Overview
GOG, the popular digital distributor of video games on PC, has announced their Preservation Programme, designed to safeguard and modernize over 100 iconic titles. This initiative aligns with GOG’s commitment to preserving gaming history.
Details
- Titles Featured: Over 100 classic games including Heroes of Might & Magic III, Diablo + Hellfire, Fallout: New Vegas, and System Shock II will be included in the programme.
- Modernization: The preserved titles have undergone updates, optimizations, and technical support to ensure smooth performance on modern systems such as Windows 10 and 11.
- Access: Games are accessible DRM-free with additional features like downloadable content, manuals, and ongoing technical support.
Impact
The Preservation Programme is a significant step towards protecting these timeless classics for future generations. It aims to preserve games facing the risks of technological obsolescence while making them more accessible to contemporary gamers.
According to GOG’s managing director Maciej Golębiewski, the foundation of GOG lies in preserving classic games, and this program is an extension of that commitment.
Conclusion
GOG’s Preservation Programme represents a vital effort to maintain gaming history by addressing the challenges posed by technological progress.
Do you think this move from GOG will inspire other companies to do more for game preservation?
That’s fair, I hadn’t considered the scenario of a bunch of old GOG-supported games needing updates.
I mean, in my defense that’s because a lot of the older catalogue is just running under DosBox, but there’s definitely more finicky stuff in there as well.
My personal experience has been that it’s games from the post-DOS era, especially PC games from the very late 90s and early 00s, that can be really tricky.
I’ve had better luck running games from that era from my GOG library via Lutris on Linux than Windows 10/11.
The ones that run in DOS Box are comparatively easy!
Late 90s/early 00’s Windows software was very finicky. Lots of very specific solutions to play back video integrated right into games and other weird dependencies that never carried forward (for good reason). Some decent games in there, too. Discworld Noir is famously picky, and that may be the best of the trilogy.
So yeah, I’m on board with what Gog does to those. If they want to brand that effort, I’m good with that, as long as nothing with the rest of their policies for GoG changes.