A rom, or “read only memory” chip, has become one of the most popular ways for gamers to get their favorite games without having to purchase them from a video or department store. These roms can be played on PCs or on other game consoles using emulators.

An emulator allows players to play games on other software other than what the game was intended for. Since becoming the game console to be the first to reach 140 million in sales, PlayStation 2 roms are among the most popular with avid video game players. The debate among manufacturers and gamers is whether these roms are legal or not.

Nintendo and other video game companies have taken a strong stance against roms, since most of them are not copied from an authentic video game cartridge on their website. Nintendo says these roms are illegal, even if you own the game and the gaming system. PlayStation 2 roms are illegal even if you consider it a backup copy, the game maker says on its website. In fact, Nintendo says emulators and roms are the “greatest threat to date to the intellectual property rights of video game developers.” The company says these threaten the industry with provides tens of thousands of jobs around the world. Roms are considered piracy, company leaders have said, and they will not support legalizing emulators and roms.

Why are roms so popular? First, it gives gamers a chance to play the game without paying for it. Some people don’t have bad intentions when they do this. They may just want to sample the game before buying the full version. Second, roms allow computer savvy gamers an opportunity to change the game. This could changing the characters (many versions of the Mario Brothers exist because of changes made using roms) or changing the strategies of the game.

Many gamers get bored playing the same games over and over and need additional stimulation to keep the game exciting. This is particularly true of role playing games such as Final Fantasy. Changing the game only makes it more exciting for players.

Some roms are of games that are discontinued. Gamers defend this practice because they believe the copyright has expired. However, a copyright is valid for 75 years. And since video games have not been around for 75 years, the copyright is still valid.

Many websites promote roms. Google “PlayStation 2 roms” and you will find many sites that offer them. Visit www.romzone.com and you will find roms of popular games such as “Final Fantasy” and others. However, if you visit www.emulatorzone.com, you will not find any popular games. In fact, the site has a warning stating that the roms are illegal. The site does offer legal downloads and variations of popular games.

What will happen to roms? They could go the way of music downloads. Soon after the Internet became popular, many sites began offering free downloads. The music industry fought back and sued companies and individuals that had illegally downloaded music. Eventually, companies began charging for music downloads or offering free downloads as a promotion. Record stores suffered drops in sales. Video game stores remain popular but could see a decrease in sales if roms become more available. What will happen with PlayStation 2 roms and others remains to be seen.