Microsoft: Banning Emulators

The title say it all, Microsoft has finally put a stop to emulators on its Windows stores. That said, it’s hardly a surprising move on on the company’s part. despite any objections people may have. As they are, first and foremost, a video game company. What I’m trying to say is that Microsoft, like many companies, have a very cold stance on emulation despite people’s wishes otherwise. After all, these programs allow games that were meant for their systems to be played on other hardware, thus cutting into their own profit. So why should they allow other programs to run robbing the profit from other companies.

All for one, one for all in the gaming world right?

Microsoft’s newest set of rules bars has instantly had an effect. It’s removal of any programs that emulate preexisting game systems, has led to the deletion of a rather popular program – the NESbox Universal Emulator- that supported games from both the Sega and Nintendo consoles. The program supported ROMs from not only the Sega Genesis, but also the NES and Super Nintendo. However the newest set of rules disallows emulators on “any device family”. That means that the Xbox One, your PC’s, and mobile devices, are supposedly done supporting emulators.

Well as long as you are using Microsoft related Operating Systems.

Universal Emulator has been unpublished 🙁 Apps that emulate a game system are not allowed on any device family. https://t.co/tmgw7K6l2q pic.twitter.com/B3pyDZ0IDW — NESBOX (@nesboxcom) April 4, 2017

I guess the real question lies in, despite Microsoft’s Ban, how long it will take gamers to find a new way around this. As they never seem to take this type of decision laying down. Especially as many gamers refuse to let old games die, which is likely what will happen as old systems become obsolete and games disappear off the shelves. The internet keeps them alive though, waiting to be emulated once more.

Let us know in the comments on what you think of Microsoft’s decision, and how you feel about emulators in general.

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