deleted

It isn't Disney, it has always been gog that handled the packaging it with dosbox to sell it. So they're the "big company" that is to blame :P.

deleted

So far as I know, gOg do the work and Disney set the price. Maybe Disney provides a little help with providing files, etc.

With regard to the prices, pay what you think it's worth. Is Master of Orion any less great of a game since it's 20+ years old and running under DOSBOX? I would argue No. Disney apparently feel the same way, and set prices accordingly.

Note that the discount model for video games has really screwed up the notion of 'value' in games, regardless of age, wrappers / shells, etc.

I don't know about the specific example of Masters of Orion (could never get into those games), but I'd say that an older game CAN be worth less as time goes on, sensibilities change, and certain mechanics, control schemes or design choices are introduced that are then just expected to be in every game to the point where playing an older game then feels like a chore. So that would literally make a game be worth less as time went on.

Personally for me in these sort of situations, the greater moral outrage and queasiness comes from paying a company for a game at gog where that company not only didn't develop the game and just purchased the rights to it, but in cases like with EA and Westwood, actually destroyed the company that made the game I love and is profiting off the games they made.

But yeah, other than that, I don't REALLY have an issue with gog fixing up a game with dosbox and selling the convenience of playing it without too much hassle.

Drakkhen GOG version support Mac and Linux, while Steam version does not.

GOG used to provide better pre-configured DOSBox, so people could just download and run.

True. At that point it comes down to "Is this a good value for ME." Often see this on new release threads. "Yeah, doesn't look like it's a $30 game. Maybe at 50% off." Meanwhile, others are buying at the release price. I don't think the personal metric changes just because of age / DOSBOXiness. That said, there would be almost no takers if MoO was priced at the Day One price.

deleted

And if the pricing isn't working for the customer, simply wait for the inevitable sale.