I guess the question is where is the legal line between bootlegging Cave's PCB and simply developing an SH3 Based JAMMA board that could potentially be configured to run decrypted Cave code.
- Thread starter Derick2k
- Start date
But that's the point, it's irrelevant where the legal line is. Only thing that matters is the line where CAVE gets upset.
J
jassin000
Well assuming the bootleg contains Cave's code, and the SH3 based JAMMA board only has the potential to run Cave code...
That...
Thinking further, another way of going about it would be establishing a manufacturing and distribution chain via China. This would be easy to accomplish as manufacturing is already commonly done there, only real obstacle is that the profits would also get stuck there. Even if you were to establish a deal there with a local outfit to handle everything and pay you an agreed sum per sold PCB, and you would pay all involved taxes etc., I would assume sooner or later CAVE got wise and you'd end up with a frozen bank account.
That's easy enough to determine... what other suits have they filed in the past?
Some searching around turns up pretty much NOTHING. they sent a C&D to the MAME devs but that's nothing more than an angry letter that says "stop it or else..." and then when they added the games back in nothing came of it; meaning it was either a hollow threat or they no longer care.
ShootTheCore
Legendary
I think it's rather telling that Cave apparently hasn't stopped their games from showing up on those Pandora's Box and King of Air emulated bootleg boards. If those knock-offs are allowed to proliferate, then would a high-quality DS Cave Multi Clone that doesn't ship with any ROMs included really ping on their radar?
Don't get me wrong - I don't want piracy to run Cave out of business. But I imagine any revenue from their old games now come from the various ported platforms (Saturn, PlayStation 2 & 3, Xbox 360, iOS, Steam).
If they could feasibly make a reasonable amount of money from manufacturing more stock of new arcade boards, I assume they'd be doing it - I really wish they would honestly, because if I purchased a Cave arcade board, I'd want the money to go straight to them. But I read in a recent interview with the Analogue guy that he tried to talk Cave into letting him manufacture new arcade boards under license and they wouldn't go for it.
Don't get me wrong - I don't want piracy to run Cave out of business. But I imagine any revenue from their old games now come from the various ported platforms (Saturn, PlayStation 2 & 3, Xbox 360, iOS, Steam).
If they could feasibly make a reasonable amount of money from manufacturing more stock of new arcade boards, I assume they'd be doing it - I really wish they would honestly, because if I purchased a Cave arcade board, I'd want the money to go straight to them. But I read in a recent interview with the Analogue guy that he tried to talk Cave into letting him manufacture new arcade boards under license and they wouldn't go for it.
SNK-NEO-GEO
Enlightened
"I read in a recent interview with the Analogue guy that he tried to talk Cave into letting him manufacture new arcade boards under license and they wouldn't go for it."
Maybe the terms were not acceptable to Cave and there was not much money in the deal..money talks man.
Maybe the terms were not acceptable to Cave and there was not much money in the deal..money talks man.
Here's the thing. It's easy to say "well maybe CAVE doesn't care if you make a multi" but what if the maybe was in your court. Can you afford to take the chance that they won't care?
The maybe is too unsure.
The maybe is too unsure.
xodaraP
Legendary
Cave knows that trying to go after the Chinese bootleg boards is pointless. China bootlegs everything and the courts side with the Chinese side every time, that's how it works there.
Even cars get bootlegged, they made a vehicle that looked a lot like a Land Rover, but the Chinese courts looked at it and decided it looked nothing alike
A European/American collaboration on a Cave multi that not only runs their games but runs them PROPERLY is a totally different story.
Cave probably gets additional sales of product on current platforms because people play a bootleg, they want to play it properly so they buy it on Steam/Xbox/PlayStation etc
Even cars get bootlegged, they made a vehicle that looked a lot like a Land Rover, but the Chinese courts looked at it and decided it looked nothing alike
A European/American collaboration on a Cave multi that not only runs their games but runs them PROPERLY is a totally different story.
Cave probably gets additional sales of product on current platforms because people play a bootleg, they want to play it properly so they buy it on Steam/Xbox/PlayStation etc
Too bad they only have a few ports of their games on steam. They should definitely get back to releasing more of those - I'm personally buying everything on there including all the soundtracks to encourage them, though obviously it doesn't seem like enough for them to hurry up and release more
ShootTheCore
Legendary
I'm not trying to be argumentative or difficult-honest, I'm not. But I am curious what the difference is with a potential Cave Multi compared to other Multi projects on here like the Sega Lindbergh, Taito Type X series, Triforce, Naomi netboot, Atomiswave to Naomi ports, etc. After all, these platforms are the same age or newer than many of the Cave games, and the companies behind them are all still operating in the arcade business. Does Cave just have more history of going after people?
Methinks Cave is a connoisseur developer with a delicate revenue stream. Seems they use the principle of scarcity to really ratchet up the fanfare in the few products they do produce. Given that, if there was a such a device to make their IP's plentiful, I'd imagine that takes away from their scarcity marketing schemes. They'd throw everything they got to knock that down.
Sega, Taito, Capcom, probably have deeper pockets and understand the effort to knock that down isn't worth the resources they'd have to put into it. Like that line from Fight Club:
"A new car built by my company leaves somewhere traveling at 60 mph. The rear differential locks up. The car crashes and burns with everyone trapped inside. Now, should we initiate a recall? Take the number of vehicles in the field, A, multiply by the probable rate of failure, B, multiply by the average out-of-court settlement, C. A times B times C equals X. If X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one."
I think X for Cave will always be more.
Sega, Taito, Capcom, probably have deeper pockets and understand the effort to knock that down isn't worth the resources they'd have to put into it. Like that line from Fight Club:
"A new car built by my company leaves somewhere traveling at 60 mph. The rear differential locks up. The car crashes and burns with everyone trapped inside. Now, should we initiate a recall? Take the number of vehicles in the field, A, multiply by the probable rate of failure, B, multiply by the average out-of-court settlement, C. A times B times C equals X. If X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one."
I think X for Cave will always be more.
CAVE has a reputation for the veracity in which they will protect their IPs. That's the most important difference.
fixed that for ya
LOL ... Ain't that the truth. To break fingers is easier than to break codes, is what I always say.This nicely sums up the basic problem between theory and reality:
KalessinDB
Grand Master
99% of people don't know the glory that is KoV and MM and Demon Front thenfixed that for ya
