Ron posted a great article on his Blog which deserves to be translated and posted here, heres the english version in full.

In computer language, however, emulation means rebuilding another operating system of a computer or a console on another system, as an example, rebuilding a Nintendo system in your Sega Dreamcast so you can operate a ROM or play classic arcade games or simply recreate any of the computers and consoles 8, 16 and 32 bit that had been part of the history of video games.

Certainly, neither Nintendo or Sega nor any of the manufacturers have built their systems to be used for such purposes, as in this case is emulation.

The obvious utility software emulation is not prohibited from users greater and better compatibility and more freedom. So have you thinking that software emulation is a threat to manufacturers of systems?

Read my article on emulation and please leave your comments because it is a serious issue and interesting

This article is not a guide to emulation. If you really want to learn how to emulate any computer or on your Dreamcast console, Pasat by Dreamcast.es you find a lot of information would be helpful and useful.

What I mean by this article is why, as promoters of free software and concerned citizens should care in general these issues.

Well, I will endeavour to show that the emulation is not just play the last game for PS2 in your PC or even more, is also to enable new players to have access to titles from other generations. It is above all the freedom to run the software you want on the hardware you want.

The threat of emulation

We must be aware that often in the computer industry, emulation involves a clash between private and public interests. The interest of most major corporate software and hardware that option is close to blocking users. If you want to play a game of Nintendo, the first thing you want Nintendo is buying a Nintendo console. If you want to play a Mario on your Dreamcast, Nintendo hopes that you own or at least the version you buy "legal" in whatever system which has been edited.

As an example you say that it is complicated to find a Mario Dreamcast, since it has never been officially given this opportunity, therefore I am compelled to play Mario on the platforms that Nintendo has had or which holds currently supporting Mario. So if my wish is to play Mario de la NES, I think it will be very difficult to find both the console as the cartridge. The same goes for SNES titles and not the same thing happens to discuss with Master System, Megadrive, etc. ....

So if I have a cartridge with the Nes rom of Mari, because I understand that my private copying Volcan allow me so that I can continue to enjoy that game, the only difference is that the hardware that will run is not the original Without an emulator. Another typical example that has brought many comments has been operating software Amiga, you will need an Amiga or roms original, and without a company called Cloanto demandarte will have no problems if you do not pay the privilege to emulate the friend in your PC. Strategies for Microsoft to drive out and get rid of users of GNU / Linux or to impose Internet Explorer with people surfing the network are well known. The emulation is a threat to corporations that thrive in the exclusivity of its software and hardware.

Who and What is the division of the pie? Who monitors so that you can not emulate other systems on your PC or console?

The most obvious reason is probably the convenience. For someone who is dedicated to investigate history of the game and software, is neither desirable nor economically viable possess all hardware needed to operate and much less software. The legal conflict to find old games or operating systems remains a vacuum, abandonware is not legal mostly except for one who has been licensed by their manufacturers or licensees to use public non-profit.

You can enumenrar many similarities, but mostly it is well known by all the current situation and is not committed to repairing this article in each and every one of the owners and legal licenses.

Is the threat emulation corporations that thrive in the exclusivity of its software and hardware?

If an emulator would be beneficial for a company, while not generate a conflict with its lines of business, there would be no "threat" of emulation. Each corporation you would probably welcome and develop the emulators themselves. Look for Sony PSX emulating in its PS2 and now Nintendo with its Wii. The emulation is not really a business, is a seam and now corporations have realized that this is income and that besides all that old software has also pull and copyright.

While the software emulation will continue to schedule "at home" and being stored under corporate control, is a jewel in its crown. The problem is that it is very easy for a competitor from taking advantage of emulation software, which can become a powerful weapon and double-edged, in fact SET would happen if a company is relying on the exclusivity of its software to maintain its share market.

Known cases are the "adapter Atari 2600" ColecoVision, launched in 1982, which gave the owners ColecoVision freedom to select an games from two libraries that were competition in the market and also incompatible. There was no reason to buy iron Atari, knowing that having a Coleco titles available on both platforms.

There is also some concern that the emulation can be bad for existing hardware; ensure the retro-compatibility may limit a system or bring it to burst their manufacturing costs. Commodore for example made no serious effort to promote the emulation of the C-64 when it launched the new line Amiga and even did not include support 5 "¼ in any of the commercial strategies as it had done with the C-128, could change among three modes: C-128, C-64 and C / PM. The decision by Sony to incorporate retro-compatibility of the PS1 at its PS2 was seen by some as a concession to consumers, but by others as a strategy to tap the vast library of games for its new console (there were better games in the PSX 3 or 4 titles submitted for PS2 on the day of launch).

Another very important part is the economic, having to go shopping as Peripherals game pads, mice or expansions. If I have those of my system, because I can not take for all emulators available. The incompatibility between peripherals is another of the handicaps.

The exclusivity

It's current tactic seek exclusive. It is not necessary to set an example but used with mario should serve as an analogy because it just looks at teams and not Nintendo as the Sonic Sega shown up in the Tamagotchis.

If a console is "gambling" and we can not live without. Is Strategy?

The console manufacturers and developers of games and systems know that if a program or game is very popular, the software will be available only for that single platform. A very simple example could put in Mario or in the Grand Tourism. Consumers will buy no matter what the sophistication of another machine. Right now we have a very clear example with the 360, then we'll see what happens with Sony and Nintendo, exclusive games have always been tempting for users. Nobody knows this better than Nintendo, which has squeezed all their "licenses" to the point of reaching limits of absurdity.

In 80 years, dozens of incompatible computer systems on the market inconvenienced consumers often. For tastes and colors that users commodore 64, Tandy TRS-80 and Apple II, Sinclair Spectrum and others, including competing wildly and taking consumers to split, there were those who became often fiercely aggressive in defending the brand that it bought and is still today. Companies that dared to produce "clones" owners of these machines were carried courts and most mired in misery. The money was paid to their owners and what Microsoft is not shared wisely. The war continued in the era of "16-bit", and is still easy to find in their diehards still aferrarndose ordenat and their consoles, such as Amiga or Atari despite its obsolescence alleged. When you are asked to learn another operating system, it is amazing how the spirit of your old system superior feel.

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