Great news, everyone: GOG is going to make it easier than ever for me to not play anything that came out after the second George W. Bush administration. The company is launching a new GOG Preservation program, announced today, that promises to gather up over 100 games and keep them compatible from now until the end of time. Which could be a few years, the way things are going.
“We’re excited to launch the GOG Preservation Program,” says GOG. “It’s a new initiative in which we commit our own resources to maintaining games’ compatibility with modern and future systems. Over 100 improved classics… will receive an official stamp starting November 13th, 3 PM CET.” You can find the full list of games down below, and GOG says the list will expand as time goes by.
In other words, GOG is taking “a growing collection of hand-picked games” and running them through a barrage of tests to see if they work according to its own quality standards. “Every game in the program will receive ongoing updates and care from GOG, preserving the spirit of gaming for today’s players and generations to come.” Plus, the ones brought up to snuff get a shiny silver “Good Old Game” badge.
What “up to snuff” means for GOG, though, is a bit vague. If you’re expecting remasters-by-another-name—updates that add spiffy new resolution options or integrate fancy enhanced textures—it doesn’t sound like you’ll get them. Instead, GOG says it “aims to preserve the original game and make it playable on modern machines. This means being very careful with any modification that might alter the original experience.”
That means no integrated community fixes and all the preservation work will be GOG’s own, only impacting the game’s functionality. A game that was 4:3 and looked fuzzy in 1996 will still be 4:3 and look fuzzy, it’ll just run on your Windows 11 machine now. That’s the pledge, anyway. If you want an example of the kind of work GOG is gonna do, it points to the recent revival of Alpha Protocol and the OG Resident Evil trilogy.
Which sounds good to me, to be honest. The problem with a lot of fan-fixes is that they sometimes tinker with things that don’t need tinkering with. If GOG’s program can give me a fuss-free way to access some of my favourite classics as they were back in the day? That’s all I really want.
Here’s the full list of games in the program on day one:
Heroes of Might and Magic® 3: CompleteThe Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced EditionThe Witcher: Enhanced EditionDungeon Keeper™ 2Theme HospitalDiablo + HellfireSid Meier’s Alpha Centauri™ Planetary PackHeroes of Might and Magic® 4: CompleteIcewind Dale 2 CompleteArcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick ObscuraDungeon Keeper Gold™SWAT 4: Gold EditionEmpire Earth Gold EditionDragon Age™: Origins – Ultimate EditionSystem Shock™ 2RollerCoaster Tycoon® DeluxeVampire®: The Masquerade – Bloodlines™RollerCoaster Tycoon® 2: Triple Thrill PackSimCity™ 2000 Special Edition[PACK] Might and Magic® 6-pack Limited EditionMight and Magic 1 – Book IMight and Magic 2 – Gates to Another WorldMight and Magic 3 – Isles of TerraMight and Magic 4-5 – World of XeenMight and Magic – Swords of XeenMight and Magic 6 – The Mandate of HeavenThe Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind GOTY EditionFallout: New Vegas Ultimate EditionUltima™ 7 The Complete EditionAnno 1404: Gold EditionZeus + Poseidon (Acropolis)Caesar 3Dungeons & Dragons: DragonshardMyst Masterpiece EditionFalloutSimCity™ 3000 UnlimitedIndiana Jones® and the Fate of AtlantisPopulous™: The BeginningRiven (1997)Empire Earth 2 Gold EditionHeroes of Might and Magic®The Secret of Monkey Island™: Special EditionWing Commander™ 3 Heart of the Tiger™[Pack] Warcraft I & II BundleWarcraft: Orcs and HumansWarcraft II Battle.net EditionWing Commander ®: Privateer ™The Curse of Monkey Island™Sam & Max Hit the RoadBlade RunnerTheme ParkLeisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail!I Have No Mouth And I Must ScreamLegacy of Kain: Defiance[Pack] Jazz Jackrabbit 2 CollectionJazz Jackrabbit 2: The Secret FilesJazz Jackrabbit 2: The Christmas ChroniclesKing of Dragon PassTyrian 2000X-Com: UFO DefenseHocus PocusWorms UnitedThe Elder Scrolls II: DaggerfallDragonsphereEarthworm JimConstructor Classic 1997Sensible World of Soccer 96/97Jill of the Jungle: The Complete TrilogyDescent[Pack] Star Control I & IIStar ControlStar Control 2[Pack] Starflight™ 1+2Starflight 1Starflight 2Ultima™ 4: Quest of the AvatarFantasy GeneralBiing!: Sex, Intrigue and ScalpelsCarmageddon Max Pack[PACK] Tex Murphy: Mean Streets + Martian MemorandumTex Murphy 1 – Mean StreetsTex Murphy 2 – Martian MemorandumStargunnerBio MenaceAkalabeth: World of DoomCrusader: No Regret™Crusader: No Remorse™Jagged Alliance: Deadly GamesJazz Jackrabbit Collection[PACK] Pirates! Gold PlusPirates!Pirates! GOLDJagged AllianceFATE: Undiscovered RealmsDemoniconMiddle-earth™: Shadow of Mordor™ Game of the Year EditionThe CaveLEGO® The Hobbit™[PACK] Resident Evil BundleResident EvilResident Evil 2Resident Evil 3Alpha ProtocolBlood Omen: Legacy of KainCurse: The Eye of IsisReturn to Mysterious Island 2Knights of HonorMad Max
