Imagine my surprise when I actually stumbled on something I could write about. Well, it's not something I'm actually happy to be writing about. You see, for some odd reason, a vendor was allowed to be set up on the show floor, selling CDs chock full of illegal ROMs.
As I was walking the show floor, I caught a glimpse of Contra out of the corner of my eye. I'm pretty good at doing that, actually, since Contra is pretty much super awesome. But, seriously, how does this happen?
What they had at the booth were compilation discs, sold for only about $20 a pop. Each disc contained supposed complete libraries of titles, spanning from the NES to coin-operated arcade titles. It was stunning to see these computers set up for folks to play, as well as advertisements to buy these pirated discs all over the booth. Doesn't anyone running this show have half a brain?
How would someone even be able to set up a space at the show for this? Wouldn't a show floor coordinator walk around for a last check? Wouldn't they realize how illegal it is to have hundreds of games on one CD-ROM? Like, I just can't explain to you how puzzling this whole situation is to me.
Imagine my surprise when I got home and found out not another single soul on the internet has written a thing about this. But, maybe it's a widespread practice, a kind of unspoken thing at these kinds of shows? I'm not one to usually attend these, so I figured I'd put the question to you all. Have you seen this practice at other shows or events? Your local Wizard World?
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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
6-03-2008 @ 2:37PM
Kylock said...
To answer your question Dave, yes it is a "thing" at these conventions. Stacks of bootleg DVDs, games, hell I've seen poorly printed copies of original comics.
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6-03-2008 @ 3:43PM
Dio said...
Ah, this post screams Diffusion of Responsibility.
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6-03-2008 @ 4:51PM
Scout Rush said...
And "karma" is tied to US copyright law I assume? If these were for sale in country where games enter the public domain after 20 years, does the seller still get struck by lightning?
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6-03-2008 @ 5:14PM
BlackDS said...
SELLING illegal ROMs is egregious.
I hope someone at Nintendo reads DS Fanboy, since the post's author did NOT send an e-mail to Nintendo to let them know this is happening.
Nintendo deserves better IMO.
Shocking ...
Peace.
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6-03-2008 @ 5:26PM
Eleniel said...
Exactly--they're taking advantage of people who don't know better and just want to play some old games; these people probably wouldn't even realize they're buying not only pirated property, but pirated property you can download on the internet for FREE.
Whatever your thoughts on ROMs and piracy, passing off free ROMs as legit and selling them is really low.
6-03-2008 @ 6:15PM
yost said...
yeah I can kinda understand why someone would pirate some roms, old games you used to love and don't feel like paying a fortune for...but selling them for a profit thats something I really don't like....
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6-03-2008 @ 6:31PM
Inanimate said...
Now, you should have called that in. That is just illegal. And sometimes, karma doesn't happen.
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6-03-2008 @ 7:09PM
Aznhiga13 said...
I would just stand there and tell people who go to the booth that they can go to this one site and download the games for free. The booth probably wouldnt get shutdown or anything, they'd just be pissed and won't be able to do anything about it. I just don't like people making money off things you can get for free, it is just stupid.
I've spoiled peoples plans to sell ROMs before, and the people i told were very pleased to download the stuff for free.
Things like this booth is what really attracts attention to people pirating video games and similiar things. So, please don't sell ROMs, you're ruining it for everyone.
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6-03-2008 @ 7:13PM
Sejarki said...
I went to Wizard World LA and saw no such thing, go figure. Of course, different vendors, but still. Not sure how widespread it is.
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6-03-2008 @ 10:34PM
Banana Man said...
I think the most important thing missing here is that Contra is an unlockable game if you buy Contra 4 for DS. And that is how the money goes back to the developers.
Pfft... and you call yourselves DS Fanboys...
...don't know why no one brought that up
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6-04-2008 @ 2:03AM
TJF588 said...
Agree'd on the making a profit off this. I mean, a burnable CD-ROM (or possibly DVD, gauging those cases), decent printing paper, ink... I doubt that that all _quite_ comes out to $20 a pop. Selling to break even, yeah, but making a profit on ROMs, that's enough to peeve someone.
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6-04-2008 @ 7:03AM
romeuruiva said...
Pirate games are normal on Brazil. You can't buy a PS2 game ($80) on the stores, because the brazillian salary is generally $205. You can see people selling PS2 games on the streets ($6). I have 3 original games (KH, KH2 and MGS Collection). How much do you think it cost a DS game on my country? $117 (R$200)!!! If you buy a DS from a store, the seller say: "You can buy a R4 on Mercado Livre (our ebay)" 90% of our POOR people are pirate (I download roms everyday). That's the reality of a third world country. Nobody cares about games piracy. Sorry about my bad english
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6-04-2008 @ 1:37PM
Brychanus said...
It baffles me when I see Con organizers allowing booths like this (Nan Desu Kan in Denver and Mid-Ohio Con in Columbus come to mind), but my default response is to laugh smugly at the customers who don't know they're getting ripped off and could get it elsewhere for free.
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6-04-2008 @ 4:25PM
Casey said...
lmao listening to all you guys talk about pirating like you've NEVER done it are hilarious. We all do it, whether it be Video Games, Movies, TV Shows, Software etc.
Quit trying to act like angels with a purpose.
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6-04-2008 @ 7:43PM
buffalo_aaa said...
i remember going to Kaplan computer fairs in the New England area growing up (ahh, the 90's. are those fairs still around?) and back then they had MULTIPLE vendors dishing out the illegal roms on CDs. These vendors, though, didn't just sell these discs, they sold everything (like motherboards, processors, ram, books, etc), so it wasn't really uncommon. They would also take all those shareware games you could get for free at stores, like the first chapter of doom, and cram cds FULL of them. They would sell them packaged as "2000 games for $9.99!" or something like that.
I used to sell satellite television with my father at home shows, also in the area, and every once in a while a vendor there would pop up with the same thing, NES roms, MAME roms, shareware compliations. It has always happened and I find it hard to believe that people are "shocked" that it is happening.
2 years ago at the Burbank Fangoria Horrorcon, most of the vendors sold DVDs that were bootlegs of killer (read: awesome) horror movies that you just couldn't find in america (unregionalized).
The people running the show most likely don't know what these vendors are selling, when asked, they probably say "software" and that about explains it. They get the money, the vendors move in and by the time they realize what is going on, its in the middle of the show and they could care less.
I say, lets not get bent out of shape about it because there is nothing WE can do about it, short of notifying the authorities. But at this small level of incidents, don't waste the FBI's time.
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6-05-2008 @ 8:37PM
Foozwah said...
@David Hinkle
Ever consider that you might be supposed to be the agent that this karma you babble about is enacted through?
Seriously, having it bother you enough to post so extensively about it, including pictures, but not call it in (because you're worried you might "ruin someone's life") is pretty lame.
If someone reads your post and acts on it to take action against the vendor, you're just as complicit in any result, including any karmic burden arising from "ruining" their life.
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