Tempest
tempest7@velocity.net
http://www.snakeyes.org/
05/01/01


      When exactly does a console system enter the gaming graveyard? I've pondered this issue quite a bit lately, and there really seems like there is no definite answer. Many have tried to define what a dead console is, but there always seems to be an exception. For example, a console like the NES has been long dead in the eyes of the general public ; of that there is no doubt. But on the flip side, look at the Dreamcast. Sega has ceased production on their flagship console, and after a certain period of time has passed, developers will no longer produce fresh software for the console. At that point, will the Dreamcast be "dead?" It's a tough question to answer. Here at SGC, Jandar's policy has always been that we will not carry emulators for "next-gen" systems. I respect his opinion on this matter, and I admire his firm stance on it as well. However, time passes quickly as gaming giants like Nintendo and Sony phase out one generation of consoles and bring in another. Thus, the definition of a next-gen system changes over time.
      Our policy about next-gen emulators comes from the belief that pure emulation is rooted in nostalgia. I wouldn't know who started the entire emulation movement, but I can imagine the type of person. I bet it was an avid programmer who tore his NES apart, read all the technical specs, and entered thousands of lines of code just so he could play Super Mario Bros. on his PC. Why would somebody do this? Nostalgic value. Come on, if you're like me, you've spent thousands of hours of your short fleeting life playing video games and you enjoyed every minute of it (except for that one dang tower in Dragon Warrior 2.. Grr). I believe that emulation's true purpose is to revive the classics of years past and invoke fond memories that are inside all of us gamers. If you ARE like me, you owe a debt to today's gaming industry for allowing you to have such fond memories. So if their premier console is widely available on the market, go and buy it! It's the least you can do to pay back the gaming giants.
      It's interesting to observe how each traditional gaming company has reacted to the recent surge of emulation. Sega has never really been a big adversary of the emulation community. Hey, they even licensed Steve Snake's KGen emulator for use in their "Sega Smash Pack" collection (I bought it!). However, Nintendo is a different story. Whenever they can, they track down rom sites and shut them down for pirating their copyrighted material. Nintendo's aggressive stance toward the emulation community makes them a sharp contrast to Sega. They have every right to shut down rom sites, but I think the Nintendo executives high-up are forgetting who made them such a success in the first place. Emulation could even be considered a subtle form of flattery toward these companies. However, Nintendo refuses to see this. But what truly puzzles me is that none of the large console companies have seen the emulation scene as an area that they could truly capitalize on ; gaining favor and becoming more popular with gamers by supporting emulation, or even using it as a possible source of revenue.
      Even after saying that, I still feel that emulation is fine just the way it is. We're a community of tight-knit, nostalgic gamers who just want to relive our past memories, and see things on the systems we love that we never would have had the opportunity to see normally (which, of course, is where the translation scene comes in). So, is there even a need for next generation emulators right now? As far as we at SGC are concerned, the answer is no. The Emulation Scene is a place that was formed to remember the classics, and keep them alive even after the system has fallen to the wayside. So in effect, the Emu Scene isn't a Gaming Graveyard at all. At least here, all of our aging favorites are still VERY much alive and well, and when other consoles join the likes of the Atari 2600, NES, Megadrive, SNES, and Master System, we will welcome and cherish them just like we do the old-timer systems. And by that time, we'll have newer, but just as nostalgic, memories to relive about those consoles. I personally can't wait to relive the gaming experiences I'm having now, but 5 or 10 years in the future. How about you?

     Tempest
     05/01/01