"Alternative version MD games for sale on eBay

[Melf]

You guys are mixing apples and oranges here. Is emulation illegal? Whole other issue. What we're discussing here is whether or not it's acceptable to allow the sale of bootleg items. I'm talking about eBay's part in this. How many Genesis games you download in your house is another matter entirely. It's when you start to sell them on the biggest auction site on the internet that it truly becomes deplorable. I just don't think that people should be allowed to sell them. I might make a copy of a friend's CD for me, but that's not the same as making a dozen copies and selling it on a supposedly legit website.

I personally have no qualms about emulating discontinued systems. If the only way for someone today to play all those great Genesis games is through emulation, so be it. Better that than to have the games disappear into history. Should they be released in a compilation, I buy them, as playing them on my TV is the best option, IMO.

[Shooting Love]

IT's pretty easy: They're all bootleg. Unless it's used and being sold in the US, all the GBA games on ebay are boots.

I can vouch for this.

to reiterate: Unless it's used and being sold in the US, all the GBA games on ebay are boots

Beware that even games seeming to be sold from the United States can be mailed from overseas. Somehow sellers are solicited in the U.S. to front the auctions for suppliers in China, Pakistan, Hong Kong, etc. - at least those were the countries from which I've received bootlegged GBA games, - each time I was dealing with a seller in the U.S. who seemed to sincerely know nothing about videogames or counterfeits.
One seller from Utah gave me the most info. He had answered an ad in an entrepreneurs magazine and was put in touch with a supplier of "old stock" games (this is what he thought) I quizzed him and gave him many details of how to spot bootlegged product, but he was confident his supplier was legit. After purchasing Harmony of Dissonance from him it arrived many weeks later with a postmark from Hong Kong. Sure enough it was a cheap rip-off (scanned/reprinted box art, re-typeset/misspelled text, one page folded manual, no promo material, slightly thicker cart casing).

A have gotten refunds from the sellers in all instances - though the fucker from Pakistan was a complete prick.
Be aware that buyers are only allowed to file a set number of complaints with PayPal per year. So if you use eBay a lot you are bound to have more problems than someone who only buys once a year, yet someone who buys 1000 items and someone who buy 3 items a year are limited to the same number of PayPal complaints.

[Shapermc]

Ebay is the best there is, and that is sad.

This was linked to me a bit back as an alternative: http://www.videogameauctions.co.uk/
I was told that they will ship to the US.

Also, the GBA thing. Yea, It takes me for ever to find legit, complete, copies of GBA games, I have pretty much just learned where to look (forums mainly) and be patient. I don't really buy too many games from eBay anymore I just got tired of dealing with the problems.

[Master]

I dunno, people who say straight up that emulation is bad and so is bootlegging are probably in some way or form participating without even knowing it. Are you telling me you never copied a friend's CD to listen to a band you didn't know if you liked?

I guess I'm in the minority, but I've never done that.

All I am saying (the only thing I say on the subject) is admit what you do is wrong and man-up to it. You don't have to stop, as long as you own up. I can't stand people spinning ways for it to be OK, or reasons why their case is different, or their retarded spin that others didn't think of for why it is OK. It isn't OK, but just admit that and admit you are doing something that isn't OK and move on. Most people just lie to themselves instead, and that is sad.

[ssbomberman]

I guess it comes down to whether you agree with man's law or not. we created the laws saying copying this is bad, pot is illegal, etc. so if you choose to do these illegal things you need to man up to it whether you agree with the laws or not. Let me rephrase this for people who grew up in the 80s -- tell me you never copied a movie from HBO onto a VHS tape or copied songs onto cassettes from the radio. It was bootlegging, it just wasn't as pervasive because we now have a bootleggers' paradise known as the Internet. That is why I said all this, not because I don't admit to doing it, but simply because so many of us do it in some way, we just don't realize it. Heck, aren't imports not supposed to be imported? They clearly say on the back not for use outside Japan? And why are game stores allowed to resell used games, when the game companies don't profit from this resale (off topic a bit, but just a couple of the many questions I have about the rules regarding videogames).

As for ebay -- well of course they shouldn't sell boots and while some are obvious, they would have to hire specialists for each field to be able to search the auctions and pull bootleg items (I'm sure is also a lot of bootleg jewelry and antiques). I mean I might have no idea if a MD game is a boot if I never have seen one before...same with GB games. I mean if the auctioner has a small picture that looks legit, it's hard to tell what is real and what is fake. better policing would do it. Or simply doing what we can will help.

ssb

[Diff-chan]

I dont care about bootlegs of Neo Geo or MegaDrive or whatever, just like I dont care about emulation of these things. Its perfectly okay in my book, as long as everyone is straight about it (no NGF type bullshit).

Emulation and bootlegging of modern stuff, stuff that people are relying on to feed their kids and shit, thats what Im not okay with.

The law may make no distinction between the two, but there really is one.

[johnk_]

I'll avoid buying a bootleg (again), mainly because it just seems really lame for someone to be profiting off of someone else's hard work, regardless of whether the developer still sees any of the money from purchases.

[JefmcC]

That guy should be given a MEDAL for selling boots of those two games. Both are next to impossible to find, and great games. I'd gladly take a boot of the Japanese Alien Soldier.

I just don't see media piracy as a concrete, black and white issue.

BTW, I own legit copies of both Alien Soldier and Battle Mania 2. Paid a pretty penny too.

Alien Soldier (UK): $80
Battle Mania 2 (JP) $100+

[gamevet]

That guy should be given a MEDAL for selling boots of those two games. Both are next to impossible to find, and great games. I'd gladly take a boot of the Japanese Alien Soldier.

I just don't see media piracy as a concrete, black and white issue.

BTW, I own legit copies of both Alien Soldier and Battle Mania 2. Paid a pretty penny too.

Alien Soldier (UK): $80
Battle Mania 2 (JP) $100+

Exactly!

Pay the guy @ $30 for his time and effort to put the game on a cartridge, so I can play it on my television; or pay some asshole $200 to buy his used version of the game, that won't profit the companies that made the game in the first place.

It's not like the guy is going to retire on the money he makes with these games. Kazaa and Bit-Torrent are far bigger offenders, than some guy selling a couple of bootleg games.

[kedawa]

What we really need is USB-flashable carts for classic systems.
I'd rather have all my roms on a system that can play them directly, rather than on a system that needs to emulate.