Great games often find themselves cast aside by developers and abandoned for years until a technological leap makes it virtually impossible to play them without putting in some serious work.
This is not necessarily a malicious practice. The linear passage of time dictates that developers move on to new projects, budgets are reallocated from upkeep to new development, studios close, and a new OS version emerges. Suddenly, the game is dead.
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The linear passage of time is extremely predictable but very cruel, and gamers know the pain it inflicts all too well.
After firmly establishing itself as a DRM-free alternative to Steam for gaming classics, the folks at GOG.com have escalated their war on game obsolescence. This is the birth of theGOG Preservation Program.
Game Archiving Keeps Classics Working
The core message of the GOG Preservation Program is to keep classics workingon modern computers without inconveniencing the player while also providing accessible tech support to help smooth over any problems.
Looking at the GOG Preservation Program page, it becomes clear thatthe initiative takes a two-pronged approach.
Part of the effort is directed at reviving classic titles from the grave after they have become unplayable.
The other half is directed at maintaining games that are still functional but no longer supported by the original developers, making sure the game stays playable no matter what.
The GOG team involved in the preservation effort explainsthe revival processof the originalResident Eviltrilogy ina blog post.
According to the preservation log, the game received major improvements to the rendering, audio, and controls, while alsofixing legacy bugs and introducing modern features such as V-Sync and cloud saves.
A look at the GOG Preservation Program catalog shows a strong mix of oldies and modern classics, such asObsidian masterpiece(and eternal envy of Bethesda)Fallout: New Vegas.
When you open a Preservation Programgame’s page, such asSimCity 2000, a neat tab below the specs details what changes GOG has made since taking over the game.
The most common entries are stability fixes for Windows 10 and 11, and the introduction of cloud saves.
Legal Battlegrounds Could Pose A Problem
Thedeath of mediahas become a contentious issue in courts lately.
A pair of Californian gamers issuing Ubisoftfor taking the racing gameThe Crewoffline without providing a way to play locally.
Meanwhile,publishing and music conglomerates have been waging war against the Internet Archiveas the project tries to keep books, records, and games from disappearing forever.
Efforts like the GOG Preservation Programare often the last line of defense to keep classic games alive, especially as today’s computers become increasingly less compatible with the physical media these games shipped in originally.
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