Yes; the rumors are true... You can download a complete MAME set off the internet!
Here's where to go to get the .torrent file:
http://www.pleasuredome.org.uk
So why should I get the DVDs instead of downloading it?
The ROMs for MAME version 0.106 total 14.9 GB, and the CHD set is 34.1 GB, for a total of 49 GB.
Assuming you have a 1.5 megabit down/256 Kbit up DSL connection, and can max it out, it would take approximately 96 hours to download the entire set. That's four solid days of downloading.
People can, and do, max out their connections with the Pleasuredome tracker.
The reason is because Pleasuredome is a ratio site. Which means that you have to now upload that 49 GB, and that will take six times as long, or nearly a month, to upload. This, of course, is assuming that you want to not be tagged as a leecher and banned from the site.
Here's what I recommend:
Since Pleasuredome is a gold mine of all sorts of retro gaming, get a copy of the MAME ROMs on DVD. Use that to start uploading (mine are already in the proper format to allow you to upload immediately), and build a buffer for when you start to download. The MAME set is always in demand, so you can easily get upload credit when you need it.
Last updated: 14 May 2006