In brief: Formerly known as Good Old Games, GOG was one of the first companies dedicated to selling classic titles updated to run on modern systems. While the retro game market is now crowded with competitors, GOG representatives still have plenty to say about the challenging journey they set out on years ago.
In a recent interview with The Game Business, GOG Managing Director Maciej Gołębiewski shared some behind-the-scenes insights about the store. Being in the game preservation business is hard, Gołębiewski admits during the interview, but it turned out to be even harder than the team originally expected.
GOG opened its doors in 2008 with the specific goal of selling classic PC games to new and returning players. Today, the store offers a more diverse selection of gaming products, extending beyond just old or retro titles. More recently, GOG launched a preservation program to ensure that classic games remain playable on modern systems for the foreseeable future.
Gołębiewski noted that the program has proven far more challenging than the company anticipated. The initiative began after GOG's catalog reached 3,000 games, providing additional technical and commercial guarantees that certain titles would be maintained "as long as GOG exists." However, some of these games are deteriorating faster than expected
He highlighted several subtle factors affecting preservation efforts, such as the lack of support for modern controllers, widescreen resolutions, and window-minimization features. Today, PC gamers expect these "essential" modern conveniences to function flawlessly every time, without major bugs or technical issues.
GOG's dedicated preservation effort initially aimed to support 500 games by the end of the year, but the current target has been adjusted to roughly 300 – 350 titles. Another major challenge in selling older PC games, Gołębiewski said, is dealing with DRM and other copy-protection measures.
GOG specializes in selling DRM-free games, and the company's managing director expressed frustration with studios' tendency to be "hypersensitive" about potential piracy. While piracy concerns might matter around the initial sale period, preserving heavily protected games over time requires significant effort and resources.
Occasionally, the Polish-based store also faces conflicts with publishers over commercial strategies. GOG released the first three Resident Evil games years ago, with Senior Business Development Manager Marcin Paczynski leading the project. Capcom, Paczynski said, did not want to sell the original trilogy because it was already marketing remakes as the "superior" Resident Evil experience.
After GOG brought the original titles back to the store, the reception was "absolutely phenomenal" in both sales and reviews, proving that there remains a strong audience for well-maintained classic games updated for modern PCs.
Preservation work can be exceptionally challenging, especially when it involves tracking down the original owners of decades-old gaming IPs. Paczynski revealed that GOG once had to locate an individual living in the UK with no cell phone or online presence because they had inherited gaming rights from their family.
Despite these hurdles, GOG remains largely committed to its founding mission. The company aims to eventually add every game on its "Dreamlist," with the community helping to provide suggestions, support, and the revenues necessary to make it happen.