This is where GOG (Good Old Games) comes in.
But how did it all start?
Piracy, Pegasus, And Baldur’s Gate
GOGs history starts long before its official foundation.
There were floppy parties where people would come with their [Amiga] diskettes, explains Paczynski.
They would just mass copy everything that everyone had, sharing the pirated software, not buying it.
Things changed when Baldurs Gate was released in Poland by CD Projekt.
For me, one of my first original games would be Baldur’s Gate, says Paczynski.
For a lot of people in Poland, that was actually the first original game that they bought.
Its incredible success kind of jumpstarted CD Projekt as a company.
In 2008, it created GOG as a means to distribute games for PC and compete with Steam.
Paczynski and his team wanted to change this.
For GOG, a classic game is any game that is ten or more years old.
All the default controls should be as optimized as possible.
Controller support should be there right from the start.
The GOG Preservation Program has restored around 150 games, including Silent Hill 4, F.E.A.R.
Via GOG.com
But that isnt enough for Paczynski.
It’s something that the publishers are also noticing.
It really helps with our talks with the publishers and with the rights holders, adds Ziokowski.
Via GOG.com
But How Does The Restoration Start?
The restoration of an old game usually starts with the Dreamlist.
This helps the team prioritize which games to focus on.
Via GOG.com
Then there is a research phase where they have to find out who owns the rights to the game.
When thats finished, the business department reaches the company and tries to settle an agreement.
Paczynski also tells me that restoring video games is a constant race against time.
Via GOG.com
The longer GOG waits in working with specific titles, the harder it gets to bring them back.
I was not able to get it.
All the responses that I got werent very clear on the reason.
Via GOG.com
After a couple of years, Im in GDC.
Most of the files from that era are gone.
When an agreement is reached by all the parties involved, its time for the technical work to begin.
Via GOG.com
Will Video Game Preservation Ever Get Better?
GOG is doing the work that should be done by all the studios in the industry.
However, when I ask Paczynski about the future of game preservation, hes optimistic.
Via GOG.com
There seems to be a much bigger focus on game preservation nowadays.
This topic is becoming more and more mainstream.
With the right incentive from the consumer, those companies will do everything.
As a physical game collector, the future seems dire.
