[MMM]

QB and I have been discussing it, but I thought I would throw it out to all.

After being told that ROMs (PC versions of console games played on emulators) were legal a little investigation on the Internet tells another tale.

Just as owning a CD of music doesn't give me the right to DL mp3s of that music, owning a legal copy of a console game doesn't give me the right to DL a ROM to play on my PC.

Making backup copies of both game discs and music CDs is legal, but the ROM is not. The backup copy is intended for the system you purchased it for. That means if I buy a copy of SF:IV for the PS3 doesn't mean I can DL a copy to play on my 360, or PC.

It seems publishers do not actively pursue lawsuits, etc. as games that aren't being sold new now are not worth spending money on pursuing. However the exception to this is Nintendo, as they sell older games on Wii Virtual Console.

If I am mistaken, let me know, but it would seem the legal answer is probably obvious.