If there is one thing the gaming community can put their money on, it’s that Nintendo will go to the ends of the earth to protect its IP. Not just Nintendo, but any company, would do the same for a revenue-generating title that is being emulated for free.
Now, this would make sense for titles that are ongoing projects. Emulation would not only slow down sales of the game for the company but could also severely affect the sales of their hardware. But what if the games are so old that they are not even being manufactured anymore? Well, three companies deem them to be off-limits as well!
Nintendo, SEGA, and Sony Issue Takedown Notice for Vimm’s Lair
Go into any forum discussing emulation or game ROMs, and you are bound to see Vimm’s Lair mentioned at least once. Created first in 1996, Vimm’s Lair is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, sources for emulation ROMs across the entire Internet. The site hosted pretty much every game you can think of, from systems as old as the Atari 2600 to popular systems such as the PlayStation 2, GameBoy Advance, and many more.
We say “hosted” because many of the games, especially the popular ones, that were released on these platforms are now no longer available. This was made known via an announcement on the site’s homepage.
Vimm’s Lair has been asked to remove many games from The Vault on behalf of Nintendo, Sega, Lego, and the ESA. While most of these games (and the hardware to play them) haven’t been sold in decades, ultimately it’s their prerogative so these games are now gone for good.
Titles from franchises such as Sonic, Pokemon, Ace Attorney, inFAMOUS, and many more are no longer available on the site. Even though Sony is bringing back some classics, such as Sly Cooper, to current-generation consoles, the same can’t be said for the hundreds of other titles that may never get a port or remake.
Legally Sanctioned, But Is It Ethical or Even Worthwhile?
Emulation has been gaining popularity recently, and the presence of the Delta Emulator on iOS may have highlighted the issue to many companies. This would not matter if the companies offered first-party emulation, such as the rumors that suggest Sony may begin doing the same with PS2 titles, but it seems they are not interested in preserving the classics.
Remasters and remakes have their place in the industry, but they do not capture the same feeling of nostalgia as old-school graphics and voice acting. With many of the titles removed from the emulation website requiring systems that are no longer in production, one must wonder the reasoning for these actions.
One reason that springs to mind is for it to be viewed as a power move. Ensuring people are aware that companies will not tolerate emulating their IPs may deter future attempts. Another may be that they wish to hold complete control over these IPs if they plan to revisit them someday.
Is emulating games that are no longer produced fine, or should companies crack down on it? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
