The Dolphin Emulator team has officially abandoned its efforts to release Dolphin on Steam, according to a blog post on the Dolphin Emulator website. After delaying the release indefinitely, the team has now made the decision to give up on the idea entirely. This comes after Valve, the company that runs the Steam store, informed Dolphin that it would need permission from Nintendo in order to release the emulator on the platform. Given Nintendo’s long-standing stance on emulation, obtaining this permission was deemed impossible by the Dolphin team.
Valve’s involvement in the situation raises some eyebrows. It was revealed that Valve reached out to Nintendo and as a result, Nintendo issued a vague legal threat to Dolphin. However, it’s important to note that this threat was not a DMCA takedown, as originally reported by some sources. Despite this setback, the Dolphin team maintains that they do not believe they are in any legal danger. After consulting with legal counsel, they are confident in their inclusion of Nintendo’s Wii Common Key in the emulator, which allows for the circumvention of copyright protection on Wii games.
The Dolphin team provides several reasons to support their belief that they are not infringing upon any laws. They argue that the key itself is not copyrightable and that its inclusion is not crucial to the legal argument regarding decryption of discs. They also assert that Dolphin is not primarily designed for circumvention purposes, which would trigger 17 U.S.C. § 1201(a)(2)(A), a provision in the United States copyright law. Additionally, they contend that Dolphin should be covered under the reverse engineering exemption outlined in the same law.
While the Dolphin team refuses to back down on their stance regarding the legality of their emulator, they have chosen to abandon their plans for a Steam release. Valve’s requirement for Nintendo’s approval was an insurmountable obstacle, given Nintendo’s historical opposition to emulation. This turn of events is a disappointment for those who were looking forward to the possibility of playing Nintendo GameCube and Wii games on Steam.
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The Dolphin Emulator, despite its setbacks with Steam, remains a popular choice for gamers who wish to play Nintendo games on their computers. The emulator allows users to play games from Nintendo’s GameCube and Wii consoles, offering enhanced graphics and performance compared to the original hardware. Dolphin has a dedicated user base and continues to receive updates and improvements from the development team.
Although Dolphin’s Steam release may not be happening, there are other ways for users to experience the emulator. The Dolphin Emulator website provides detailed instructions on how to download and use Dolphin on Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. Users can also find support and troubleshooting resources on the website’s forums and community pages.
In conclusion, the Dolphin Emulator team has decided to abandon its plans to release Dolphin on Steam. Valve’s requirement for Nintendo’s approval proved to be an insurmountable obstacle, and the team has accepted that the Steam release will not happen. However, Dolphin remains a popular emulator for those who want to play Nintendo GameCube and Wii games on their computers. Despite the setbacks, Dolphin continues to receive updates and improvements, providing gamers with an alternative means of experiencing these classic Nintendo titles.
