" it's right and wrong, game developers, movie makers, and musicians, take the time and money to make these products and expect (and should be) paid for the effort they put into it. There's no way around it.

[Artemidorus]

Paid into where? So I can't find the game or movie for sale but it's available on the Internet for free, explain the best situation to perform.

[rjason12]

Did you not read my post, where I stated that if something is out of print, or cannot be gotten digitally, then I don't see the harm in getting it online, but if it's something readily available then people shouldn't download it for free.

[Ck1x]

It's not about that, but if you actually have any love or care for this artform in which you gladly come and talk about probably on a daily basis. You would choose to support developers full heartedly by buying software so the developers actually see the money and not places like GameStop or downloading stuff illegally.

You guys shouldn't wonder why so many developers go out of business with some of the comments in this thread alone... It's such a self righteous attitude that many have that they deserve to have something instead of it being a privilege.

[RosweeSon]

Piracy is piracy buddy. You don't pay you don't get. Go put your eye patch back on and go rob someone.

Ask Rockstar and the PC players on their thoughts correct me if I'm wrong they still don't have red dead and had to wait how long for GTA5? Due to people who feel it is their right because they are a gamer to help themselves to the new games, that's not out of print it's not hard to get hold of it just costs money but ah it's free here so well just... Steal it pure and simple.

[Derpy]

They might have some push where the Roms (but only ones that are their own ips) are concerned, but if the hacks are unpatched and do not include the Roms with them, I don't think they can do anything about that as Nintendo doesn't own the hacks. This is why most sights that put up hacks don't include the rom and require the user to do their own patching.

[rjason12]

All the disagrees I've gotten just goes to prove the entitled mentality people have these days.

[Segata]

NG4 is also a Sony fanboy site and every article posted is to crap on Nintendo as a popular thing for no reason. Don't let it bother you.

[ChickeyCantor]

but mr youtuber it's illegal to mess with the source code to begin with.

[quent]

So is Scrooge san planning on re releasing those 2200 games in the future or should we just forget they ever existed, what was the point, ME big, You smaaaall.

[Kalebninja]

What is with all the idiots hating on Nintendo? they have every right to do this and the websites that upload their games for free are illegal.

[Jmanzare]

Time to download all the roms

[Ck1x]

Hopefully you go to jail as well! I don't understand how or why people do not get the concept of theft until it happens to them or effects their lives. Just forget the many developers who over the years sacrificed their lives to program, animate to create these games. They don't deserve to get paid for their work!

[Jmanzare]

I didn't realize that the developers had their lives on the line and it was a joke maybe you shouldn't be so sensitive. Now time to go back to clubbing baby seals while I play pokemon ruby on my phone

[Ck1x]

So you don't hear about developers losing their jobs back and forth constantly in the gaming industry? I know you didn't actually do the firing of some of these people yourself, but if you support actions that take food and money out of their pockets. You are part of the problem as well! If you drive the car while your friend robs the bank, you are an accomplice to the crime. It's not any different in this situation...

[Jmanzare]

Dude shut up. I said it was a joke and no your not taking money away from developers by downloading roms to 30 year old games that arnt even being sold anymore. Buying used is the same shit. Do you buy used games? If so your not supporting developers and little Susie isn't going to college because you want to save 10 dollars on a used copy of barbies dream house party on the wii u

[RosweeSon]

Yeah always happy to pay for quality products I certainly wouldn't just expect to help myself on launch day.

[hirobrotagonist]

I spend a lot of money on games and hell..I even spend money on music these days, which really just benefits the record companies the most, but you know...These games are really old and I find it strange Nintendo has just started going after these sites in the last few years, obviously because of virtual consoles.

The fact is, the kind of people that play emulators or download roms would have never paid for it on Wii U and they probably don't even own one. Piracy hurts gaming primarily because of the horrible DRM policies companies try to implement. I speak from this position with authority as I've worked in the game industry for over 10 years, and that includes working at Nintendo. I also used to bundle and compile games with DRM...I'm not a fan of pirates making money off of counterfeit games and I definitely pay for almost all of the games I play, unless I'm just trying a game out before I decide to buy it, but there isn't a difference in piracy from buying used, renting or borrowing from a friend. This is something that can never be argued against in terms of numbers.