Who here remembers Vizzed?

General Off-Topic
#1

Maybe the first, and only, authentic “Meta-Retro-Emu-Site” back in the day. When I say that I mean the first site to let you play literally every single retro console all from one place using your browser. Before Nintendo Purged them like the Inquisition.

I used to spend hours playing Retro Games online using their amazing services. But I kind of stopped a little while after their “darkest hour” of cease and desist orders.

It’s not exactly a shell of it’s former self (still strong with Minecraft Servers, and Game Soundtrack Online Radios), but they aren’t the giant they were.

In a way, I think they partially inspired RetroArch with their legacy.

Anyone else have fond memories?

#2

I’m not familiar with it. RetroArch has been around since late 2010.

#3

Interesting…

According to the about page, Vizzed was around since 2002, and more specifically the “Vizzed Retro Game Room” was around since early 2009.

#4

looks like it wasn’t publicly released until early 2010, but still quite old!

Nevertheless, no, they were not an influence/inspiration for RetroArch/libretro.

#5

I talked to “Davideo7” a couple of times about a decade ago, and he’s pretty chill, and a slight bit inspiring.

I mean, he built the whole site almost all on his own. That’s amazing…

#6

Yeah a lot of old ROM sites were labors of love that only existed because the (often very small) teams who made them loved the games and the community. It’s a real shame they all got nuked alongside the basic profit-driven, cash-grab piracy sites.

Open source development was seen at the time as both a way to protect against takedowns and to distance “pure” emulation/preservation projects from the gray/black-market aspects of retrogaming/emulation.

#7

I can see how RetroArch remained active for years because of that.

You could almost make a documentary of the “pre-RetroArch” online emulation scene.

#8

Oh yeah, for sure. Lots of interesting personalities and, of course, no shortage of messy conflicts.