Even if I understand your point, the only thing that I can remember about is
the protections, yes older system didn't had any protection at all (Master
System etc..), but (at least) since the Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn etc.. we had
consoles with protections (that I call themselves DRM), but those consoles
aren't mentioned here.
This is an interesting problem because we have a lot of issues. For example,
there is a lot of games only released in Japan that now cost over 10 000$
because they are only for Collections so what can we do in those case, since,
sometimes, those games are even older than ourselves and don't have any
support other than website X or website Y that allow "illegal roms".
Now this doesn't restore our freedom at all, just give us (at least me)
something to think about when I'm bored....
I think that the short answer for this is very simple :
None of the games available for consoles, either old or new are free-software
or free-software compatible, period.
BUT ! (and it is simple an idea), if those old games (I'm thinking more of
games like the ones for Master System and older consoles like the Atari 2600)
don't have any license at all (and the enterprise is "dead) then I think
someone could take charge of it, and distributing as free-software. But I can
be wrong.
