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Post by dshadoff on Jun 5, 2021 14:21:42 GMT
We've discussed the existence of a certain company which knowingly produces unlicensed duplicates of rare and homebrew PC Engine software, but I've often wondered about Japanese opinions of this. I don't have to wonder anymore, there is a relatively mainstream article here... although it's in Japanese, it's quite readable if copied to Google translate a couple of paragraphs at a time. news.yahoo.co.jp/byline/shigiharamorihiro/20210605-00240847
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2021 14:56:16 GMT
One of the things I gleaned them saying is the proliferation of fake games will hurt their chances in the future to port or remake those titles or offer other opportunities to reintroduce them to fans.
I don't know if that is true. After all, PCE Works exists and somehow the TG16/PCE Mini still came out.
Ideally, old game titles would be reprinted, like vinyl, and sold in stores like Gamestop. The TG16 would probably not be popular enough for that.
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Post by goldenwheels on Jun 5, 2021 18:17:56 GMT
Interesting bits to me:
When I inquired about the contract status between "PCE Works" with a local subsidiary or agency, I asked Konami (Konami Digital Entertainment), which currently owns the copyright of the PC engine, and said that it was "currently under investigation."
"With the cooperation of Mr. Sato, the author applied for an interview by e-mail to the staff of "PCE Works". A few days later, a reply from a person named Shlomo Raskin said, "I can't be interviewed, but I may be able to answer some questions."
Shlomo Raskin? Seems legit.
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Post by Black_Tiger on Jun 7, 2021 18:44:27 GMT
I'm pretty sure that Shlomo Raskin is the Hudson Soft PC Engine game authenticator who certified Tobias' infinite supply of NOS copies of Sapphire and sent him home from Hudson Soft HQ with a digital note to use as proof of his existence.
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Post by SignOfZeta on Jun 10, 2021 19:00:04 GMT
That’s about what I’d expect from a Japanese article on the subject. A speech about the sanctity of copyright and the entire thing dismissed by the notion that only foreigners would buy pirate junk like this. Largely true, but not totally. I’m pretty sure there are hundreds of these boots in Japan.
The article mentions how Tobias is the only bootlegger on earth who’s name we actually know due to his extremely brazen activity. I do find that interesting. It also mentions how useless eBay is at pulling fakes despite them saying they don’t allow counterfeit items.
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Post by spenoza on Jun 10, 2021 19:11:09 GMT
Yeah, Japan is definitely not bootleg-free. Akihabara is replete with bootleg CDs.
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Post by dshadoff on Jun 10, 2021 19:45:31 GMT
Well, I think the take away from this is not that Japanese people think foreigners will copy, but that they were surprised that somebody would do it as brazenly (as I am, and others here too). The real take-away is that Japan has done effectively nothing to prevent this after years, and Konami is apparently "investigating" even though people here (and other forums) reported this activity years ago - I recall somebody reporting it back around 2016 or so.
The author of the article has mentioned that it is damaging to potential future sales, bu Konami appears not to care. (Nor do the other entities involved, apparently). In a Western court, this could be taken to imply that they don't mind.
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