Copying x-box games...

[Ron]

As Bill guarantees his x-box games to play for a whole 90 days, I want to copy the disks as

[hm_murdock]

being on DVD, the games will last as long as you take care of the disc.

don't blame Bill Gates if your xbox software gets scratched up

[mobrien_12]

"I promise to throw away both the copies and the originals after 12 months (usual            guarantee period) and purchase new ones. "

You don't have to do that.  You don't rent XBOX disks, you buy them, and you have a right to make backups.

What you are asking for is how to make legitimate backups of your own XBOX games.  Well, the only way I know of is to buy a mod chip for the XBOX that allows you to play copied disks.  Mod chips are not for the timid, and you can destroy your console if you screw up the installation.  However, thanks to the *&$%ing glorious corporate influence on our laws, these are now illegal.

The solution:  tell Bill and anyone else who disgrees with your right to make fair use backups to go to hell, and don't buy their products.

[Ron]

Thanks Jimmy. I'll get my 9 yr-old to take better care of his x-box software(?)
And is there no cdclone-type software out there?
And what's a troll?

[restin256]

A troll is someone who posts stuff just to piss people off. Other people still need to learn to ignore them, I won't mention any names.

[hm_murdock]

Ron, you'd have to have a DVD burner, as the discs are DVDs

[Xeen]

quote:Originally posted by M. O'Brien:
You don't have to do that.  You don't rent XBOX disks, you buy them, and you have a right to make backups.

There is a lot of controversy over that argument, and to be honest I don't know which side to agree with.

People say "if I buy a game/cd/dvd with my money, I have the right to do whatever I want with it including make copies for backup purposes." I agree.

However the MPAA and RIAA are saying "if you loose or break your game/cd/dvd you go to the store and buy a new one. When you break your car, your bike gets stolen, or your hard drive dies, you go out and buy a new one. You do not expect to be given one for free." As much as I hate to say it, I agree with that argument too.

HOWEVER..there is one more thing that needs to be mentioned. With games, cds, and movies you can of course easily make copies for backup. But with other physical object it's not possible to back them up. Thus, these kind of comparisons shouldnt be made. If it were possible to backup your bicycle...well that's a different story then.

[Fett101]

quote:Originally posted by xeen:
However the MPAA and RIAA are saying "if you loose or break your game/cd/dvd you go to the store and buy a new one. When you break your car, your bike gets stolen, or your hard drive dies, you go out and buy a new one. You do not expect to be given one for free." As much as I hate to say it, I agree with that argument too.

Hold on there buckaroo! When you buy hard drives and cars and bikes, you're paying for the physical materials and the time and effort spent putting them together. When you buy a CD/game/DVD, you're paying 99% for just the time to make it and market it. It's apples and oranges. If I scratch a game disk, you'd better believe I'd be on the phone 'till there's a replacement in the mail.

[ February 27, 2004: Message edited by: Fett101 ]

[Xeen]

You have a point too.

Basically when buy a game, a cd, or a dvd we are buying the contents of what's on the disc, not the disc itself. As opposed to when we buy something else we're buying the actual physical product.

However that argument can lead to two other opposing views:

1. You can argue to the RIAA that buying a CD is like buying a plane ticket. You're paying for the contents of the cd, not the actual plastic disc. Just like you're paying for the flight, and not the physical paper ticket you get. If you loose your ticket, you will get another printout of it if you call the airport for free. Same concept can be applied to a movie or a cd.

--HOWEVER--

2. The RIAA can throw that back in your face with this: If you buy a book or a magazine, you don't really care for the pieces of paper, but you care for the contents of those papers, or the information you get out of reading the book or magazine. But if you loose your book, nobodys gonna give you another free copy of it right? However there's a loophole in that too because we have the right to scan or photocopy books and magazines.

My...its very confusing.

[hm_murdock]

Not very confusing. Fair Use says you can make that backup copy.

[Ron]

OK. Can I use a Freecom CD Reader/Writer/Re-writer 32x Read, 8x Write, 4x Re-write to copy these disks ( they are the same shape, colour etc as x-box games) - excuse the ignorance but as i said before, I've just returned to pcs after ages and things are so much more complicated than in the old days....
Any help would be appreciated.
Oh, and the BUSH video (MS in the news...) - guaranteed to download in 57 minutes. Who needs broadband.....

[Fett101]

You need a DVD burner.

[Ron]

OK. Can anyone recommend any burners? And why can I copy a cd with video content (Sheryl Crow - just to test the VOB copier software,you understand) on the cd writer, but not dvd? Oh, and anyone know how to email voidmain (ex-moderator)? - he hepled me about two years ago when I was looking for info to pass onto MP (Member of Parliament) about how much better  & cheaper alternatives to MS were available And I want to thank him. I don't know if it's related, but the story at www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/35876.html
either means I got a result, or there are at least two people in UK with bright ideas....

[Fett101]

Dunno about good DVD burners. haven't shopped for one.

As for the Sheryl Crow thing, CD's and DVDs are different formats. CDs only hold 700mb, while DVDs hold a few Gigabytes. DVDs have small pits on the surface to hold data, and can therefore hold more.

[preacher]

I find it funny how easy it is to copy games made before cd burners were common. You can easily burn Quake and Quake 2, or Sim City 2000 and Sim City 3000.