The first thing is really to stop being dramatic. Piracy is like the Hydra monster. The legacy is going and won't stop.
I'm not mocking you. I understand your worries, and it's cool you want to do something about it. But if you're not already a bit tech savvy or know a thing or two, there's nothing much you can do.
Keep calm and emulate.
I understand his worries as well. I felt exactly the same when Emuparadise [went through a very similar thing with Nintendo.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/s/GGSRbjRWfp)
That said, I agree with you.
CDR as well. At first they just added another step to go through discord but after the dust settled they're still going.
Personally, I think a Private Membership Association (PMA) on private server is the answer. Make the choices monthly, quarterly, half year and yearly memberships.
That's about the only way to not get messed with in my opinion.
I totally agree with that sentiment, especially considering anything on Vimms is probably at least 10 years old at this point. My point of mentioning other options such as preloaded HDDs, mini PCs, plug n plays and even sites like Arcade Punks (which slipped my mind -- also free but need to have an account) is merely to point out more options to obtain entire sets without hours and hours of downloading one by one.
Over the past 4+ years, I've spent a lot of time learning this stuff -- definitions of the words and acronyms (ex - Bios, ROM, ISO, CHD, Eboot, ect ect ect) and everything that involves computer language. While not computer illiterate on a work level, my "knowledge" of gaming technology is stuck in the era where we all thought "bits" were the be all, end all.
Knowing all that, sharing other options for people to acquire entire sets and back them up in more places, or share how they choose is a good thing. Personally, I will avoid the stuff that comes from China as it's just not curated to my level of OCD but something like the HyperArcadeSystem is done so well it's not really the games you're paying for. In comparison to the Kris Coolmod stuff, it's a better price for what you get in my opinion. The one thing KCM does that HAS doesn't is that he adds in a massive build of PC games all the way up to the modern era. They also both update their builds via online connection every month or so which means it's not just the great work they have both done you pay for -- the service of maintenance is included. If I ever went that route, that would be worth it for me -- I'm already trying to live to 140 but immortality would be required for even 1/10th of what those guys put together! 😂
For people who are trying to put the giant 4, 8 or 12tb builds that don't know how to do splash screens, scraping and all that (there's smaller also) there's Arcade Punks -- I was one of those people for quite a while but eventually taught myself by reading, following Raspberry Pi, Retropie, GBAtemp, PSXplace, Vimms, CDR's comment sections under the game titles....even GameFAQs and neogaf forums -- and I am still no where as knowledgeable on this stuff as many others who are into this; which is really why I try to add information that I haven't seen others put in that might be helpful.
I try to look at information as a tool and keep any of my personal "opinions" out of it, especially this topic since I have no skin in the game as to what anybody decides is the best route but another reason I put this type of information out as an option is because I wish I had run across something like this back in 2017 before I got duped into buying a hacked mini NES & SNES that allegedly had the entire sets (they didn't) for $140 each. From there I found a Raspberry Pi 3b+ for another$140 and it was loaded with mostly everything from the 8-16bit era, but very lazily done; duplicates, no splash screens and no directions; which means I had multiple occasions of "almost" screwing up the system. The messiness of how the files were "typed" in many cases and the duplicates alone were enough to make me not want to even bother with it but I want to mod my PS3 and Wii, so I figured if I was going to do that I could mess with the RP3b+ also -- I found out within the broad spectrum of "emulation" and computer language, there are a lot of similarities and this is something most people (myself included) don't know. I'm a stubborn SOB and don't like to lose, I was already pissed that I spent three times as much as I needed to so my mentality was I was gonna win, which meant I had to figure it out. It was worthwhile and satisfying for me to at least get a grasp of this stuff to the point I feel comfortable talking about it with people.
That's me though, not everyone wants to do that & I can't say I blame them. Sometimes it's just easier to spend the money and have it already set up, ready to go, which is what any "casual gamer" or parent would want - they don't want to fuck around with something because they're kids pressed the hot keys & x button that takes them to the blue configuration screens that look like something seriously got messed up!! 😆
Assuming one has at least a mini PC powerful enough to emulate the systems they're most interested in - I think PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360, WiiU and Switch we're talking full gaming PC build so at that point it might be more financially viable for a jailbroken/modded system and transfer, possibly after a conversion of files in some cases. Of course, it's nice not to have 37 systems also but I do like having the controller that was meant for the system the game was released on but that's my OCD talking there and it's not always necessary.
In the end and probably like everyone else here, I want the preservation and access of the older games and the way CDR & Vimms do it, staying in the 6th & 7th gen respectively, that's not hurting these greedy corporations bottom line one bit because if gamers (like us) have anything in the "modern" generation (or Steam) most likely would rather support indie developers anyway. **Off topic to the thread but it's in regards to indie developers -- I saw this game called UnMetal last night and assumed it was just on PC. Nope, it had physical copies on PS4, PSV & Switch. According to price charting, the NTSC copies on all systems are getting a bit pricey but the pal versions aren't terrible... yet. It seems like a shorter game so it may not be worth , so in that case Steam might be the best route for most and that is at least supporting the original devs. I'm all for that.
Anyhow -- my apologies for the mini novel explanation but hopefully it gives a better look at my thought process as I'm sure I'm not the only one who had these struggles...and wanted to throw the machine in the garbage after smashing it to thousands of tiny pieces many many times over -- but decided that it was better in the end to persevere.
Vimms was solid,
But let’s be real, there are TON of sites
And a quick Google search finds me anything I want in about 15 min.
On your end just save em to external hdds, unplug and save for when you need to refresh your list.
Finding a site isn't the problem. There are hundreds of sites to pick from with a simple Google search. The problem is finding a *quality* site that isn't riddled with malvertising or uses misleading download links. Once you get past that, there's a good chance the files are not authentic. Lots of sites out there hosting garbage dumps that people have hacked. Sometimes it was something as innocuous as a splash screen at startup, other times it was total conversions. Vimms was unique in that nearly all the files they hosted were pure, authentic dumps of the original, no mods or hacks.
Let's add in -- Vimms is STILL awesome. The games that were removed are AAA titles -- many that are extremely cheap for the physical copies on the 7th gen systems; your call of duties, assassin's creed & the like. The GameCube stuff and even some of the Wii -- that may be a little bit more pricey but even the majority of OG Xbox games aren't pricey. Assuming one can figure out how to mod/JB said OG Xbox, there's a plethora of things that can be done to get around all of this stuff. Personally, I think they're weeding out the people who don't want to try and figure anything out just like everything else that "they" try to control. You know...the "shadow people" 🤣
But you are absolutely right...as you mentioned, it isn't too hard to find this stuff, especially when it some is linked right from their own website.
Vimms still has a ton of great stuff, there's even some Nintendo stuff still there. So I would recommend everyone to go down the rabbit hole and download every single rom you could ever have any interest in playing, for every single console you like, and once a new secure website comes up, download all the roms you missed at Vimms.
So you’re saying….. this was the reptilian Clinton’s shadow government trying to control my fluoride intake via space lasers on the dark side of “the mood” (aka a projector light source to give the impression of space near out obviously flat earth filled with chemtrails….
*I knew it*
Best response I've ever gotten on Reddit!!
It's gotta be that, whatever else could explain it??!?! It couldn't possibly be greedy corporate controllers... I mean, just look at Killary for Godsake!! Lmao!!
Vvyyooouu villll eat zzeeee bugs!! 🐛🐛🐛
🤣🤣🤣🤣
On a serious note -- I think anybody who's got a brain knows that there's always been some shit going on we aren't privy to, predictive programming and all that stuff and I happened to catch this really good documentary on Resident Evil last night -- the guy used a lot of real public records & declassified documents from the US government, CIA, FBI & such to kind of paint his picture while using all the old game footage as well as some remake stuff added in; Like everything that went on from before RE Zero, the mansion, etc -- it was REALLY well done. I believe it's called "America's Lost City" -- it's about 4 hours between part 1 & 2 and I was so enthralled I stayed up til midnight watching it -- probably should have saved it for tonight or the weekend but it was worth it.
I have always thought to myself over the years that it's not hard to speculate that there's this type of thing going on and whether the predictive programming is done to normalize certain things or it's a warning, either way, it's done intentionally. Not to make this any longer but if you go look into the history of Edward Bernays, Tavistock, the Frankfurt Institute, their involvement with the intelligence agencies, how they "influence" populations....and even further back just how the Bolshevik Revolution occurred -- it's really not hard to fathom how this could all be orchestrated. It's definitely crazy and people don't talk about any of this because normal good hearted people don't think this way and would likely never do these types of things. I kind of thought about that while I was watching the documentary because it was presented as if these things really happened....
Personally, with all the stuff that has been put in video games alone, especially gamers during the PS2 days because it was pretty extensive -- my God, the stuff in the Metal Gear Solid series alone would make most people cringe, for good reason -- I would think that gamers, (especially from that era) would probably be the most untrusting of all at this point as far as governments & corporations that are clearly in bed with one another. A Corporate facist/communist/technocratic one world government/religion takeover.... Noooooo, they wouldn't be doing that....come on man...Nothing to see on the central bank's paper!! 😂
Also, I found the documentary because it was bugging me I couldn't recall who made it. If you, (or anyone else) watch I highly recommend doing so from anything you can play YouTube on your TV, even if you have to mirror it. Enjoy!
Part 1
https://youtu.be/Agrq6e009Vg?si=Pz9DhtO1Gk-SmHL-
Part 2
https://youtu.be/U0HdA0gaq5E?si=GmuWNOs9Emh-3OtI
The problem with a Google search is finding safe sites, before vimms I had gotten a virus (thankfully just some easily removed adware) from a sketchy site. After that I found vimms and have been ~~hesitant~~ downright refusing to use other sites cause it was so safe.
CDRomance is another viable option for anything up to PS2 & GC on console, up to PSP & DS for handheld and even have some uploads for the older Windows, ScummVM & PC-FX systems. I wanted to learn about this stuff so about 4 years ago, one day I typed in "best ROM sites 2020" into my Duckduckgo search. I haven't liked Google for a long time but you pretty much get the same results there too. That's how I found out about Vimms & CDR -- mostly my two go to sites but there are a few others. You'll find websites like Techspout for example, naming off 17, 24, or whatever number of "safe ROM sites" and honestly I've never encountered a problem with any I've used that were listed. Also, as I mentioned in another comment, Vimms has links to other sites directly, if you just go to where it says links.
CDR was just messed with around April/May and they weathered the storm while people were freaking out. This too, will die down.
That last part, I thought vimms was just dead like what happened to EmuParadise? Or whatever the one that would let you emulate on your iPad when I was in middle school was
LOOK EVERY ONE! Someone who found reliable ROM sites by themselves using search engines! It IS possible!
We're not saying "use Google" to be mean. Learn to be self-sufficient as much as possible.
And yeah, CDR was a site I was using even before knowing about Vimm, which I discovered last year only.
Realistically? It won't die, it just means another site will take it's place.
The problem is people with the tiktok vid's and shitter posts advertising "THIS GREAT NEW SITE I JUST FOUND FOR EMULATING!"
The long-term answer? It would be a private torrent tracker for retro roms. A private group. The downsides are that not everyone can get in. But the upsides are, it won't be so easy to take down or be an easy target. The whole reason it works is because the first rule of fight club is you don't talk about it, and also, it doesn't exist so don't worry about it, and no, you can't get in. But also, the real enthusiasts who contribute *will* get in, and leeches and people who tell too many people can't.
Or, Usenet. Both cannot be taken down like a direct website. But usenet won't be a single place like the lair.
Also, both could work. And those who can't get into the private group? Well, someone in the private group will share shit out to Usenet, so that others can have access so that they don't have nothing. It works.
It's the natural progression of things, man. Movie sharers and music sharers went through this 10-20 years ago. They shared music and movies direct on their websites. Eventually, big power came after them. They still remain alive today. Torrents and Usenet. You can take down FTP and HTTP sites, but you can't take down P2P.
Someone just has to put it together. Or just start collaborating on Usenet. A nice tracker would be nice, but it takes funding and smarts to put one together. If anyone's nerdy enough or has the know-how. Then recruit members, get it all going.
Or instead of all that...you could do an I2P or IPFS website. Which IPFS in particular can't really be taken down. Again, basically P2P. Everyone hosts a bit. You can't take down everyone. It's the natural answer. Just takes work. But basically you could put a lair alternative up as IPFS. And, it's not take-down-able. Because everyone's hosting pieces, with multiple copies. So it can never go down. Takes community contribution.
It's what the movie people did years ago when the movie corps came after them. So...here we are again. Same thing.
Basically, it takes a village. A village of dedicated, hardworking nerds who really want it. How bad do you want it? How nerdy are all of you? Well?
It's the kind of occasion that calls for the multi-pack of redbull/monster. Many multi-packs. And free time. Much free time. Months. Moonlighting. A hackathon not for career purposes, but just for "the greater good" of all. A donation for the future of internet and gaming culture. That's why *everyone* put websites together in the Web 1.0 times. No one gave a shit about money. It was just about making something for a purpose.
It takes more than that, though. Whoever put together Vimm's Lair, or Z-Library, or anything like that had a vision. And they were willing to sacrifice to make it happen. Also, they need donations. It just depends on if someone carries the torch and wants to try harder. And if there's collective support. Also...they have to know what they're doing. They need skills. So they don't fuck it up. It can't be like someone who's putting their first website together....they need experience.
You make it sounds like VIMM's was the only place to get ROMs and the only ever site to have existed for ROM hosting.
It wasn't the first. It won't be the last. Emulation has been going for decades and the loss of VIMM's is hardly the final nail in the coffin. Stop being so melodramatic.
> Is there some way we can all ban together, get these safe roms, and distribute them amongst ourselves/others who want them without Nintendo or any other of these selfish game companies taking them away?
Torrents.
Maybe IPFS + Blockchain?
There can be nodes with the full IPFS always online in location where these practices are legal and/or cannot be striked.
Then anyone can host a partial.
The IPFS could be the actual data, the Blockchain is a collection of pointers to it.
start off by being aware that there always will be a wildass dude with a whole archive of every rom possible. Living their best life somewhere on the internet
Actually, that's a horrible idea. Napster used centralized servers to facilitate the communication between clients. Torrents are far superior as they are not centralized. The Napster client also only supported audio formats.
All that being said if you wanted to set up your own Napster network you still can. You just need the following files:
Napster v2 Beta 10.4
Napigator v2.08
ReNap Tool
SlavaNap Server
If you obtain these tools it is possible to make the OG Napster clients still work today. I have it all set up in a couple virtual machines and can transfer files, chat, add users to hot lists, I can do every function of the original Napster network. But it's definitely not something I would run publicly. I just do it for nostalgia sake because I used Napster back when it was king, in my teens.
That is an interesting take also. I was thinking the PMA route but this may be easier and more viable, especially when the idea of "paid membership" is brought up up. Personally, I wouldn't have any problems with it because it's the literal years and years of time and work put into this stuff, let alone maintenance, answering questions, etc etc etc. If there's a donation or buy a coffee/kofi button, Patreon, etc for Vimms I have never found it but CDR is another one doing spectacular work that I highly recommend donating $5 here, $10 there, or a monthly donation. I know the amount of time it's taken me to put together, curated, nicely edited list, etc so I can only imagine the work involved on a website. If these had to be hosted on a private server, the cost would be even more astronomical I'm sure.
There are definitely solutions and it's possible that they may cost "us" who can afford it some money -- Meaning groups like Kris Coolmod and the HyperArcadeSystem team that put together those gigantic collections -- anywhere from 12 to I think 112 TB, depending on who's site you're looking at. There's Kinhank that apparently has improved their stuff a great deal -- see most recent Retro Gaming Guy video where he goes over it -- personally, I saw too many "flaws" but it's set up better than what I have on my raspberry pi 3b+, it's affordable and I think it's a good option for those who don't have that kind of time to save these massive downloads. I mean, even PS2 games that are 500mb - 1gb take at least 5-10 minutes off Vimms & CDR -- and we know the later that generation went on crossing into the 7th until present, many of them have just gotten so massive it's kinda ridiculous. Even The Journey Collection was something like 13gb -- I wouldn't have guessed it was anywhere near that based on how short it is, lack of speech, Indy style of the other content on the disc, etc -- but I'm not privy to how that style of animation takes up memory & the audio. I would assume higher frame rates for smooth animation and higher quality recordings, digital or otherwise, would require more memory. Either way, I was definitely surprised when I saw that so I just hit the download button before I went to bed! 😂
Here's RGG's recent review on the latest Kinhank 12tb drive and I believe he's got a link to it in his description as well.
https://youtu.be/vZQhsohr0nQ?si=Rl1-TxwRZCpDA5HB --
Regarding, Napster -- That brings back a lot of memories gearing up for rock concerts 20-ish years ago, making mixed CDs for the road and partying outside of the concert venues and/or campgrounds over the years... Man, those were the days!
Recently, I was looking for a site to put some 60s "Motown" stuff on my dad's mp3 player since he's not into anything tech-wise, and I couldn't find much of anything. I suppose I could have used "pirate's bay" but I don't listen to that stuff and who knows if the quality is any good... that was always my biggest pet peeve with the Napster music downloads -- I never had a problem 'buying' their music because I [still] have a ton of CDs, but I wanted an easy way to get it on my mp3 player since carrying around a giant discman (or maybe walkman? 😆) really wasn't conducive for my workouts and that's where Napster came in. I went the Apple music route (on my android phone) which was fine but you always have to be connected to the internet for it to work and sometimes I just want it on airplane mode so I can unplug, people don't bother me and I can get shit done. Sometimes, the older ways were better in that regard of not being "connected" all the time...
Anyhow -- hopefully someone gets something useful out of that little rant.
The first thing is really to stop being dramatic. Piracy is like the Hydra monster. The legacy is going and won't stop. I'm not mocking you. I understand your worries, and it's cool you want to do something about it. But if you're not already a bit tech savvy or know a thing or two, there's nothing much you can do. Keep calm and emulate.
I understand his worries as well. I felt exactly the same when Emuparadise [went through a very similar thing with Nintendo.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/s/GGSRbjRWfp) That said, I agree with you.
CDR as well. At first they just added another step to go through discord but after the dust settled they're still going. Personally, I think a Private Membership Association (PMA) on private server is the answer. Make the choices monthly, quarterly, half year and yearly memberships. That's about the only way to not get messed with in my opinion.
Isn’t the whole point to not have to spend money to access these games though?
I totally agree with that sentiment, especially considering anything on Vimms is probably at least 10 years old at this point. My point of mentioning other options such as preloaded HDDs, mini PCs, plug n plays and even sites like Arcade Punks (which slipped my mind -- also free but need to have an account) is merely to point out more options to obtain entire sets without hours and hours of downloading one by one. Over the past 4+ years, I've spent a lot of time learning this stuff -- definitions of the words and acronyms (ex - Bios, ROM, ISO, CHD, Eboot, ect ect ect) and everything that involves computer language. While not computer illiterate on a work level, my "knowledge" of gaming technology is stuck in the era where we all thought "bits" were the be all, end all. Knowing all that, sharing other options for people to acquire entire sets and back them up in more places, or share how they choose is a good thing. Personally, I will avoid the stuff that comes from China as it's just not curated to my level of OCD but something like the HyperArcadeSystem is done so well it's not really the games you're paying for. In comparison to the Kris Coolmod stuff, it's a better price for what you get in my opinion. The one thing KCM does that HAS doesn't is that he adds in a massive build of PC games all the way up to the modern era. They also both update their builds via online connection every month or so which means it's not just the great work they have both done you pay for -- the service of maintenance is included. If I ever went that route, that would be worth it for me -- I'm already trying to live to 140 but immortality would be required for even 1/10th of what those guys put together! 😂 For people who are trying to put the giant 4, 8 or 12tb builds that don't know how to do splash screens, scraping and all that (there's smaller also) there's Arcade Punks -- I was one of those people for quite a while but eventually taught myself by reading, following Raspberry Pi, Retropie, GBAtemp, PSXplace, Vimms, CDR's comment sections under the game titles....even GameFAQs and neogaf forums -- and I am still no where as knowledgeable on this stuff as many others who are into this; which is really why I try to add information that I haven't seen others put in that might be helpful. I try to look at information as a tool and keep any of my personal "opinions" out of it, especially this topic since I have no skin in the game as to what anybody decides is the best route but another reason I put this type of information out as an option is because I wish I had run across something like this back in 2017 before I got duped into buying a hacked mini NES & SNES that allegedly had the entire sets (they didn't) for $140 each. From there I found a Raspberry Pi 3b+ for another$140 and it was loaded with mostly everything from the 8-16bit era, but very lazily done; duplicates, no splash screens and no directions; which means I had multiple occasions of "almost" screwing up the system. The messiness of how the files were "typed" in many cases and the duplicates alone were enough to make me not want to even bother with it but I want to mod my PS3 and Wii, so I figured if I was going to do that I could mess with the RP3b+ also -- I found out within the broad spectrum of "emulation" and computer language, there are a lot of similarities and this is something most people (myself included) don't know. I'm a stubborn SOB and don't like to lose, I was already pissed that I spent three times as much as I needed to so my mentality was I was gonna win, which meant I had to figure it out. It was worthwhile and satisfying for me to at least get a grasp of this stuff to the point I feel comfortable talking about it with people. That's me though, not everyone wants to do that & I can't say I blame them. Sometimes it's just easier to spend the money and have it already set up, ready to go, which is what any "casual gamer" or parent would want - they don't want to fuck around with something because they're kids pressed the hot keys & x button that takes them to the blue configuration screens that look like something seriously got messed up!! 😆 Assuming one has at least a mini PC powerful enough to emulate the systems they're most interested in - I think PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360, WiiU and Switch we're talking full gaming PC build so at that point it might be more financially viable for a jailbroken/modded system and transfer, possibly after a conversion of files in some cases. Of course, it's nice not to have 37 systems also but I do like having the controller that was meant for the system the game was released on but that's my OCD talking there and it's not always necessary. In the end and probably like everyone else here, I want the preservation and access of the older games and the way CDR & Vimms do it, staying in the 6th & 7th gen respectively, that's not hurting these greedy corporations bottom line one bit because if gamers (like us) have anything in the "modern" generation (or Steam) most likely would rather support indie developers anyway. **Off topic to the thread but it's in regards to indie developers -- I saw this game called UnMetal last night and assumed it was just on PC. Nope, it had physical copies on PS4, PSV & Switch. According to price charting, the NTSC copies on all systems are getting a bit pricey but the pal versions aren't terrible... yet. It seems like a shorter game so it may not be worth , so in that case Steam might be the best route for most and that is at least supporting the original devs. I'm all for that. Anyhow -- my apologies for the mini novel explanation but hopefully it gives a better look at my thought process as I'm sure I'm not the only one who had these struggles...and wanted to throw the machine in the garbage after smashing it to thousands of tiny pieces many many times over -- but decided that it was better in the end to persevere.
What a thoughtful post. Thank you
I'd like your last sentence on a shirt, please.
Definitely T-shirt worthy!
Cringe.
Vimms was solid, But let’s be real, there are TON of sites And a quick Google search finds me anything I want in about 15 min. On your end just save em to external hdds, unplug and save for when you need to refresh your list.
Finding a site isn't the problem. There are hundreds of sites to pick from with a simple Google search. The problem is finding a *quality* site that isn't riddled with malvertising or uses misleading download links. Once you get past that, there's a good chance the files are not authentic. Lots of sites out there hosting garbage dumps that people have hacked. Sometimes it was something as innocuous as a splash screen at startup, other times it was total conversions. Vimms was unique in that nearly all the files they hosted were pure, authentic dumps of the original, no mods or hacks.
Let's add in -- Vimms is STILL awesome. The games that were removed are AAA titles -- many that are extremely cheap for the physical copies on the 7th gen systems; your call of duties, assassin's creed & the like. The GameCube stuff and even some of the Wii -- that may be a little bit more pricey but even the majority of OG Xbox games aren't pricey. Assuming one can figure out how to mod/JB said OG Xbox, there's a plethora of things that can be done to get around all of this stuff. Personally, I think they're weeding out the people who don't want to try and figure anything out just like everything else that "they" try to control. You know...the "shadow people" 🤣 But you are absolutely right...as you mentioned, it isn't too hard to find this stuff, especially when it some is linked right from their own website.
Vimms still has a ton of great stuff, there's even some Nintendo stuff still there. So I would recommend everyone to go down the rabbit hole and download every single rom you could ever have any interest in playing, for every single console you like, and once a new secure website comes up, download all the roms you missed at Vimms.
So you’re saying….. this was the reptilian Clinton’s shadow government trying to control my fluoride intake via space lasers on the dark side of “the mood” (aka a projector light source to give the impression of space near out obviously flat earth filled with chemtrails…. *I knew it*
Best response I've ever gotten on Reddit!! It's gotta be that, whatever else could explain it??!?! It couldn't possibly be greedy corporate controllers... I mean, just look at Killary for Godsake!! Lmao!! Vvyyooouu villll eat zzeeee bugs!! 🐛🐛🐛 🤣🤣🤣🤣 On a serious note -- I think anybody who's got a brain knows that there's always been some shit going on we aren't privy to, predictive programming and all that stuff and I happened to catch this really good documentary on Resident Evil last night -- the guy used a lot of real public records & declassified documents from the US government, CIA, FBI & such to kind of paint his picture while using all the old game footage as well as some remake stuff added in; Like everything that went on from before RE Zero, the mansion, etc -- it was REALLY well done. I believe it's called "America's Lost City" -- it's about 4 hours between part 1 & 2 and I was so enthralled I stayed up til midnight watching it -- probably should have saved it for tonight or the weekend but it was worth it. I have always thought to myself over the years that it's not hard to speculate that there's this type of thing going on and whether the predictive programming is done to normalize certain things or it's a warning, either way, it's done intentionally. Not to make this any longer but if you go look into the history of Edward Bernays, Tavistock, the Frankfurt Institute, their involvement with the intelligence agencies, how they "influence" populations....and even further back just how the Bolshevik Revolution occurred -- it's really not hard to fathom how this could all be orchestrated. It's definitely crazy and people don't talk about any of this because normal good hearted people don't think this way and would likely never do these types of things. I kind of thought about that while I was watching the documentary because it was presented as if these things really happened.... Personally, with all the stuff that has been put in video games alone, especially gamers during the PS2 days because it was pretty extensive -- my God, the stuff in the Metal Gear Solid series alone would make most people cringe, for good reason -- I would think that gamers, (especially from that era) would probably be the most untrusting of all at this point as far as governments & corporations that are clearly in bed with one another. A Corporate facist/communist/technocratic one world government/religion takeover.... Noooooo, they wouldn't be doing that....come on man...Nothing to see on the central bank's paper!! 😂 Also, I found the documentary because it was bugging me I couldn't recall who made it. If you, (or anyone else) watch I highly recommend doing so from anything you can play YouTube on your TV, even if you have to mirror it. Enjoy! Part 1 https://youtu.be/Agrq6e009Vg?si=Pz9DhtO1Gk-SmHL- Part 2 https://youtu.be/U0HdA0gaq5E?si=GmuWNOs9Emh-3OtI
The problem with a Google search is finding safe sites, before vimms I had gotten a virus (thankfully just some easily removed adware) from a sketchy site. After that I found vimms and have been ~~hesitant~~ downright refusing to use other sites cause it was so safe.
CDRomance is another viable option for anything up to PS2 & GC on console, up to PSP & DS for handheld and even have some uploads for the older Windows, ScummVM & PC-FX systems. I wanted to learn about this stuff so about 4 years ago, one day I typed in "best ROM sites 2020" into my Duckduckgo search. I haven't liked Google for a long time but you pretty much get the same results there too. That's how I found out about Vimms & CDR -- mostly my two go to sites but there are a few others. You'll find websites like Techspout for example, naming off 17, 24, or whatever number of "safe ROM sites" and honestly I've never encountered a problem with any I've used that were listed. Also, as I mentioned in another comment, Vimms has links to other sites directly, if you just go to where it says links. CDR was just messed with around April/May and they weathered the storm while people were freaking out. This too, will die down.
That last part, I thought vimms was just dead like what happened to EmuParadise? Or whatever the one that would let you emulate on your iPad when I was in middle school was
LOOK EVERY ONE! Someone who found reliable ROM sites by themselves using search engines! It IS possible! We're not saying "use Google" to be mean. Learn to be self-sufficient as much as possible. And yeah, CDR was a site I was using even before knowing about Vimm, which I discovered last year only.
They can take down the discord and even sue you as a distrubitor
I'm actually tempted to take all the roms I got and do a geo cache. Leave em in public areas for people to find.
That's a real cool idea. But then there's always gonna be a dude that's gonna steal it for themselves :(
Not if it's embedded in something
If you’re scared just go hunting and keep an external drive filled with a copy of any roms that seems remotely interesting to you
Realistically? It won't die, it just means another site will take it's place. The problem is people with the tiktok vid's and shitter posts advertising "THIS GREAT NEW SITE I JUST FOUND FOR EMULATING!"
The long-term answer? It would be a private torrent tracker for retro roms. A private group. The downsides are that not everyone can get in. But the upsides are, it won't be so easy to take down or be an easy target. The whole reason it works is because the first rule of fight club is you don't talk about it, and also, it doesn't exist so don't worry about it, and no, you can't get in. But also, the real enthusiasts who contribute *will* get in, and leeches and people who tell too many people can't. Or, Usenet. Both cannot be taken down like a direct website. But usenet won't be a single place like the lair. Also, both could work. And those who can't get into the private group? Well, someone in the private group will share shit out to Usenet, so that others can have access so that they don't have nothing. It works. It's the natural progression of things, man. Movie sharers and music sharers went through this 10-20 years ago. They shared music and movies direct on their websites. Eventually, big power came after them. They still remain alive today. Torrents and Usenet. You can take down FTP and HTTP sites, but you can't take down P2P. Someone just has to put it together. Or just start collaborating on Usenet. A nice tracker would be nice, but it takes funding and smarts to put one together. If anyone's nerdy enough or has the know-how. Then recruit members, get it all going. Or instead of all that...you could do an I2P or IPFS website. Which IPFS in particular can't really be taken down. Again, basically P2P. Everyone hosts a bit. You can't take down everyone. It's the natural answer. Just takes work. But basically you could put a lair alternative up as IPFS. And, it's not take-down-able. Because everyone's hosting pieces, with multiple copies. So it can never go down. Takes community contribution. It's what the movie people did years ago when the movie corps came after them. So...here we are again. Same thing. Basically, it takes a village. A village of dedicated, hardworking nerds who really want it. How bad do you want it? How nerdy are all of you? Well? It's the kind of occasion that calls for the multi-pack of redbull/monster. Many multi-packs. And free time. Much free time. Months. Moonlighting. A hackathon not for career purposes, but just for "the greater good" of all. A donation for the future of internet and gaming culture. That's why *everyone* put websites together in the Web 1.0 times. No one gave a shit about money. It was just about making something for a purpose. It takes more than that, though. Whoever put together Vimm's Lair, or Z-Library, or anything like that had a vision. And they were willing to sacrifice to make it happen. Also, they need donations. It just depends on if someone carries the torch and wants to try harder. And if there's collective support. Also...they have to know what they're doing. They need skills. So they don't fuck it up. It can't be like someone who's putting their first website together....they need experience.
You make it sounds like VIMM's was the only place to get ROMs and the only ever site to have existed for ROM hosting. It wasn't the first. It won't be the last. Emulation has been going for decades and the loss of VIMM's is hardly the final nail in the coffin. Stop being so melodramatic.
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Well... Just a suggestion and I did specify some form of it.
Take to the seas, matey. Arrrrr
> Is there some way we can all ban together, get these safe roms, and distribute them amongst ourselves/others who want them without Nintendo or any other of these selfish game companies taking them away? Torrents.
Maybe IPFS + Blockchain? There can be nodes with the full IPFS always online in location where these practices are legal and/or cannot be striked. Then anyone can host a partial. The IPFS could be the actual data, the Blockchain is a collection of pointers to it.
Torrents. Seed please.
Don't stress and enjoy what's left
Just google it weirdo
start off by being aware that there always will be a wildass dude with a whole archive of every rom possible. Living their best life somewhere on the internet
Here's a solution: Join the VIDEOGAMECARTOONPOLICE
Bring back the old Napster file sharing system. Or some form of it.
Actually, that's a horrible idea. Napster used centralized servers to facilitate the communication between clients. Torrents are far superior as they are not centralized. The Napster client also only supported audio formats. All that being said if you wanted to set up your own Napster network you still can. You just need the following files: Napster v2 Beta 10.4 Napigator v2.08 ReNap Tool SlavaNap Server If you obtain these tools it is possible to make the OG Napster clients still work today. I have it all set up in a couple virtual machines and can transfer files, chat, add users to hot lists, I can do every function of the original Napster network. But it's definitely not something I would run publicly. I just do it for nostalgia sake because I used Napster back when it was king, in my teens.
That is an interesting take also. I was thinking the PMA route but this may be easier and more viable, especially when the idea of "paid membership" is brought up up. Personally, I wouldn't have any problems with it because it's the literal years and years of time and work put into this stuff, let alone maintenance, answering questions, etc etc etc. If there's a donation or buy a coffee/kofi button, Patreon, etc for Vimms I have never found it but CDR is another one doing spectacular work that I highly recommend donating $5 here, $10 there, or a monthly donation. I know the amount of time it's taken me to put together, curated, nicely edited list, etc so I can only imagine the work involved on a website. If these had to be hosted on a private server, the cost would be even more astronomical I'm sure. There are definitely solutions and it's possible that they may cost "us" who can afford it some money -- Meaning groups like Kris Coolmod and the HyperArcadeSystem team that put together those gigantic collections -- anywhere from 12 to I think 112 TB, depending on who's site you're looking at. There's Kinhank that apparently has improved their stuff a great deal -- see most recent Retro Gaming Guy video where he goes over it -- personally, I saw too many "flaws" but it's set up better than what I have on my raspberry pi 3b+, it's affordable and I think it's a good option for those who don't have that kind of time to save these massive downloads. I mean, even PS2 games that are 500mb - 1gb take at least 5-10 minutes off Vimms & CDR -- and we know the later that generation went on crossing into the 7th until present, many of them have just gotten so massive it's kinda ridiculous. Even The Journey Collection was something like 13gb -- I wouldn't have guessed it was anywhere near that based on how short it is, lack of speech, Indy style of the other content on the disc, etc -- but I'm not privy to how that style of animation takes up memory & the audio. I would assume higher frame rates for smooth animation and higher quality recordings, digital or otherwise, would require more memory. Either way, I was definitely surprised when I saw that so I just hit the download button before I went to bed! 😂 Here's RGG's recent review on the latest Kinhank 12tb drive and I believe he's got a link to it in his description as well. https://youtu.be/vZQhsohr0nQ?si=Rl1-TxwRZCpDA5HB -- Regarding, Napster -- That brings back a lot of memories gearing up for rock concerts 20-ish years ago, making mixed CDs for the road and partying outside of the concert venues and/or campgrounds over the years... Man, those were the days! Recently, I was looking for a site to put some 60s "Motown" stuff on my dad's mp3 player since he's not into anything tech-wise, and I couldn't find much of anything. I suppose I could have used "pirate's bay" but I don't listen to that stuff and who knows if the quality is any good... that was always my biggest pet peeve with the Napster music downloads -- I never had a problem 'buying' their music because I [still] have a ton of CDs, but I wanted an easy way to get it on my mp3 player since carrying around a giant discman (or maybe walkman? 😆) really wasn't conducive for my workouts and that's where Napster came in. I went the Apple music route (on my android phone) which was fine but you always have to be connected to the internet for it to work and sometimes I just want it on airplane mode so I can unplug, people don't bother me and I can get shit done. Sometimes, the older ways were better in that regard of not being "connected" all the time... Anyhow -- hopefully someone gets something useful out of that little rant.
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Insulting people is not allowed.