Main issue I find with it are the fangames that are less known. Sometimes the dev just outright refuses to release it for the west. My point is that sites like Moriya Shrine brought people's attention to fangames that no one in the west would know about due to lack of translations. Can't expect people to look for fangames or other fanmade media like music through using one of Japan's alphabets. If every developer at least released their works on booth or dlsite, that'd be good on its own, but that's not case either as some of them use different methods of distribution. There are some of works from recent years that were available just once physically on a Comiket or other convention or works that were digitally sold, but got taken down for one reason or another. One side tells me it's wrong to pirate, other tells me to archive and preserve. Which one to listen?
I guess I'll follow into forces of sanity.
No offense, but "archive" and "preserve" are the big words some of those sites like to mention, which, by itself, is totally valid, but if you only want to preserve, keep the data somewhere safe and ask for better ways of distribution from content creators, but do not fool yourself into thinking that your noble quest to archive and preserve somehow gives you the right to provide the media content that creators worked to create to thousands of people who basically just want free stuff.
Granted, I agree there are some unfortunate cases where the means to obtain specific media are very limited, but at the same time, I recommend you wonder if that really somehow legitimizes uploading their works for free, often as early as day one.
In general, you inevitably wind up creating scenarios where every single person draws the line less far down the road. One will say it's fine as long as it's available in stores in Japan, the next one will be fine with download links, the next one won't buy anything not available in his own country. However, if you really think that limited means to obtain something somehow justify just taking it for free against the content creator's specific wishes, I honestly don't know what to say. You don't need to play every game, but you absolutely should respect content creators and their wishes; it's not like there are none that haven't been turned away from creating content for good because of this very problem. If in doubt, why not muster up the courage and ask them to make sure they're okay with their works being archived and preserved somewhere (and provided for download to just about everyone)?
Again, "archiving and preserving" sound like fine goals, but in the end, it boils down to a sense of entitlement for the large majority of users. They need to have that game/that CD, they deserve it or they flat out don't care.
Personally, I'm honestly not even sure if I like ZUN and Tasofro based on many of the stunts they've pulled (console-exclusive characters, game design choices, event-only releases), but you bet I still respect them enough to actually buy their works and not go for downloads because I don't like the channels through which all games have been available for more than one and a half decades, even from outside Japan.
In that vein, the response from the site itself is also interesting since they mention they want to "find alternative means to continue to provide service to the community" - wonder what that is, but if it entails anything involving downloads, they're at least outing themselves for the hypocrites they are. Though at least they are not referring to themselves as fans in that post - because they may like the stuff they share, but they sure as hell aren't fans with that blatant disrespect for the content creators. That being said, if they're referring to something else, then at least now they may have a better approach to this in mind.
General note - you just happened to be the one mentioning archiving and stuff, so I'm not necessarily referring to you when I say "you".
