The Decentralized Retro Content Project (DRCP)
"Video Game Preservation" "Until the end of time" "Only at RetroTorrents.net"
A side project with a limited budget (I am just someone in the Principality of Sealand, doing this for fun)
What
RetroTorrents will be a collection of games where anyone can download and upload ROM files through a torrent client.
Aren't there projects that already do this?
Yes, there are many sites that archive these games really well!
Unfortunately, all of these are centralised and could be forced to remove download links when DMCA take down requests start popping up.
What about these? They are decentralised
Yes, one uses "arweave" and the other uses "bittorrent" as their protocols to share files!
But most files are compressed in .7z (7-zip) and may not work with an emulator straight away (if the emulator does not have such feature).
Why
We had enough of corporate greed, broken promises and violent assaults to many other ROM sites and emulators, always brainwashing their audience. Their solutions have shown to be pathetic and sometimes released for a limited time.
If you would please consult the sources:
"The power of play"
You mean the power to dictate what people can never play?
"We help expand and protect the innovative and creative marketplace for the video game industry."
That's brilliant, just make it difficult to acquire video games that can't be obtained in a physical or digital release at a normal price!
"the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) declared that they would never support remote game access for research purposes under any conditions. The game industry’s absolutist position—which the ESA’s own members have declined to go on the record to support—Forces researchers to explore extra-legal methods to access the vast majority of out-of-print video games that are otherwise unavailable."
- Video Game History Foundation, Inc.
How
RetroTorrents's decentralised nature is planned to allow any volunteers to upload the same website that stores magnet links.
The idea
What if, people could download compressed versions of old games as a torrent (.chd or .rvz) and play them in a smartphone or computer, without the need to decompress any .zip or .7zip files. and to top it all of, they could contribute to share these games just by seeding with their torrent client.
They just need a torrent client with I2P support out of the box, so that they become anonymous and do not receive letters from their Internet Service Provider (ISP), a VPN could work, but they have problems with Port Forwading and may require some tinkering.
Oh hohoho... Delightfully devilish, Seymour! (I am aware compression is not a silver bullet)
When
Release Date
Currently unknown, that is why I need your help!
To-Do
Find volunteers who can help in:
- Development (Cerebrates)
- Awareness (Overlords)
- Distribution (Zerglings)
- Marketing (Infestation)
- Artists (Mutalisk)
Join our SimpleX Group!
- Link
- Privacy will be the highest priority for all our members
- Signal requires a phone number to register, but they are interesting
- Why no Telegram?
Mascots
- Gato Escobar (He/Him)
- Rata Escobar (She/Her)
Video Essays
We Need to Preserve Video Games, or Else They'll Disappear
- "Nintendo are very much against these grassroot fan archives and are almost single-handedly leaning the charge to destroy what thegamer.com described as the Library of Alexandria"
The Awful State of Retro Game Preservation
- "digital is the future" [...] "then you have the situations where the games have been digitally re-released but thanks to Services shutting down those games are not going to be available anymore"
Nintendo Treat Their Old Games Like Garbage
- "yet for some reason Nintendo decided they didn't want to put GBA games on the 3DS"
Nintendo's Nostalgia Problem
- "they can't allow you unfettered access to their original libraries, you might realize their new games just don't stand up to the older ones, that or it might just distract you from their newer games and simply can't have that."
Limited Releases Are Absurd, Scary and Bad
- "And gueeeess what. This collection is only available until March 2021"
All Hope is Not Lost
Library.gamehistory.org — Now in Early Access
At least now anyone can see many materials like historic footage, manuals, audio and artwork (the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is most likely, not happy).
"FOR THE ROMS"
-Ephraim Escobar