----- Original Message -----
From: "Glenn Saunders" <cybpunks2@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
I actually agree with this, up to a point. I'm not sure who the central
authority should be, but I'd like to know even now, which ROM images
represent authentic original games. In some sense, I consider the good2600
guy with his ROM renaming program to be the bad guy. He's legitimized the
ROM hacks by putting them on the same level as the originals. I think he's
doing a disservice to the 2600 community.
I'd like to see a utility that will go through a collection of ROM images,
restore the 8.3 filename that it was originally dumped under and then delete
the rest. And maybe have an option of keeping the best of the modern games.
But this is a problem. Who is to decide what is good?
John
> In the long term I think there may be a need for some sort of authenticity
> program for Atari 2600 games.
>
> Games should be registered through some central authority who will verify
> that they are the official image. Then some software has to notify the
> user when he hacked or beta version of a game.
>
> The emulators use checksumming to identify ROMs in order to simplify
> configuration, not so much to verify authenticity.
>
> Beyond the confusion with homebrew betas, years down the road when nobody
> is playing on the original hardware anymore, people may not be able to
> distinguish between the original Space Invaders and all the various hacks.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Archives (includes files) at http://www.biglist.com/lists/stella/archives/
Unsub & more at http://www.biglist.com/lists/stella/
