By Sagar V. Mankar GOG.com, well-known for being a hub for classic PC games, is taking its commitment to preserving gaming history a step further with its new “Preservation Program.” This initiative is designed to ensure that iconic PC games remain playable on modern systems, even if their original developers have stopped supporting them. This move is aimed at combating a growing issue in the gaming industry where older games become inaccessible due to advancements in technology and software compatibility.
The GOG Preservation Program currently includes 100 classic titles, such as the original Diablo with its Hellfire expansion, the first three Resident Evil games, Wing Commander III, Ultima VII, System Shock 2, Myst, Mad Max, and Dragon Age: Origins, among others. These games are now officially labeled as “Good Old Games” on GOG’s platform.
One of the core promises of this program is that these classic titles will be available DRM-free, which means there are no restrictive digital rights management limitations. In addition, GOG is providing dedicated technical support to help users play these games seamlessly on modern hardware. This approach not only ensures that the games are accessible but also that they can be enjoyed with minimal hassle, just as they were when first released.
The motivation behind GOG’s Preservation Program is clear: as time goes on, a significant number of older games are at risk of being lost forever due to software incompatibilities with newer operating systems. The issue is so pronounced that, according to the Video Game History Foundation, around 87% of video games created before 2010 are currently inaccessible. By using its resources to restore and optimize these games, GOG is stepping in to fill this preservation gap, especially when original developers are no longer able or willing to support their older titles.
While the program doesn’t add new features to the games, GOG is dedicated to making sure these classics at least run smoothly on current systems. For example, the company has made specific tweaks to games like Wing Commander III to fix issues with language versions and improve performance on Windows 10 and Windows 11. Additionally, GOG has optimized games like SimCity 2000 by adjusting the DOSBox emulator settings, ensuring they run better on modern setups. For titles initially developed for consoles, such as Resident Evil, GOG has gone the extra mile to adjust configurations so that the original gameplay experience is faithfully recreated on the PC.
GOG also mentions that it plans to expand this program, adding more titles from both its existing catalog and new classic releases in the future.
While GOG hasn’t confirmed how far this preservation effort will go, the company’s commitment to maintaining the availability of these beloved classics is a welcome endeavor that could inspire similar initiatives across the gaming industry.