[lvass]

I see no one arguing this here at all.

Much on the contrary, I'd say piracy is a console emulators most common use. But it's still fine. All that matters is there's a possibility they're being used for good things.

If someone does something bad he's responsible for it, not the creator of the tools he used. Even if you don't like what most people use something for, just the possibility of one person doing it right is much more than enough reason for it to built. We call this individual freedom, and it's much more important than (game publisher's financial) security.

[powerapple]

most people using emulators are those who grew up owning consoles anyway.

About piracy, when I think about it, piracy is big part of my computer childhood, otherwise, I wouldn't afford to do anything with computers.

[libertine]

Honestly that's my take on it: piracy is a matter of accessibility.

As a marketer, I can even see the benefits of "free distribution of content" to people that wouldn't buy it anyway, and you're still building your brand on those people - they will, eventually down the line, buy your IP if they had good experiences with it.

I became a GTA fan thanks to it, and to modding, when started to be able to afford games I bought into the series.

If I haven't developed the emotional relationship with the game, nowadays I wouldn't care less about it.