MegaUploads Shut Down, 99% of Retromags Collection Unavailable

[ajmetz]

I prefer PDFs too. I find it easier to navigate and read in Acrobat than I do with Simple Comic [am on OSX].

[DPsx7]

I think I joined this site just because I knew a few people from other places. Not once have I DL'ed a magazine (even though I should so I can free up some shelf space). Don't get me wrong though. You're doing a great thing here. Actually at one time I was talking with someone who wanted to take my collection for future preservation. I've no idea what's missing or just yet to be scanned. My collection contains a lot of old Nin Pow, Game Players, PSM (pretty much the whole set save for the first 7 or 8), and well anything past those is probably too recent.

Anyways I didn't know this whole fiasco made things difficult here. I truly hope those companies and organizations get what they deserve as in the complete lack of profits for their idiotic methods. I've personally not been in a theater since 99 and have seen 2 movies (one borrowed, one gift) on DVD's since then. That's it and I'm not lying. Don't assume I'm big on music either, much of my music is imported since domestic stuff sucks.

Good luck getting everything restored.

[E-Day]

What exactly are you ranting about?

[DPsx7]

I dunno, something along the lines of hating the MPAA, RIAA, and other interest groups. Wondering if people are in need of old mags I have laying around. And the fact I joined the site but never really partook in anything it specializes in. Part of that is needing separate software to read with, PDF's would work for me but it'd be crazy to redo the collection.

Oh yeah, there was the arcade too which I was going to help with back in the day.

[E-Day]

And why exactly do you hate the MPAA and RIAA? They are trying to protect intellectual property from being stolen; nothing wrong with that. And I don't know why you didn't want to use CDisplay; it's a small program that doesn't have any adverse effects on your system when installed. Plus there is a portable version of it, so it doesn't even need to be installed.

And the Arcade is back.

[nyijedi]

And why exactly do you hate the MPAA and RIAA? They are trying to protect intellectual property from being stolen; nothing wrong with that. And I don't know why you didn't want to use CDisplay; it's a small program that doesn't have any adverse effects on your system when installed. Plus there is a portable version of it, so it doesn't even need to be installed.

And the Arcade is back.

While I agree that the MPAA and RIAA have a right to protect their IP from being stolen, some of the tactics they have used in the past have been questionable to say the least. I have to agree w/ the OP that they're not exactly the most likable of organizations.

[E-Day]

Well, it's not their job to be likeable. Their job is to protect their work. And over the last decade, piracy has exploded.

[DPsx7]

And why exactly do you hate the MPAA and RIAA? They are trying to protect intellectual property from being stolen; nothing wrong with that. And I don't know why you didn't want to use CDisplay; it's a small program that doesn't have any adverse effects on your system when installed. Plus there is a portable version of it, so it doesn't even need to be installed.

And the Arcade is back.

That's what they claim but their methods suck. I even gave up on Valve after what they did to HL2 with Steam. I've told the 'Steam is awful' tale numerous times, the moral of the story being DRM, malware, and assorted other BS only hurts legit customers and I won't stand for it. Also despite my ability to game all day there's something about a 2 hour movie that makes it too long so I just stopped caring. Maybe the overadvertising did it too. You'd be surprised how much I ignore after seeing the same ad twice during a single half hour show... Lol.

I'm not sure either. I try to keep my PC clean by not installing every other random thing. It wasn't until last year that I got a new PC which came with Win 7. My previous OS was Win 2K because it still worked and there was no reason to upgrade. Games were my push until the Steam malware and DRM took over, that's when I gave up on PC gaming.

Yeah I know, spent some time in there since it came back. Took a while to return though.

Well, it's not their job to be likeable. Their job is to protect their work. And over the last decade, piracy has exploded.

No but it sure helps. Once you start pissing on your customers you drive more people away. I don't even DL movies myself, couldn't care less. As prices rise and storylines remain copied and crappy, people gotta complain somehow so piracy kinda became that message. Does that make sense? I hope it's explained well enough.

[Areala]

I'm fully with DPsx7 on this one.

The RIAA and MPAA are trying to defend what has, thanks to the breadth and depth of the Internet, become an untenable business model. Instead of working within that realm and giving tens of millions of people worldwide what they want (and incidentally making crap-tons of money for doing so), these groups have to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century because they're unwilling to swap the amount of control they have now for a lesser amount of control but greater profit yields in the future. And instead of trying to work within the constraints of current IP law, they're attempting to re-write the books and enact sweeping changes and "reforms" that would ensure they retain so much control over everything that it would stifle the ability of anybody not affiliated with them to use anything owned by the RIAA/MPAA without obtaining their explicit permission.

This is not the way copyright was intended to be handled, and every year the Internet makes this model of doing business more and more obsolete as artists discover they don't need to whore themselves out to giant media conglomerates in order to make a few nickels now and then, just as authors nowadays feel less and less beholden to publishing companies when it comes to getting their works published.

I'm against SOPA, PIPA, ACTA and all the rest of this acronym-laden horsepuckey not because I'm some copyright bandit with thousands of gigabytes of illegal movies, music and software on my computer who believes I'm entitled to have everything I want for free. I'm a writer; I've been creating my own works since I was old enough to tell stories. I freely give away dozens of short stories and poems for free online, and may very well be releasing my own ebook before the end of this year. The point is, I as the creator should be allowed to set the rules for what I want to see happen with my work. When legal corporations/entities step into the arena, they (and not the creators) get to decide those rules and then selectively enforce them by filing lawsuits against grandmothers, teenagers, and little girls who want to draw Mickey Mouse on their birthday invitations. Is it legal for them to do so? Sure. Is it ham-fisted, lame-brained and out-of-touch with reality? Can I get an amen? And now these people are saying they need MORE control than they already have so they can just stick a few more fingers in that leaking dam?

Bullshit. Evolve with the rest of the world and remain relevant or get ground under the relentless march of progress and technology and become a footnote of history. Your choice guys, but tens of millions of people the world over will dance at your funeral and I'll be joining them in the celebration.

*huggles*

Areala

[E-Day]

I'm not sure either. I try to keep my PC clean by not installing every other random thing. It wasn't until last year that I got a new PC which came with Win 7. My previous OS was Win 2K because it still worked and there was no reason to upgrade. Games were my push until the Steam malware and DRM took over, that's when I gave up on PC gaming.

There is a portable version of CDisplay. It just sites on your system with no ties to the OS.

I'm against SOPA, PIPA, ACTA and all the rest of this acronym-laden horsepuckey not because I'm some copyright bandit with thousands of gigabytes of illegal movies, music and software on my computer who believes I'm entitled to have everything I want for free.

I have thousadns of gigs of downloaded TV shows. But you know what? Being able to download those shows for free has lead me to discover TV shows from the 70s I never would have watched. And When I end up really liking a show, I go and buy it even though I have a downloaded copy. I have purchased more DVDs because I was able to download the shows for free than I otherwise would have. I would not have purchased The Jeffersons, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Married with Children, Alf, Mr. Belevedre, and dozens of others if I hadn't downloaded and watched them first and either discovered how good they were, or remembered how good they were in the case of the ones I watched growing up. This in no way justifies downloading them in the first place, but I try to do the right thing when it comes to something I end up liking.

In short, if the Internet disappeared tomorrow or became burdened with SOPA-type laws, I would have a lot more free time to pursue proper hobbies

[Areala]

I have thousadns of gigs of downloaded TV shows. But you know what? Being able to download those shows for free has lead me to discover TV shows from the 70s I never would have watched. And When I end up really liking a show, I go and buy it even though I have a downloaded copy. I have purchased more DVDs because I was able to download the shows for free than I otherwise would have. I would not have purchased The Jeffersons, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Married with Children, Alf, Mr. Belevedre, and dozens of others if I hadn't downloaded and watched them first and either discovered how good they were, or remembered how good they were in the case of the ones I watched growing up. This in no way justifies downloading them in the first place, but I try to do the right thing when it comes to something I end up liking.

In short, if the Internet disappeared tomorrow or became burdened with SOPA-type laws, I would have a lot more free time to pursue proper hobbies

Then you understand exactly what I'm saying. The RIAA and MPAA have within their means to allow access to practically everything that has been created for broadcast over the radio, played on TV, or put out in a movie theatre. Be that as it may, there are still TV shows from twenty-five ago that I'd love to be able to own and watch, but I can't ("Rainbow Brite"? "Thunderbirds 2086"? Where aaaaare youuuuu?). There are TV series broadcast around the globe where the subsequent DVD or streaming releases come years later, if at all (looking at you here, "Cold Case", six years and counting...). In the past, there were reasons for this. In 2012, it's leaving enormous voids that pirates and bootleggers are only too happy to fill.

Again, evolve or die, their choice. Consumers will ultimately figure out how to get what they want. Make it easy for them, and you win their trust, respect and (most importantly) their cash. Make it difficult/impossible for them, and they'll feel not the least remorseful in doing an end-run.

*huggles*

Areala

[KiwiArcader]

I think maybe you guys are confusing the MPAA/RIAA with availability of product a tad too much.

I think it's the individual production companies/studios that actually dictate whether a program/movie is available or not and that invariably boils down to economics. Does a 30 year old TV show have a chance of being picked up in syndication for re-runs and if so what needs to be done about restoring it? Are the economics of cleaning up damaged film stock likely to be recouped by the re-run fee's from the TV channels? In a lot of cases you'd probably have to say no to that. That's not to say the program is poor quality etc and that people wouldn't want to watch it. Movies have been getting restorative treatment more so than TV series. There's a better chance of sales in new mediums like Blu-ray for movies than TV as TV was usually shot on lesser quality recording gear.

Then there's the fact the world has gone all PC on us. Chances of seeing The Black & White Minstrel Show again? Zip, on account of white guys dressed up as blacks and singing Negro music is considered offensive nowadays. Or Lancelot Link? Again ... the idea of studios filming chimpanzee's smoking cigars etc is not good with the PETA crowd. Even Disney have shelved classics like Song of the South due to implied racism.

Not everything is a conspiracy within the MPAA membership etc

[Areala]

I think maybe you guys are confusing the MPAA/RIAA with availability of product a tad too much.

Given that it's the job of the RIAA/MPAA to both advertise and distribute the wares of the studio conglomerates under them (when, where, how and if a piece of music, TV show, or film is shown, played, sold, added to or subtracted from a service), I don't think there's much confusion on my end at all...

*huggles*

Areala

[KiwiArcader]

All I was saying was they can only do so with the goods their studio's decide to make available. That statement didn't imply they were blameless ... just that not all the blame can be laid at their feet.

Now where in the heck is a Blu-ray of Moontrap for goodness sake? Hell, I'd even settle for a DVD version.

[Areala]

Now where in the heck is a Blu-ray of Moontrap for goodness sake? Hell, I'd even settle for a DVD version.

I care not what anyone else says. Leigh Lombardi is beautiful.

*huggles*

Areala

[KiwiArcader]

God yes. And what a ra.... er ... stop that right now Kiwi. She's gorgeous alright

[adelomida]

Fear not Megaupload users it seems they are not dead yet. It seems Megaupload is in the process of permanently closing down it’s US servers and moving everything that they can to 2 new servers also located in The Netherlands and out of US control.

I would like to stress this point further. The problem seems now to be concerning filesharing services located in the US. Filesharing services outside the US is still a safe deposit for files I think.

[Shotking]

I would like to stress this point further. The problem seems now to be concerning filesharing services located in the US. Filesharing services outside the US is still a safe deposit for files I think.

Not necessarily. Many countries, especially 1st world countries like most of Europe, Australia, Canada, etc have their own laws and ways when dealing with a case of copyright infringement which is not too different from what works in the US. Their also willing to work with agent organizations like the FBI to stop cases in their own country if the US feels its hurting them in that way.

That being said im still looking to where i can get ahold of the rest of the NP magazines.

[KiwiArcader]

That being said im still looking to where i can get ahold of the rest of the NP magazines.

I can help with that if you are interested in PDF versions

[E-Day]

There is a torrent on Demonoid with all the Nintendo Power issues that I am seeding.

[Shotking]

I can help with that if you are interested in PDF versions

DO IT. NOW. >

[KiwiArcader]

DO IT. NOW. >

Already have. Issues 1 - 91 of Nintendo Power are online over at OGM.

Also the issues I have between 1 - 31 of Gamepro are now available.

[retrogamer32]

How do I register for demonoid?…I need an invitation code. Who can help me with this one?

[Zing]

There is a torrent on Demonoid with all the Nintendo Power issues that I am seeding.

Care to link to the torrent? The only ones I see are relatively old and incomplete. I assumed you had started a new one.

I already have most of the issues and I can help seed. I've been seeding the piratebay torrents (up to 1997) for a few weeks now. The 1997 torrent is stuck at 67% though, with several people at that point. I guess there are no seeds for it lately.

[Zing]

Never mind. I think I found it. It has #1-99. It isn't as good as the piratebay torrents, since it is missing the original retromags nfo files.