Digital gaming platform GOG has announced the GOG Preservation Program, pledging to update and maintain classic PC games “even after their developers stopped supporting them.”
As far as I know, GOG has already been doing this for years, actively patching many older games in its library. One hundred games are included in the program, from beloved classics such as Theme Hospital, Myst, RollerCoaster Tycoon, and SimCity 2000, as well as newer games such as Dragon Age: Origin and Fallout: New Vegas.
Only games that are no longer actively updated and supported by their developer can be included in the GOG Preservation Program — and only when they begin to fail GOG’s quality control tests. The FAQ mentions a “long backlog of games currently being evaluated,” and a goal of hundreds of games in the program by the end of 2025.
Look for the Good Old Game tag for supported titles that are guaranteed to work on most Windows PCs. It’s a clever way of bringing back the website’s original moniker. Across the site, these games feature over 500 improvements, from bug fixes to new localizations and wider resolution support.
Note that fixes are to help make games playable on modern systems, and do not include any community mods, patches, or updates.
Nostalgic and curious fans can also enjoy informative articles detailing the history and significance behind three games in the program: Diablo 1, Resident Evil Bundle, and one of my personal all-time favorite games, Heroes of Might and Magic 3.
Game preservation for the win!
GOG is currently celebrating its 16th anniversary with a big sale, and remains one of Steam’s biggest competitors (plus, DRM-free).
