As if this week wasn’t already front-loaded with console news, Microsoft just approved an emulator for the Xbox One that can play classic Nintendo games.
Universal Emulator, an independent application by developer Nesbox, passed Xbox One certification today. It allows users to play ROMs of NES, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advanced titles. (Yes, this is legally dubious, and yes, TechRadar does not endorse the illegal use of emulators.)
Nesbox’s emulator has been available for some time on Windows Phone and PCs. However, porting an emulation program capable of playing a competitor’s games to a game console could be the final straw that lands Microsoft into hot water with Nintendo.
Also interesting to note is that Universal Emulator appears to be compatible with Microsoft’s HoloLens wearable, as shared by Windows Central’s Editor-in-Chief Daniel Rubino.
Representatives at Nesbox’s Twitter have stated concerns that the app is taking a long time to go live on Xbox One, though it’s unclear if this is due to legal constraints or if the publishing process is just taking its sweet time.
No-tendo
Nintendo has quite a storied history fighting unauthorized emulation, eventually spelling out its very specific legal guidelines for what is or isn’t a legal way to play its games, Kotaku points out.
The company is both vigilant and litigious when it comes to unauthorized use of its intellectual property, which was demonstrated as recently as last month with copyright claims made against a fan remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus.
While uploading ROMs of Nintendo games on an emulator is illegal, it’s still legitimate to use the Universal Emulator for authorized games, including those developed with the Nesbox Console, which allows users to code their own retro-styled games.
A loophole it may be, but the potential for misuse could still be enough to get Nintendo on the phone with some legal counsel. We have asked representatives at both Nintendo and Microsoft for comment, and will update this story if we hear back.
Source: techradar.com
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technically reverse engineering hardware and its drivers to emulate protected patented property is illegal
September 7= sony announces the ps4 slim and the ps4 pro, with hardware-embedded tricks like an intelligent 4k upscaler , along other yet to be disclosed tricks, + features like hdr, that should allow some impressive 4k graphics (native, not native, as long as the resolution is there, and visuals look much better..). Everybody, even the most skeptical journalists and websites, were impressed with what the ps4 pro can do.
Of course, microsoft don't want the entire planet to watch and follow the ps4 pro , thus almost forgetting the 6tflops machine that will probably come in around 15 months. That's why the PR machine, aided by the hundreds pro-xbox websites, will be hard at work, publishing articles and stories about the scorpio console (15 months … are a lot of months…), trying to capture the attention of all the people interested in the ps4 pro.
September 9 – microsoft announces 'The Forge' mod will be available for halo 5 on pc
September 10- emulator for xbox one will allow playing nintendo emulation
September 11 – another special sauce will allow 8k graphics on scorpio
September 12 – another Xbox one feature announced
September 13- etc etc
……………………………………..
November 9 (one day before the ps4 pro release) – microsoft will announce a $50 price drop for the xbox 1, starting November 10 😉
November 10- microsoft announces gamers can download 3 AAA titles for free
November 11 – microsoft will announce Scorpio preorders are open
November 12- Microsoft will announce the Scorpio will be compatible withh all the VR systems, like htc, etc
November 13- Microsoft will announce the Scorpio will be so powerful, it will able to upscale graphics to 8k or 16k.
etc etc….
No, Emulators themselves are legal. Roms (and BIOS from the original hardware) are illegal.
I am not an IP lawyer, but my guess is that a lack of making money doesn't matter. Nintendo could argue that it is losing money because consumers don't have to buy the product through legal means. For example, the old p2p system of sharing music was free but that got shut down because free music for you and me means the artist didn't get paid.
I can't install it on my Windows 10 PC, anyone knows why?
Sadly, owning a physical copy of the game doesn't make ROMs legal.
How is that even remotely defensive? Right. It's not. Nor is making a valid and accurate observation "freaking out". Nice try.
Thank you for letting me know about lack of features for a system I have no intention of buying.
MS and Sony are competitors after all. It may seem sinister to you, but it is very much just business as usual.
i am sure they could come to an agreement on it
I hope Nintendo gets to have its day in court against Micro$oft.
If they don't win they could have its revenge against Xbox and start licensing its titles for play on Playstation consoles.
Microsoft would be liable if they released the Roms. Especially without Nintendo permission to do so.
Some Roms are technically legal on a few conditions (I.E. owning a physical copy of the game, IP no longer owned et cetera)
However, if you bothered to actually read the article before you started your inane crusade against the comment section, you would have noticed that Microsoft is simply releasing an emulator. Perfectly legal.
So, yes. Nintendo has no case against Microsoft for a distributed emulator. Nor do they have a case against Microsoft for what the consumer downloads.
they are kind of if you own the rom in question
You are honestly trying to say you didn't post these replies with any sense of emotions? specifically anger.
Your comment may have been "poking fun" and "tongue in cheek", but it was a negative comment and you got called out for it. Why post snarky stuff at all? Be happy, post friendly or useful stuff. Or don't be surprised when people call you out.
I'll quote you "OK? And?" "Christ on fire" and the classic condescending "It's OK you two. Relax. Deep breaths. Everything is going to be fine."
Why are you so defensive? If anyone needs to relax it's you. Seems you're freaking out over people casually pointing things out.
OK? And? Don't own one. Don't plan to own one.
Christ on fire, I make a flippant remark about a NES emulator and it turns into what the PS4 Pro is lacking.
It's OK you two. Relax. Deep breaths. Everything is going to be fine. It was just a comment.
Xbox One S: $399.99
Announcement: NES emulation.
Shine on, Microsoft. Shine on.
That makes sense. I am guessing the original commenter mistakenly bundled the two together.
Nice! As the announcement of Windows 10 apps working on Xbox one too is very recent, I guess we will see more of them. Few of them have already been released in the last few days and this gives loads of opportunities to dev and consumer…
do you know that there is an Xbox One S version for $299 and you quoted the price for a model with a 2TB harddrive? Just to further clarify, do you know that a 2 TB hard drive is costly? for example, Sony said it included a 1TB harddrive in its $399 PS4p because 2TBs are still expensive. That same PS4p that Sony failed to include a 4k blueray player that is included in the Xbox One S.
as long an no one is making money off of it i see no issue.
The X1S also sports a UHD Blu Ray drive. It's pretty surprising that Sony decided not to go with one for their PS4 Pro
Nintendo is probably going to rape Microsoft if this launches. The emulator company itself probably won't get into bother but Microsoft is essentially allowing nintendo games to be played for free on their platform
And?
First off, who mentioned Sony? I certainly didn't.
Oh, of course…I poke fun so I'm obviously a Sony fan.
Second, the X1S you mention is the 500gb model. And, since you're rambling about what Sony has apparently done, you may want to remember that a 1TB HDD is rather cheap yet Microsoft didn't see fit to give the consumer one as a standard.
Relax, fanboy. It was very much a tongue in cheek comment pointing out the humour of a recently released "upgrade console" with an announcement of an NES emulator. No need to get your panties in a knot.
The person I replied to said "Roms and emulators are legal." I was genuinely curious as to why he though that. Not a crusade. It appears it is you who has reading comprehension issues and a crusade to wage.