The Ethics of Emulation and Game Preservation
14:35 - 13/12/2022
This blog will look at emulation and its place in the video game industry – its history, strengths, controversies and its role in the pursuit of video game preservation. Video game preservation will also be examined critically. How, if at all, are we to ensure games remain accessible for future generations without having to disregard copyright law in the process?
Emulation is the process of running a piece of software (such as a game or computer program) on a piece of hardware for which the program was not intended. This is done by replicating (emulating) the behaviour of the target platform in software, replacing many of the program’s original dependencies with equivalent functions on the new hardware. Emulation is most associated with video games, with a common use-case being playing console games on a Personal Computer.