In 2008, when GOG.com When it launched, it was called “Good Old Games.” With the rise of Steam, it’s clear that digital distribution is going to be the future of gaming, and a Polish company has just released its first game – a relatively obscure role-playing game called wizard-Want to be involved. The goal is to update and preserve classic games and sell it without any form of DRM. Over the years, GOG seems to have gradually strayed away from this origin and shifted its focus towards trying to compete as a publishing platform for AAA games, going head-to-head with the behemoth that is Valve. But today marks a big change.
Starting today, GOG is launching what it calls GOG Conservation Project. It’s a conscious determination to return to the company’s roots and a long-term commitment to preserving and maintaining classic games for the foreseeable future. There are currently 100 games listed, and it pledges to use the company’s “own resources to maintain game compatibility with modern and future systems.” At a time when game saving is becoming more and more important, this seems to be a very positive step in the eyes of more people.
how it started
The world of PC gaming was a very different place 16 years ago. In 2008, when it comes to digital games, the first issue everyone will mention is DRM (Digital Rights Management). These anti-piracy measures are highly ineffective and do little to prevent piracy, instead leaving legitimate customers with worse versions of the game – versions that require online checks to launch, refuse to install on multiple devices, or are just mediocre versions. Not working properly. GOG hit the peak of gamer outrage and offered a service to sell games with the promise that there would be without any of this. The version that just downloads the files to your hard drive, you can copy and share if you feel the need, but it will never fail to boot because of an abandoned server or because you bought a new computer.
Meanwhile, GOG releases games that haven’t been playable on PC in years. A classic game that dominated the 80s and early 90s, was designed to run on MS-DOS and had no idea how to run on Windows, suddenly appears again and is sold DRM-free in the form of scans of the original manuals, and updates Meaning they can be run directly from .exe without problems.
The site is famous for recovering lost games, which is a way to play them wing commander and Genesis II, king’s messenger and The Rise of the Triads. An early deal with Ubisoft to release DRM-free versions of its classic games (an ironic situation, since Ubisoft was at the forefront of nerfing DRM in new games) helped the project gain traction, and by 2014 In , it struck deals with companies such as LucasArts to make everything from Star Wars: TIE Fighter arrive The Secret of Monkey Island available.
how’s it going
Here’s the thing: There are a lot of these games – games that GOG rescued and restored in 2008 that are still for sale on the site – that no longer work. Whatever the reason, whatever the ambition, it seems to me that GOG has changed its goal of wanting to sell big-name AAA games and moved away from its original goal.
2019, according to a my city Jason Schreier Storythe company is really in trouble. In an effort to become a AAA store that competes with Steam, the company has cut jobs, and it’s ditching its so-called “Fair Price Packages,” in which GOG would reimburse customers who were charged higher fees based on their region. One former employee said at the time that he was told, “We were very close to losing money.”
As someone who used GOG regularly in the first half of the 2010s to find classic games and frequently checked the site to see what new games had been salvaged from the past, I too grew out of it. These games still feel important without DRM, but the convenience of Steam, improvements in DRM technology, and the shifting nature of all digital ownership make GOG feel less important. I used to think of it as a site that would let me play classic point-and-click adventure games, but now when I look at it I just see the same big-name games that are everywhere in other stores.
“Today’s market is different,” Marcin Paczyński, GOG’s senior business development manager, told me via email when I asked what drove the decision to refocus. “Most platforms continue to leave these classics behind. Or they’re not being given the care they deserve, so the game we set out to protect is disappearing again.”
Where to go next
The new measures on this site give me a lot of hope. If DRM was the main issue in 2008, game protection seems to be the most important topic in 2024. Servers and forgotten consoles are leaving more and more of the games we have unplayable, and people are really angry. It seems like a very smart move for GOG to step into this space and announce its intentions loudly.
The GOG Preservation Project promises long-term support for all games, starting with 100 games and growing the list. GOG says the content currently included has been tested on “the most popular PC configurations” and “works flawlessly,” but the company encourages its community (affectionately known as “The Restless”) to report issues with updates if they arise. Continue to struggle.
These 100 games come in all shapes and sizes, including diablo, Secrets: Steamworks and Magick Obscura, Dragon Age: Origins, Roller Coaster Tycoon Deluxe Edition, fall out, blade runnerand alpha agreement in the mix. Their history dates back to the 1980s, and the most recent mad max. The criteria for selection are that the game needs maintenance and GOG can commit to maintaining it on its own. The company aims to launch “hundreds of games” by the end of 2025.
“This is a recommitment to our mission,” said Paczyński, “to deliver improved and well-supported versions of classic titles that define gaming, while continuing to deliver new, DRM-free versions.”
Paczyński reiterated the importance of being DRM-free for GOG, explaining that being free of DRM is crucial for preservation. “When you buy a DRM-free game on GOG, you can download and secure its offline installer any way you want. Being DRM-free makes you immune to platform rules and policies, and immune to certain sudden shutdowns. tethered to central servers. We still strive to make as many DRM-free games available on GOG, regardless of when they were first released.
I asked how far along the plan was. What if GOG was wiped out by aliens and disappeared – what would happen to its saved games without the aliens? “We are investing significant resources and long-term planning to ensure that every game in the program receives continuous updates and attention – we know this is a promise.” He reiterated that the DRM-free nature of the game means that the installer can be installed on the website on survival. “No matter what happens to us, your game is always safe.”
“It’s going to stick,” Paczynski added. “Today, we made several bold promises, and we’re taking them very seriously. GOG’s reputation is at stake—and we’re all in!
