In many countries owning the game and downloading the rom is a very grey area.
The rights to create backup media tends to refer to you creating a backup from your physical media.
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Hands-On With the New App Store Delta Game Emulator
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The rights to create backup media tends to refer to you creating a backup from your physical media.
Nintendo really, really could - SHOULD have already, related an official, first party app with store and reasonable prices for all discontinued consoles, with all games. Basically a commercial version of this emulator, but with achievements, extras, official first party support.
They could've made it beautiful, with history of the games, different versions, console information, tech specs, interviews with the designers etc.
it would generate money, sell to a segment of people that probably wouldn't buy a Nintendo console anyway, and ensure that there's an official way to get access to these games.
Instead emulation now has another, even easier, slick path to end users.
Nintendo are leaving money on the table by not doing this. And they can't sue their way out of it, as these emulators don't break any laws, and the roms for most of the classic games are tiny files and available everywhere.
They could've made it beautiful, with history of the games, different versions, console information, tech specs, interviews with the designers etc.
it would generate money, sell to a segment of people that probably wouldn't buy a Nintendo console anyway, and ensure that there's an official way to get access to these games.
Instead emulation now has another, even easier, slick path to end users.
Nintendo are leaving money on the table by not doing this. And they can't sue their way out of it, as these emulators don't break any laws, and the roms for most of the classic games are tiny files and available everywhere.
Same does Google. And you know how much money Google has. Somehow Nintendo still keeps being silent. I have been playing emulators on my Android phones for many years and dreamed Apple will do it too. And if you wonder, all emulators were officially downloaded from Google Play Store so Google is responsible for the content too.
Emulating is not only about piracy. People learn game development history with this software. If we want gaming history to evolve further, new generations of programmers and game devs need to get inspiration from somewhere. And watching YT gameplays won’t cut, playing a game is about feeling.
Fr, how much money Nintendo lost just because I ran NFS Porsche Unleashed GBA for 15 minutes on my iPhone yesterday? If they really wanted to earn money they could make proper emulator with fixed price, not subscription dog💩 they have now. I would honestly pay Nintendo 5-10$ for old GBA, S/NES, N64 or GameCube emulator. And each who loves emulation would do as well
The conscious decision is that people will buy the upcoming iPads like hot cake, if you can have emulator apps on it, lol.
And honestly: Nintendo is really restrictive and stupid with distributing it's legacy content:
- They charge you multiple times (If you bought Virtual Console Games on the Wii you had to buy them again on Wii U and still couldn't have them on the Switch)
- They scatter their games over a long period of time, for example only adding 1-3 games for SNES/NES/GB on Nintendo Switch Online once a month. But only sometimes, not every month.
- They deliberately gatekeep certain games from Nintendo Switch Online (And Virtual Console in the past) to prevent sales impact on certain IPs (Pokemon!)
- Emulation of N64 games on the Switch is technically inferior to what other emulators can achieve.
And here's a different viewpoint: emulation is amazing, because it plays a big part in game preservation. Without emulation, every Nintendo DS and 3DS game would already be lost in time. Another big thing are licensing issues that make many games disappear or they are getting vastly modified with rereleases.
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We'd be kidding ourselves if every MP3 in every iTunes library across every computer was legitimately obtained.
I hav dozens of videogame soundtracks in my music library, most of which have never been for sale or available for streaming. Is listening to them illegal? I didn't pay for that music but then no opportunity has presented itself either.
I used to tape films off the TV as a kid and watch them to death. This deprived the studios of a VHS sale. Was this piracy?
Emulation is not illegal and happens on every other platform, including all android phones e.g. Samsung. Apple are doing nothing wrong. It's a software platform that runs software.
TBH I find it a bit clunky to play emulated games on a phone - I need a controller and at that point it's better to use a Steamdeck or a Mac/PC.
Really Nintendo could and should bring out an app of their own and provide reasonably priced access to their back catalogue.
Just like with music - it's a service problem not a piracy problem. I used to download mp3s, then iTunes made the experience better, then Apple Music / Spotify provided the right price point and piracy has gone away.
In some countries (I am not joking), the government actually includes a "piracy tax" on electronic devices because everybody knows electronic devices are also used for listening pirated music. So in some countries, people actually pay a penalty indirectly for any electronic device they buy.
PS5 sales: 50m
Xbox Series sales: 27m
Switch sales figures: 140m
The Wii and the PS2 were the best selling consoles of their respective generation and they were also the lowest powered devices of their day. The wider market cares very little about graphics and more about games being fun. Hobbyists are well served by the PC market.
I'd be amazed if any of that money went back to artists.
Going to gigs is the best way to support artists and keep venues open.
If you're in Europe I believe you have to download Delta through AltStore PAL.
Nintendo sell a range that are meant to be used for Switch. Supported since iOS 17 iirc.
They have on Switch and it's doing well for them. I doubt they'd consider touch screen controls good enough (because they're not). Could they release an app that only works with a controller?
Delta is in a good position because it already existed so they could submit it to the App Store as soon as the new rule was announced. Whereas Nintendo could only have started development on hearing the news, as far as we know they don't have any iOS emulators ready to go.
It's (only) available via AltStore PAL in the EU. I subscribed to the store (for like 1,79€ for a year that seemingly covers the core technology fee and hosting costs), but it's only available on the iPhone as the EU didn't enforce alternative app marketplaces on the iPad. So US Apple App Store customers still get a superior experience. Not what the EU wanted to achieve, hm?
I feel very ignorant, but here goes...
I have the .app ROM packages on my iPhone/Files app, but Delta won't open. Can you advise?
Your rom files should have an extension that matches their console, for example .gba or .nds. If you shove all these files in iCloud you can then load them from Delta.
Blame Apple for deliberately and consciously giving you a worse experience.
LOL not available in the EU to promote their ******** appstore that costs money. Charging people for the store itself is insane. I'll wait for an emulator that's not garbage thank you.
You don't need to have so many IDs bro. Just change country with your main AppleID, "buy" the App(s) and then Switch back. That's how I always do it when I am abroad. Afterwards you are able to re-download it from "Purchased Apps".
The only requirement is that you cannot have any subscription active, except AppleCare+. (For that, I use a Dummy-Account in my Family who then shares the plan among the other members).
@theclaw37 try the above workaround.
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There is no limit on how many times u can change the region of an AppleID? Kind of surprised. I would expect that u can only change it like once a year or something. Also, I do pay for iCloud Storage
It's in all non-EU app stores.
For... some... reason it's not easy to find - search isn't working despite Delta being the number 1 Entertainment application on the App Store :-/
Here it is in the UK: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/delta-game-emulator/id1048524688
I sometimes change up to 10x per day. I just make a list of useful Apps which might be important on trips and then change it. My AppleID is, for historical reasons (I never bothered to change it, also € prices are often a little bit cheaper chan SFr.), Germany.
In the last few days I changed to Switzerland (where I live, for a few daily-use-Apps), as well as Taiwan and Japan as I am going for a trip there soon. Here's a screenshot:
I do not support piracy or this ridiculous mentality of trying to stick it to billion dollar corporations. It’s sucks now that we have that reputation of piracy with iOS like android has but whatever.
But….i can at least give credit where it is due. The developers did create a nice emulator. I checked it out on the boyfriend’s phone. He’s been playing Pokémon black all night and my roommate has been playing white.
But….i can at least give credit where it is due. The developers did create a nice emulator. I checked it out on the boyfriend’s phone. He’s been playing Pokémon black all night and my roommate has been playing white.
I am. I just hope the EU doesn't take Apple's malicious compliance as the final solution. Allow it on iPad, Apple Watch and TV, and outlaw the core technology fee.
They need this tiny fee to cover the core technology fee of 50 cents, which needs to be paid from download #1 already for marketplace apps (apps on marketplace apps get 1 million installs for free). The rest of the 1,50€ is for payment processing fees (that Stripe charges) and then there are a few cents left for server costs I suppose.
So yes, it is insane, but point your anger at Apple.
To be fair, one game back then cost about as much as an entire year of apple arcade.
About until hell freezes over? Those emulators are not illegal and delta has existed for years without Nintendo suing the developer.