Gotham, Agents Of SHIELD and Game Emulation Part 3 (SBU Podcast)

Some thoughts on the "Gotham" tv series premiere, the Agents Of SHIELD season premiere and the conclusion of our look at game emulation and abandonware. Plus, a "Summer Of Free" Aftershock!

Stractics Download Link-  http://www.spiritblade.net/downloads/Stractics_Rules_and_Printouts.rtf

Should Christians Use Emulators And Abandonware (Part 3)

This is part 3 of an examination of video game emulation in an effort to answer the question, "Should Christians use emulators or Abandonware."

The Maze Runner Review, Penelope and Game Emulation, Part 2 (SBU Podcast)

A review of "The Maze Runner", Ken From Honolulu reviews "Penelope" and Part 2 of our look at Game Emulation and Abandonware.

The Maze Runner - CGC "Uncut" Review

Should Christians Use Emulators And Abandonware? (Part 2)

This is part 2 of an examination of video game emulation in an effort to answer the question, "Should Christians use emulators or Abandonware."

To answer this question, I think there are four key elements to consider:
1. Is console game emulation legal?
2. What does the Bible say about our obligation to obey man-made laws?
3. To what standard are we held accountable in our obedience to man-made laws and/or the Bible?
4. What are the consequences for Christians who disobey man-made laws or commands of scripture?

In part one I did the best I could to examine the issue from the legal side of things, and concluded that playing unofficially emulated or Abandonware games is illegal in almost every case.

The ONLY scenario I can come up with for being able to play such games legally is if you personally own the original game AND you PERSONALLY created the backup copy (not downloaded it from online) AND you are playing it on an emulator that does NOT use any code from the BIOS of the original console.

But I can't even confirm that THAT scenario would be 100% legal. So even in this best case scenario, proceed with caution. And in all other cases, you are violating the law if you play emulated or Abandonware games.

I've enjoyed playing a number of emulated games and some abandonware as well. So for me that' s a tough pill to swallow. But maybe it shouldn't be. How important is it really for us as Christians to obey the laws of corrupt, man-made government? Especially laws like this that may seem extremely stupid and pointless at times? What does the Bible have to say about Christians and their relationship to man-made laws and governments?

(Romans 13:1-5, ESV) Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.

In Romans 13:1-5, the apostle Paul teaches that Christians should submit to the authorities over them, specifically, the government.

The primary reason is that all authority structures and figures are put in place by God, according to what he wants to accomplish on earth in the short or long-term. (v.1, and Romans 8:28) Governing authorities are even called the "servants" of God (Romans 13:4)! This is surprising, since we know from experience that many of our leaders and law-makers are not Christians and they also make and enforce some laws that are flawed.

Despite the shortcomings of man made rulers and laws, however, they still serve God's overall plans. In fact, even their shortcomings and failures will serve God's ultimate agenda to bring about the best possible outcome. God has a history of using unbelieving or corrupt leaders to bring about his will. (See Jeremiah 25:9 and Isaiah 45:1-6) God is also in the business of using flawed or even evil choices to bring about the best possible good.

Joseph tells his brothers, who betrayed him, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." (Genesis 50:20, ESV)

(Romans 8:28, ESV) And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

When we ignore laws our governments have put in place, we’re ignoring the authority that God himself has put in place. We can’t easily separate disobedience to government from disobedience to God.

Copyright laws may seem little or inconsequential. Breaking copyright law in the privacy and secrecy of our homes may seem like a victimless crime. It may seem like many people, including those charged with enforcing these laws, don't care about them or view them as important. But it doesn't change the fact that they are laws established by authorities God has placed over us. Disregarding these laws isn’t just brushing off “the man”, it’s brushing off Yahweh, the God of all creation. And the consequences or punishments that may follow are a part of God’s response. (Romans 13:2)

We are not permitted to pick and choose which laws we want to follow based on our own ideas of how good or important each law is. The only exception we see in scripture is when a man-made law or authority demands that we disobey a command of God.  (Daniel 3:28, Daniel 6:6-10, Acts 4:19, 5:29)

Now if I'm honest with myself and transparent with you, I have to admit that when I am faced with a choice to obey or disobey and it feels to me like the choice to disobey has little consequence and won't hurt anyone, I sometimes tell myself, "Hey, remember! You're forgiven! Your sins of the past, present and future are dealt with. Including the sin you're about to choose right now! So just do it and gain the satisfaction you want. You've had a rough day and choosing this would make you feel better. It's not that big a deal."

Or is it? If believers in Jesus have no reason to ever fear eternal punishment, why obey? Are there any consequences, in this life or eternity, for choose obedience or disobedience? And what about disobeying "stupid little laws" like those related to copyright. Exactly how good are we supposed to be as Christians? Doesn't all this smell like extreme, religious legalism?

We'll take a look at those questions next time in Part 3!

Should Christians Use Emulators And Abandonware? (Part 1)

"Should Christians use Emulators or Abandonware?"

By emulators I mean software made unofficially by one or more people to allow users to play console video games on their PC. By "Abandonware" I mean software that is no longer being supported by its owner that can be found for free download online by unofficial third-parties.

Right up front I'll let you know that I have used unofficial emulators and roms ( "roms" are digital copies of console games) many times and played some Abandonware games. I played the original Japanese Final Fantasy 3 from beginning to end, as well as much of Dragon Quest 6 and some of Final Fantasy 5 on emulators. On top of that I've dabbled in numerous other games through emulation that have been too many for me to keep track of. So I am no stranger to unofficial game emulation and abandonware.

When emulation first came on the scene a number of years ago, the legalities involved were pretty murky and grey. And even in recent years the legal aspects of emulation trigger a multitude of responses when the topic comes up.

On the forums of video game site GiantBomb.com, the question was asked: "Is Emulation Illegal Or
Not"? Here is a sample of some replies:

"Technically yes, but at this point no one gives a crap."

"Do you know anyone who has been arrested for video game emulation?"

"Well, if you've owned the cartridge before, no it's not. But if you haven't nobody really cares at this point."

"Not like you're going to get caught, so doesn't matter. Sorry, but it doesn't. I've done it in the past to revisit some of the older games on SNES that I don't have but have rented long long ago, and wanted to play some GBA games. You're technically not stealing it as long as you don't keep it right? Right.
Oh whatever. Ha ha."

"No one really cares."

"Actual emulation is legal. There's is nothing wrong with one machine emulating another machine, it just when you start stealing software or disregarding licensing agreements things start to get a little dicey."

"I've never heard anyone get in trouble for it. I'm going to call it de facto legal if nobody bothers to enforce the law."

"My policy is ... no one will know if i don't tell em :) (well not really they can find my IP but whatevs)"

"Emulators aren't strictly illegal, and neither are copied games. It's the distribution of copied games outside of personal use that is illegal. Think of it like ripped dvds. While dvd rippers aren't strictly illegal, the distribution of ripped dvds are."

"As far as games and systems that are out of circulation go, they still belong to their respective publishers. It's always a possibility that they might re-release them. It's very rare for games to go truly free, even after going out of print for a long time."

"Its not illegal to run emulator software. Nor is it illegal to make your own roms as long as you have the original. Everyone has the right to create backups of they're own bought goods for private purposes Its when you download a ROM you don't own that it becomes illegal even if the emulator itself is completely legal. For clarification its also illegal to download a ROM of a game you already own since the seeder is not allowed to distribute software that is not theirs. Any Emulator + home made romz of self bought goods for strictly private use is legal."


I've been hearing mixed and contradicting responses to this question for years. And most responses seem to be based on second, third or eighth hand information. Until a few months ago I hadn't really made an effort to look into the issue myself. In part because law can be very complex and technical and I wasn't sure I was equipped to find the answers, nor was I sure that the answers could even be found through the means at my disposal. But if I'm honest, a significant reason I hadn't pursued more understanding of this issue in the past is because I was afraid I might not like what I discovered. This is not a quest any Christian is likely to undertake when they are in the middle of playing an unofficially emulated game or piece of abandonware that they really enjoy. But as I have found myself for awhile now without any games I'm interested in playing through unofficial emulation or abandonware, I've concluded this is probably the best time to hunt down answers that I can consider objectively.

To be clear, I'm looking for an answer to a very specific question. "Should Christians use emulators or abandonware?" I'm not JUST asking if the practice is legal. And I'm not expecting my findings to be applied to non-Christians. I'm specifically asking whether or not a Bible-believing Christian should use a game console emulator.

To answer this question, I think there are four key elements to consider:

1. Is console game emulation legal?
2. What does the Bible say about our obligation to obey man-made laws?
3. To what standard are we held accountable in our obedience to man-made laws and/or the Bible?
4. What are the consequences for Christians who disobey man-made laws or commands of scripture?

The first element will take much longer than the others to examine, I think. So we'll just focus on the legal aspects of the issue this time and try to address the other aspects next time in Part 2.


EMULATION AND U.S./INTERNATIONAL LAW

Tracking down actual legal information on this topic has been difficult, and some might argue inconclusive. I'm no lawyer, so naturally I'm not presenting legal advice here. But the information I found in my search was close enough to reading the actual law in black and white (which I WAS able to do in some cases) to bring me to a conclusion on the issue.

In 2013, a lawyer at the Metro UK entertainment website offered his thoughts on the issue of emulation. I should add that this lawyer stated clearly that he is not a case lawyer in the realm of copyright law, nor should his thoughts be taken as legal advice.  Even so, regarding game console emulators he said:

They are perfectly legal. There has been case law to this effect in both the UK and the USA....The caveat here is that, in coding the software, you cannot use the same lines of code as used in the original code....The problem is when the emulator is used in conjunction with a ROM image, either of a game or of the BIOS file that may be needed to ‘complete’ the emulation (the BIOS file is essentially a copy of the original code used to boot the console).

Link to full article:  http://metro.co.uk/2013/02/16/the-legality-of-emulation-part-1-readers-feature-3479741/

And while we're gaining some international perspective on this issue, there's an important factor worth noting. Because of the Berne Convention, countries are required to respect the copyright laws of other countries. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berne_Convention) So for example, if you live in Russia and want to download material that has a U.S. or Japan copyright without permission of the copyright holder, you are still violating the laws of Russia. If the emulator you are using uses the BIOS of the original console it is emulating, your emulator is illegal.

Back to the topic of BIOS files. How can you know what BIOS your emulator is using? Hard to say. Many emulators for older, cartridge-based consoles do not require the installation of the original BIOS file. However this does not mean that the original BIOS is not already a part of the emulator software. However, if an emulator ever requires you to download the original BIOS of the console being emulated from a separate location, this is a big red flag, and likely an indication that they are aware that hosting a copy of the required BIOS themselves would be illegal. If you download the original BIOS of a console on a site not belonging to the copyright holder of that BIOS, you are violating copyright law.

So, is it illegal to use a game console emulator? Yes, if it unofficially makes use of the BIOS from the original console. Otherwise, no, it is not illegal. Good advice would be to stay sharp and be as informed as you can be about the nature of any emulator you use.

All that said, not many people use console emulators without playing games, or "ROMS". Is it legal to use unofficial ROMS?

Some of the best info on this issue can be found on Nintendo's own website. Yes, I can already hear you saying "Well of course Nintendo is going to say it's illegal to play unofficial ROMS. How can you trust the information on their site?" I would respond by saying that if Nintendo were to publicly misrepresent copyright law on their official website, they would be in a HUGE amount of trouble and would have been pounced on quickly for it. But the first time I looked at the legal portion of their website was around a year ago, and shenanigans have not been called on them yet. Yes, you'll sense their one-sided bias in what they write. They certainly don't try to enable the discovery of any loop-holes in the law on behalf of emulation gamers. But I'm convinced that they do not state anything that is false regarding copyright law on their site, and so their legal page serves as a useful resource as we look into the issue of game emulation. Especially since most game emulation is for that of Nintendo consoles and games.

Legal page at Nintendo: http://www.nintendo.com/corp/legal.jsp

With just a little bit of research you'll easily discover that by default it is illegal to use downloaded copies of ROMS. It's very common for gamers to assume that if you own or have previously owned the game you are using a downloaded ROM to emulate, you are protected by your right to have a back-up copy of software that you purchased. It's even more widely assumed that if you delete the ROM within 24-hours of downloading it you are not violating the law. To this Nintendo responds:

"The backup/archival copy exception is a very narrow limitation relating to a copy being made by the rightful owner of an authentic game to ensure he or she has one in the event of damage or destruction of the authentic. Therefore, whether you have an authentic game or not, or whether you have possession of a Nintendo ROM for a limited amount of time, i.e. 24 hours, it is illegal to download and play a Nintendo ROM from the Internet."

Pretty clear cut. However note the exception that even Nintendo acknowledges. If the copy is made BY the actual, rightful owner in order to retain a copy in the event of the original's damage or destruction, it would appear the ROM can be considered legitimate. At least in the UK. (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/48/section/50A) I have not been able to locate proof of such a law's existence anywhere else. Please let me know if you find online documentation of a parallel law in the US. However, notice that even if you own the original game, your copy of the game must be made BY YOU in order for it to be legal.

One device suited to this purpose is the "Retrode", which creates digital ROMS using original SNES cartridges.(http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/01/turn_your_retro_cartridges_into_roms_legally) But once again, this may only be legal for UK gamers. And as a reminder, I'm no lawyer.

Now, what about the fact that many games being emulated are no longer available for purchase? Have their copyrights expired? Have they become "Abandonware"?
Regarding game copyrights, Nintendo states:

"U.S. copyright laws state that copyrights owned by corporations are valid for 75 years from the date of first publication."

They go on to say:

"the copyrights of games are valid even if the games are not found on store shelves, and using, copying and/or distributing those games is a copyright infringement."

But what about Abandonware? For starters, "abandonware" is not a legal concept. As Wikipedia states, "Although such software is usually still under copyright, the owner may not be tracking or enforcing copyright violations." The "Abandon" part of "Abandonware" refers to the direct involvement of the copyright owner in enforcing the copyright or in supporting the product. It does NOT refer to a lapse in copyright for the product.

In a nutshell, whether the copyright owner of a game is doing anything with the game or not, they still own the copyright and the law is still being broken when a person downloads their games for free without their express permission. This applies to both ROMS and old PC "Abandonware" games.

To sum up the legal portion of this issue, playing unofficially emulated or Abandonware games is illegal in almost every case.

The ONLY scenario I can come up with for being able to play such games legally is if you personally own the original game AND you PERSONALLY created the backup copy (not downloaded it from online) AND you are playing it on an emulator that does NOT use any code from the BIOS of the original console. But I can't even confirm that THIS scenario is 100% legal. So even in this scenario, proceed with caution. And in all other cases, you are violating the law if you play emulated or Abandonware games.

I know for me that's a tough pill to swallow. But maybe it shouldn't be. How important is it really for us as Christian to obey the laws of corrupt, man-made government? Especially laws like this that may seem extremely stupid and pointless at times? What does the Bible have to say about Christians and their relationship to man-made laws and governments? Stay tuned! We'll take a look at that in Part 2!

Christians, Emulators And Abandonware and Baldur's Gate Review (SBU Podcast)

Part 1 of an examination of game emulation and "abandonware" and a review of the classic Baldur's Gate games for PC!

Baldur's Gate Review For Console Gamers- I LIKE GAMES

Gamers Helping Kids! Join The CGC "Extra Life" Team!

Hey Everyone!

The Extra-Life marathon gaming charity event is just 7 weeks away! I'm now officially entering "recruitment mode" in hopes of filling the ranks of the Christian Geek Central Team!

There are two chief ways you can be involved in this event:

The first way to be involved is to do your own gaming marathon as a part of the Christian Geek Central team. (Any kind of gaming, including board/card and Pen and Paper RPGs!)The Extra-Life organization is pretty loose with the "rules" of the event. So if you can't do 24 consecutive hours of gaming, you are welcome to split it up over multiple days. In the spirit of teamwork, participants are encouraged to complete their hours sometime on or near October 25th. You can choose to do it alone or involve your friends/family. No one from Extra-Life will be keeping track of when or even if you do your marathon hours. It's all on the honor system and the bottom line is about raising money for children in need of medical care. You can let your donors know that even if you burn out before hitting 24 hours, all of their donation will still go to the charity.

Raising money is actually very simple as well. You are encouraged to contact as many people as possible with the goal of getting at least 10 people to donate $10-$20 to the cause, with your personal goal being to achieve $100-$200 in donations. If you're shy or don't like writing, Extra-Life also provides a nice letter that you can use or modify as you seek donations. You also don't have to collect any money yourself, but simply direct people to a webpage where they can donate online.

As a member of the Christian Geek Central team, you are welcome to choose the Phoenix Children's Hospital as the hospital you wish to support, or choose from hundreds of other hospitals that are also part of the Children's Miracle Network.

For more information, or to sign up to join the Christian Geek Central Team and do a marathon, go to:

http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&teamID=15081

As you can imagine, doing something like this takes some advance planning to make room for it in your schedule, which is why I'm recruiting so early. I hope to have most of the Christian Geek Central team signed up by October 1st. Late-comers will of course be welcome to join, but they will have less time to raise funds for the event.

So if this option interests you, please take a good look at your schedule, talk to those in your life it will effect, and then visit the link above to get started!


The second option is, of course, to donate! if you'd like to donate in partnership with my efforts, you can do so here:

http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=92024

However feel free to wait and support another team member if you'd like. I'm making this option available now but will not beginactively seeking donations until the beginning of October.

I hope you'll be able to partner with me in both a celebration of the gift of games and an effort to be the hands of Jesus in the lives of hurting children.

Thanks!

-Paeter Frandsen

Action Figures! (SBU Podcast)

A conversation about why geeks love collecting Action Figures! Plus, some thoughts and reflections for creative geeks taken from Psalm 39.

Magic The Gathering 2015- Trial And Error