There's many layers to this, which I think can make discussions confusing. In the West: * Preserving art and history for as long as humanly possible is seen as a moral principle * Games are seen as a part of art and history, and therefore worth preserving on principle * Here, it is not considered unthinkable (from a social perspective) to break rules or even laws for the sake of upholding a greater moral principle. This attitude likely comes from western history. * A game that has reached its "End-of-service" and made unavailable is considered the same as something thrown away in the trash; it is unwanted by its owner * General feelings about large corporations in the west are very negative. There's no trust relationship. Many here regard large companies as untrustworthy at best and outright demons or villains at worst. * Companies are considered separate entities from creators, and their views aren't considered representative of the original creators. I think the Japanese view on this issue is similarly multi-layered, which is why both sides feel so strongly about it.
