• pinball_wizard
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    9 days ago

    The unique selling point of Recade is that it will allow you to legally play '70s, '80s and '90s coin-op titles either locally or online, benefitting from features such as screen filters, voice chat, cloud saves and more.

    Free software already provides all of that, provided the ROMS are obtained legally. Many ROMS can be purchased legally directly from Indie game developers. Many others are abandonware. Almost all of the rest are still (for now) available on various game platform app stores.

    The idea is to sell the base unit cheaply and then support the platform’s growth with a traditional subscription-based business model.

    Sounds awful.

      • EvilBit@lemmy.world
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        9 days ago

        If this was a Polymega that actually shipped reliably, cost less than $Texas, and had subscription OR one-time purchase arcade ROM emulation, then let’s talk.

        • otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          9 days ago

          Or, ya know, don’t charge people for abandonware? I mean, FFS, most of the current entirety of video gaming titles are available at varying degrees of affordable ^yoho, but charging a subscription no less for games so old they’re literally fucking free? Even the jackasses behind Imperfect Produce aren’t that stupid.

          • EvilBit@lemmy.world
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            9 days ago

            I’m not opposed to the idea that there should be a financial motive to maintain and preserve old games. If you made it and it’s not public domain yet (an entirely different conversation), then I think it’s fair to be allowed to monetize it and I think it may even be preferable to just letting the community try to label it abandonware with or without the creators’ blessing. Being able to make money off back catalogs increases their value and incentivizes preservation.

            While I’m not opposed to abandonware as a principle, I also believe you don’t have a right to someone else’s creation just because they aren’t maintaining it.