As much as you would like it to be, copyright is the status quo not per see the ethical choice. It's also not the only way to remunerate creation.
I don't personally care about copyright. I don't pirate video games because they are generally artistically as interesting as blockbuster movies which is to say not at all but I don't really have an issue with people denying profits to the entertainment industry.
Writing emulators is fun in and of itself by the way. I don't think most of the developers use them to play.
Imagine your friend is an indie developer, he releases his game, people pirate it, with the argument that he is merely part of the entertainment "industry" and thereby not worthy of an income.
Indie developer and large corporations like Nintendo are not fungible. Anyway, indie developers chose their plight. Most of them don't really make money so it's pretty clear they don't do it trying to strike rich. Plenty fund themselves through means which are not linked to copyright like kickstarter.
The fact that the system currently relies on copyright is not in itself a justification for it nor does it means it's a good system.
Tons of people do things that might one day make money while not actually ever making money. For me that's an indie game. But that kind of mostly unrewarded labour won't be done if getting paid one day relies on, essentially, begging. Speaking for myself I would rather spend my time on something that benefits me in that case, like a gym or a cooking class.
I don't personally care about copyright. I don't pirate video games because they are generally artistically as interesting as blockbuster movies which is to say not at all but I don't really have an issue with people denying profits to the entertainment industry.
Writing emulators is fun in and of itself by the way. I don't think most of the developers use them to play.