Recently, it seems like the big-name companies in gaming, like Nintendo and Square Enix, don’t care if gaming fans can find or purchase older classic titles. These games can be extremely popular but hard to find and very expensive. 

This leads to emulation, the come-one-come-all solution to games we otherwise couldn’t play. Emulation is the fan’s answer to games that developers have archived. Emulation allows us to play forgotten games on modern hardware. Additionally, emulated games can often surpass the original title or even an official re-release by using modern technology.

Emulators are programs made to run video games made by creative fans and usually exist on open source websites. Unfortunately, big gaming companies are thanking their passionate, creative fans by taking them to court. I admit, it typically depends on the developer, but big companies such as Nintendo or Square don’t care how much work went into emulators like Snes9x and EmuParadise or fan games like AM2R or Chrono Trigger Remake. All they care about is protecting their pockets. Sure, they have the right to do things like this, but it doesn’t change that they’re destroying thousands of hours of work and causing major legal headaches for their most passionate fans.

Game companies need to understand that all fans want to do is preserve video games, just like movies or music. If game companies are willing to relegate beloved classics to the trash heap, they should realize fans will step in and fill the void. If the fans are stopped, then the art has gone to waste with no way for modern or future gamers to experience it.