I got this email today…
To:
WebmasterName:
DeanEmail:
[redacted]Subject:
Dungeons and DoomKnightsMessage:
Hello friend! I saw your posts about Dungeons and Doomknights and I
was wondering if you could send me a copy of the rom?I know this is a bit blunt however I can’t find a digital copy of the
game anywhere including for purchase. I am a really big fan of the
creators and would really love a chance to play the game. Thank you!
I replied:
Hello, Dean,
I’m not at liberty to share the ROM. It is a copyrighted work.
You may purchase it from Hero Mart, however: https://www.heromart.com/products/copy-of-dungeons-doomknights-retro-edition
If you’re a big fan of the creators, you should want for them to be paid for their work. This will enable them to create more games for you to enjoy. $14 is not a lot of money to pay for a game such as this.
You’re welcome,
–Chris
I think ripping ROMs and sharing ROM files for abandonware titles is an ethically very-light-grey area, and would like to see copyright law revised to make it fully legal. But please do not hurt developers, particularly small indie and homebrew developers, by asking around for ROMs for recently released commercial products.
It’s one thing if the creator/rights holder releases the game for free, it’s quite another to go about asking reviewers for an unauthorized copy. If you understood how much effort was taken to create the work you’re seeking, you would appreciate how little they are asking for a legit copy.
I love Free/open source software, but not everything is. And that’s OK.
Respect creators. By paying them.
Update
“Dean” wrote back to me, to let me know that he tried to purchase the ROM from Hero Mart, at the link I provided, and the purchase failed. He wrote to their customer support and they confirmed that the ROM is no longer for sale, and Hero Mart have since taken the item off their site.
I do think it’s unfortunate that they chose to discontinue sale of the game so quickly. I can’t understand why they would want to do that. It’s their choice, but to me it runs counter to the spirit of the homebrew community, which is trying to keep old systems alive.
Update 2: rom and cart are back on sale https://www.heromart.com/collections/dungeons-doomknights-collection