Well obviously if I can get better for the same price, I'm going to (or if it's barely a difference). But when I have Contra for $10 because it's cart-only and has a rental sticker, vs. a complete boxed copy for nearly $100, I'm going for that $10 cartridge. (A car is hardly the same thing as a game. A car is something you rely on.)
I don't emulate for moral reasons. I'm a Christian and stealing is one of the 10 commandment ones. That and I still enjoy the collecting aspect of it.
And where did I call anyone crazy? I just said I'm that guy buying the sticker covered cart.
I'm just saying I'm crazy, so don't go by me.
If a car has some nasty cosmetic damage, it doesn't necessarily mean you can't rely on it. It could still run well, and be dependable. But I still wouldn't want that one, I want the one that is in good shape overall, including the stuff that shouldn't matter, like the body and the paint.
As for emulation, I don't understand who you would be stealing from if the game in question is no longer on the market, the developers no longer attempting to gain anything from their work and they're the only ones entitled to reap the rewards. I don't quite grasp the concept of victimless crimes.
Ah, the collecting aspect. So it's not purely just to play the game. I get it, sometimes price influences a purchase, but, if it's effed up I'll just pass and look for another opportunity.
Personal decision. Everyone's morals and religious views are gonna differ. But in my case, I feel if I have to question if what I'm doing is wrong or right, then I probably shouldn't be doing it, whether or not someone gets hurt by it.
And yeah, it's not JUST to play games. But at the same time, I'm only gonna get ones that I am actually going to play. You won't find any traditional sports games on my game shelf, or a lot of stealth or fighting games. Because I'm just not into those.
I can identify with a lot of folks here.
Like Burningdoom I am also a Christian. (we can leave the religious aspect of the discussion at that. Just wanted to let you know you are not alone on here
)
While I do view emulating to avoid paying for games I enjoy that are available by other means (virtual console, psn, etc) as stealing, I don't have a problem emulating stuff I already own. Or emulating stuff that is still unobtainable and ridiculously overpriced.
I play burned discs (for stuff I already own) on my CD-i because the originals are too brittle and actually come apart while playing due to their age.
I won't try to claim my emulation preferences are based on any kind of moral high ground. For me it's a case of "don't piss where you sleep."
I work in the software/tech industry. If people don't buy the products of my labor I end up being told to look for another job. It's kind of a double standard for me to expect other people to pay for utilizing the fruits of my work if I'm not willing to pay for their efforts.
Mighty Final Fight nes cart fetches over $100 on ebay. It's $5 on WiiU VC. Hardly a bank breaker to emulate legitimately. Duck Tales 2 is also over $100 for a cart. Only other option on that one is non-legit emulation or miss out entirely.
As far as being a completionist I can identify with Kashell in that I want as much of the full experience as I can get. For Disc based stuff I go complete or not at all.
For cart based stuff I want a decent looking cart with a manual that's still intact. I don't care too much about a fragile box.
At the end of the day I only get something if it's stupid cheap or I plan to play it.