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Unregistered 4U

macrumors G3
Jul 22, 2002
9,968
7,910
Is it? To me it's just proof that there are people interested in playing old retro games that aren't otherwise available.

Yes, there will always be those who pirate, but experience time and again shows that if you offer a legal alternative that is available, convenient and at least somewhat affordable then people will use it.
The developer of Delta doesn’t agree with you.
 

Unregistered 4U

macrumors G3
Jul 22, 2002
9,968
7,910
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.
Anything Nintendo created would have to be supported over the long haul, for many many years. They’re happy to do that on platforms where, when a new version of hardware comes out, they expect users to pay again. However, supporting millions of folks that would pay once and expect it to work every time a new version of hardware or OS is released on whatever alternate platform it’s released on? The money they’re leaving on the table would be devoured by support over time.
 

The Cappy

macrumors 6502a
Nov 9, 2015
649
1,144
Dunwich Fish Market
Real talk, in the mobile space, emulation is typically the closest you're gonna get to an engaging traditional game experience.

Apple's kind of burned traditional gaming down to the ground since day one, when they decided games shouldn't be more than a dollar and basically made it impossible to ever find a good game.

That 100% of their RE Framework games have been bought and paid for by Apple, and that Capcom has ported literally 0 other games on the same framework to iOS, really speaks volumes.
Apple didn't decide that games shouldn't be more than a dollar. In the beginning, Apple was mainly pushing devs not to make them free.
 
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Unregistered 4U

macrumors G3
Jul 22, 2002
9,968
7,910
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?
The whole idea to try to create a definition of company specifically to penalize success that ONLY applies to companies based outside the region was flawed to start with. Then, having no big tech experts within the region to ask how it should be put together, they asked the big tech companies in the US… that they would be regulating… how they should be regulated. This was going to be an inconsistent jingoistic pile from the moment they had the idea that the EU is so important, every company in the world would just bow to whatever they wanted.
 

Unregistered 4U

macrumors G3
Jul 22, 2002
9,968
7,910
Blame Apple for deliberately and consciously giving you a worse experience.
Apple didn’t force Delta to create their own store. In the EU, all developers still have the choice to go the Apple App Store way or their own way. And, if they had released it on the App Store, it would be for the iPhone AND iPad AND Mac AND Apple Vision. AND folks in the region could download it millions/billions of times with no charge to the developer.

The EU created the situation where things could potentially be worse. It’s up to developers to decide to make it worse.
 

Unregistered 4U

macrumors G3
Jul 22, 2002
9,968
7,910
So yes, it is insane, but point your anger at Apple.
Apple didn’t force the developer to create their own store. They did that of their own free will. If they released on the App Store in the EU, like they do for the entire rest of the world, it would be a free download and work in the same way as all other free downloads.
 

Unregistered 4U

macrumors G3
Jul 22, 2002
9,968
7,910
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.
They are also using this to get on a lot of phones in the EU to push their clipboard app AND so that they can get other developers to ONLY use their store. Wonder how many app stores will the average iPhone user have to have loaded on their systems, each with it’s own separate set of fees? “This won’t affect anyone that doesn’t want to leave the App Store” indeed! :)
 

Unregistered 4U

macrumors G3
Jul 22, 2002
9,968
7,910
I disagree. I would happily buy older Capcom games originally published on Nintendo or SNES platforms on iOS. I have several of them on my Playstation account.
I’m sure that there’s several thousand folks that would happily buy. Unfortunately for the companies that own the properties, several thousand wouldn’t cover the costs to support and continually update it to run on a system that receives continual OS updates.
 

Unregistered 4U

macrumors G3
Jul 22, 2002
9,968
7,910
Because Apple couldn’t apply these changes to iPad OS unless the EU forced them to? Then how come they made changes in the US (like allowing game streaming apps) without being forced to by a court or the government.
The idea just hit me today reading some of the folks providing their experiences. This is an opportunity to highlight the simplicity of the App Store experience. If there are other countries that want separate Apple App Stores, one for the iPhone and one for the rest of Apple’s devices, this is what that looks like.
 

Mazda 3s

macrumors 6502a
Oct 29, 2006
523
509
How do you get back to the menu/main menu when using an external controller like an Xbox controller? I can’t find any kind of button combination to bring up the menu when using a controller, nor tapping on the screen works to bring up the menu (to switch games, etc). The only way is to close the game out and then reopen.
 

Cameront9

macrumors 6502a
Aug 6, 2006
961
500
I can't believe Steve Jobs was maliciously endorsing illegal activities. Just taunting Sony.
I don’t think there was a legal precendent at the time. This court case is one of the foundational cases as to why emulators are legal. Sony lost their case and emulators have been legal ever since.
 

SoldOnApple

macrumors 65816
Jul 20, 2011
1,020
1,687
The developer of Delta doesn’t agree with you.
If Nintendo offered a massive library of old roms to play in apps, and your save files were synced across all devices you use it on, I reckon people would pay for it. A problem is Nintendo couldn't possibly get the rights to many third party games so the experience will always be a bit incomplete, but I think a lot of people would still go for it.
 

Ctrlos

macrumors 6502a
Sep 19, 2022
836
1,860
But thank you for justifying the nefarious use of emulators. Much appreciated. /sarcasm
How are they nefarious though?

The duplication of a digital file is not theft; the owner still has the original. The piracy is denying a sale of said digital file to the original creators. That’s the but that’s wrong.

Bar niche examples like the Hamster Archive Neogeo games or updates like Final Fantasy though where can I buy most of these roms on iOS? Have I prevented Nintendo selling me a copy of Ocarina of Time on the App Store?
 

purplerainpurplerain

macrumors 6502
Dec 4, 2022
417
748
I don’t think there was a legal precendent at the time. This court case is one of the foundational cases as to why emulators are legal. Sony lost their case and emulators have been legal ever since.

There is some ignorance in these threads because some folks are acting like experts but they are noobs and tourists.

Possession or use of an emulator is legal.

Possession and distribution of a BIOS file without ownership of a corresponding console isn’t legal. Emulator developers know this and don’t bundle BIOS with their apps.

Some emulators don’t need a BIOS. That applies mostly to 8 bit systems. Just about every 16 bit and above system uses a BIOS.

Developing an emulator that uses any proprietary code from the original machine isn’t legal, so everything has to be reverse engineered.

Distribution of game ROMs isn’t legal even when they don’t deprive the original creator and copyright holder of money. The law is applied to old and new content, as it should be. It isn’t possible to apply laws like that on case by case basis because circumstances may change and an ancient title may be re-released as part of a bundle. Sega re-releases old games as compilations and singles on Xbox, Switch, iOS, etc.
 

d686546s

macrumors 6502a
Jan 11, 2021
653
1,597
It hasn’t hurt me anywhere. I chose a much better ecosystem and os. I’m sorry if that offends you that I’m not a lagdroid fan.

But thank you for justifying the nefarious use of emulators. Much appreciated. /sarcasm

Why would I be offended? I don't even use Android. I just wasn't sure what your views on Android added to the conversation, but be that as it may.

I'm not really condemning [Edit: I meant condoning] piracy, but for something to be "nefarious" one would expect it to create disproportionate levels of harm. How exactly does this happen here?

How is Nintendo, for example, harmed by someone playing a game that's 30 years old and Nintendo no longer sells? In practical terms and from the perspective of the rights holder, how is it different to buying a used NES and copy of the game on eBay? I'm not interested in the legal argument here.
 
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d686546s

macrumors 6502a
Jan 11, 2021
653
1,597
The developer of Delta doesn’t agree with you.

In my choice of music or my views on the weather? In seriousness, im not trying to be flippant, but I don't follow what he says in any detail so you will have to be more specific if you're trying to make a point.
 

d686546s

macrumors 6502a
Jan 11, 2021
653
1,597
Apple didn’t force Delta to create their own store. In the EU, all developers still have the choice to go the Apple App Store way or their own way. And, if they had released it on the App Store, it would be for the iPhone AND iPad AND Mac AND Apple Vision. AND folks in the region could download it millions/billions of times with no charge to the developer.

The EU created the situation where things could potentially be worse. It’s up to developers to decide to make it worse.

Conversely, no one forced Apple to introduce greater fragmentation across iOS and iPadOS and Apple just uses it as yet another wedge to avoid competition.

I understand that, but that doesn't mean that I have to applaud it or endorse it.
 

scorpio vega

macrumors 65816
May 3, 2023
1,218
1,505
Raleigh, NC
How are they nefarious though?

The duplication of a digital file is not theft; the owner still has the original. The piracy is denying a sale of said digital file to the original creators. That’s the but that’s wrong.

Bar niche examples like the Hamster Archive Neogeo games or updates like Final Fantasy though where can I buy most of these roms on iOS? Have I prevented Nintendo selling me a copy of Ocarina of Time on the App Store?
Downloading the games illegally is nefarious lol.
 

scorpio vega

macrumors 65816
May 3, 2023
1,218
1,505
Raleigh, NC
Why would I be offended? I don't even use Android. I just wasn't sure what your views on Android added to the conversation, but be that as it may.

I'm not really condemning piracy, but for something to be "nefarious" one would expect it to create disproportionate levels of harm. How exactly does this happen here?

How is Nintendo, for example, harmed by someone playing a game that's 30 years old and Nintendo no longer sells? In practical terms and from the perspective of the rights holder, how is it different to buying a used NES and copy of the game on eBay? I'm not interested in the legal argument here.
Okay but you’re not buying it? You’re downloading it illegally so not the same thing hence piracy.

Let’s keep it simple real the only reason ppl want to defend it now is because you can play Pokémon or Mario from 20 years ago.

If they could find a way to use in production games they would.
 

d686546s

macrumors 6502a
Jan 11, 2021
653
1,597
Okay but you’re not buying it? You’re downloading it illegally so not the same thing hence piracy.

That wasn't the question. I asked you what harm someone downloading a ROM that is no longer on sale is causing in your view?

You're making a moral judgement, not just a legal one, and so I'm interested in your reasoning and the evidence to support it.

Let’s keep it simple real the only reason ppl want to defend it now is because you can play Pokémon or Mario from 20 years ago.

If they could find a way to use in production games they would.

Well, let's cross that bridge when we get there, shall we?
 

aloysiusfreeman

macrumors regular
Sep 7, 2022
114
178
How do you get back to the menu/main menu when using an external controller like an Xbox controller? I can’t find any kind of button combination to bring up the menu when using a controller, nor tapping on the screen works to bring up the menu (to switch games, etc). The only way is to close the game out and then reopen.
I came across this with the Backbone controller. The menu button is not automatically mapped on controllers - when you start Delta, go to settings (with your controller connected, you should still be able to use touch screen in the menu), and you will find the appropriate emulator you're playing, select the menu button on the on screen controller, and map it to whatever button you want on the controller.
 
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Mazda 3s

macrumors 6502a
Oct 29, 2006
523
509
I came across this with the Backbone controller. The menu button is not automatically mapped on controllers - when you start Delta, go to settings (with your controller connected, you should still be able to use touch screen in the menu), and you will find the appropriate emulator you're playing, select the menu button on the on screen controller, and map it to whatever button you want on the controller.
Thanks! That worked!
 
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