For example we do not allow in-depth discussions on hacking ANY PC based hardware. We allow discussions on using multis for those systems but not how to do the hacking to make the actual multi. That's the concession we made for PC hardware threads.
Another decision we made long ago was to restrict talk about CAVE products. We don't support the bootleg pcbs and deleted all info referring to that. We don't allow info on converting original pcbs either. And we won't allow sales of a CAVE multi on our site. This was decided years ago. The time of fruition has just come now.
So with that said and as mentioned before we are working on a solution that is good for Kasaki and within the standards we set for ourselves years ago regarding CAVE.
When you get your multis in the future feel free to post pics etc. here. I'm interested as well. But support and sales won't be allowed here. Sounds like Kasaki already had plans in his head so I expect we will announce the solution sooner rather than later.
The
current site rules make no mention of any of this. Perhaps it is time to update the rules and ensure these points are clearly delineated to avoid such issues going forward?
Yawn. SOS. (Same old shit)
The real question is...
What if I, Mitsurugi-W, the even-keeled and objective one...
wasn't here....
Respectfully, this isn't particularly reassuring in terms of how moderation decisions are being made.
Ignoring other talking points not related to moderation decisions, I think the big issue people have (and why this thread was opened to start with) was the complete lack of transparency in why Kasaki's thread got locked to start with. A simple, "We're temporarily locking this thread while the moderation team and Kasaki address some outstanding concerns. This has been an ongoing conversation. We'll unlock the thread and update once things are resolved." would've gone a long way.
I get that it is "your site, your rules", but if you want to foster a healthy community, transparency is needed.
Cave has a history of being litigious through their licensees. See the recent example of Akai Katana and DDP SDOJ being removed from MAME after a cease-and-decist from Exa Arcadia.
https://github.com/mamedev/mame/commit/54899379258a7266db8d5bc6cda8b48169e67503
People keep making this claim that "CAVE is litigious!", but I have yet to see any evidence of their litigiousness in the wild. Can someone please point to any legal action that CAVE has taken against anyone that isn't the Katana/SDOJ takedown?
I don't think the Katana/SDOJ example is a particularly good one. Those games have been supported in MAME (along with
every other Cave game ever) for
years, and CAVE did not give one single flippity falafel, despite releasing many of these games on XBox 360 for example. Futari still works in MAME despite the recent console releases .And to state the obvious, we know that
CAVE did not send the C&D, that was Shou/EXA.
Fort Ninety has been selling knockoff CAVE boxes for years. They're still on his site. CAVE does not seem to care.
Wheras all the other companies you named don’t appear to care much about their legacy arcade stuff.
Namco sued a vendor selling multigames out of existence a few years ago.
A very big publisher who shall remain nameless sent multiple C&Ds related to a project hosted and sold on this very site.
Mitsu himself said that Sega contacted him/DS about the Sega C2 multi.
Respectfully, this assertion doesn't stand up to scrutiny.
Also, someone proactively went after the CV1K repo maker on EBay - he used to have the repros posted there with their own listings but now he only mentions they’re available in the descriptions for the legitimate boards he’s selling.
From what I was told, these were not VeRO claims (which would suggest it was CAVE or a licensee); rather, it was people mass reporting the listings and getting them flagged by eBay's automations.