Image via Blizzard Entertainment.
Last month, GOG committed to restoring older PC games through its preservation program. As of today, that initiative will include titles delisted by their individual developers, starting with Warcraft 1 and Warcraft 2.
In a blog post, GOG explained Blizzard requested both titles be pulled from its storefront on December 13. GOG confirmed it will comply with the request, but intends to ensure both will live on through its program. Going forward, it pledged to maintain a game’s compatibility “even if it gets delisted from the store.”
GOG said players who own delisted games “can still expect a seamless experience and tech support for those titles.” It noted that support will also account for “potential changes in Windows OS” compatibility.
Press X to preserve
The GOG Preservation Program offers a commitment to the older games on the platform, guaranteeing they are compatible with modern or future PC hardware. Currently, the program only covers Windows platforms and has been used to preserve titles including the first three Resident Evil games, Alpha Protocol, and the Ultimate Edition of Dragon Age: Origins.
Last month, GOG said it wanted to address the growing concerns of game preservationists. A 2023 study revealed nearly all games released before 2010 are now inaccessible.
Organizations like the Video Game History Foundation (VGHF) have tried to find a way for libraries and archives to share remote access to digital out-of-print games, which was previously blocked by Section 1201 of the DMCA. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has actively resisted these efforts, and believes the onus for preservation and archiving falls solely to publishers.
In late October, the U.S. Copyright Office rejected the VGHF’s proposal to make an exemption for DMCA rules so libraries and archives could share their digital games. The Office backed specific comments from the ESA that critiqued the VGHF’s stance and claimed it failed to show “that reproducing works to allow for multiple simultaneous use in the computer program class is likely to be fair.”
Discussing its own preservation efforts, GOG said it was “incredibly proud of the work we’ve done bringing them back to life after decades of unavailability.”
“While the [Warcraft] delisting is unfortunate, we assure you that every user who already owns these games on GOG will continue to benefit from our commitment and have access to versions that remain compatible with modern systems, preserving their experience for years to come,” added the company.
About the Author
Contributing Editor, GameDeveloper.com
A Kansas City, MO native, Justin Carter has written for numerous sites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his writing can be found at io9 over on Gizmodo. Don’t ask him about how much gum he’s had, because the answer will be more than he’s willing to admit.
