Thoughts on homebrew that require you to own out of print games (CTGP-R, Devolution, etc.)

This is just an oddly specific rant, thanks for humoring me if you're here. This is something I felt years ago when Devolution was the only way to play GameCube backs via USB on Wii and I've noticed over the last few years for the latest build of CTGP-R. If you're unaware, in order to use Devolution, the homebrew required you actually put the GameCube disc in first and then it would be able to rip it to the hard drive, if you put an image on that the homebrew did not authenticate with the disc, you could not load that GameCube game. Meanwhile, CTGP-R is a massive Mario Kart Wii hack that adds over 200 new courses to the game, but the homebrew requires there to be a disc of Mario Kart Wii in the Wii in order to actually work. Now, on paper, I get what the creator of these mods is trying to do: not encourage piracy, and even actively show the likes of Nintendo what their stance on the matter is, as to not further ruffle their feathers. I get all of that.

What I don't get, is the argument that these homebrew apps are ensuring that the devs of these games get the money they deserve. That thought doesn't hold merit in this day and age when they are no longer making GameCube or Wii games. Mario Kart Wii wasn't even one of the Wii games that were rereleased on Wii U as a digital download (not that I think it would matter, as things stand, I don't think CTGP-R would have ever supported such a hypothetical official Wii U digital version), so the only way to buy these discs is to purchase them used. At which point the effect these homebrew apps are having for ensuring any businesses are getting money is the likes of GameStop and other used game stores. Even if I wanted to help GameStop, this isn't what the developer of these homebrew apps were envisioning when they say they want to make sure the devs of these games continue to get their proper compensation for the games in question.

Now, I'm not here to cry that I'm not getting piracy, as for starters, Nintendont dethroned Devolution years ago, and getting the perks of devolution without needing to verify your discs has long been available on Wii and vWii. And I actually used to own Mario Kart Wii on disc. And this is what annoys me, I don't know what happened to that disc for the life of me, I didn't sell it, but I seem to have misplaced it long ago. So I use a digital backup, perhaps you feel that isn't OK, and to some extent I can respect that opinion, but I just don't feel like it is wrong. I'm really wanting to play the latest CTGP-R mod, and it's frustrating to recognize that I may rather needlessly have to buy the game a second time in order to actually do that.
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Exactly; if possible, once a console has stopped production, all homebrew that required physical disks or purchased and installed games should be altered to no longer have that requirement.
 

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MikaDubbz
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