Posted August 02, 2024
Gog's mantra was always... "we make the old games play on modern systems" but that is obviously no longer the case here. I get it... operating systems continue to update. But what does that mean practically? That every old game that Gog sells is set to only work on whatever the "modern" system was at the time it was released here? Is it really that shallow? "Okay everyone, buy old games here ONLY when they are first released, because years later we aren't going to continue to update them, so... GOOD LUCK." Really, is that the situation? When they started this, operating system upgrades were a "known-known" to paraphrase a former VP of the USA. But they really just no longer keep them updated?
And what's worse, one of my all time favorite games, Gothic (and Gothic 2) when first released here played "out of the box" and I know this because the first game I purchased here in 2008 was Gothic. And it just worked. That hasn't been the case for years now. The amount of time it took me last summer to get it to run was too much.. the only reason I stayed with it and got it to work was because I love the game so much.
And when I got it going, I uninstalled it and reinstalled it several times just to be sure I had the right steps. I wrote them down, made a guide here and was happy. I felt like doing another play through (it is a relatively short game, less than 50 hours) and now, on the EXACT SAME COMPUTER, with the EXACT SAME OS (Windows 10), I just went through the exact same steps and no dice. Nada. Nope. Likely a Windows Update or three in between is/are the culprit(s) I guess.
So, what gog? Is that now the official policy? Old games will work with the "modern system" ONLY AT THE TIME OF RELEASE? Because I can tell you that the Gothics aren't the only games that don't work "out of the box" here anymore. The bunny thing is, it seems to affect games after 1995 more than game prior to it, I guess because DOSBOX is still reliable while whatever they did to Windows games only works for the Windows version at the time of release. Only thing I can think of.
Come on Gog. If you're going to advertise that you sell old classics already ready to run on modern systems, then that means ALL modern systems, not just the one that was the most recent at time of release here. How many of the mid 90's to mid 2000's games that were released back when GOG first opened (2008) no longer work? Are you EVER going to make an attempt to keep your advertised promise anymore?
Here's what's going to happen. Another company (not Steam or GOG) is going to do the very thing GOG did back in 2008, and open up and say "Buy your old games here, and we guarantee they'll run on your modern machine." And then that company will be okay... until they too no longer keep with changing Windows versions. And then another and another and another... and when it's all said and done we will have bought all of these old games 10 times just to get them to run.
There has to be a better way.
And what's worse, one of my all time favorite games, Gothic (and Gothic 2) when first released here played "out of the box" and I know this because the first game I purchased here in 2008 was Gothic. And it just worked. That hasn't been the case for years now. The amount of time it took me last summer to get it to run was too much.. the only reason I stayed with it and got it to work was because I love the game so much.
And when I got it going, I uninstalled it and reinstalled it several times just to be sure I had the right steps. I wrote them down, made a guide here and was happy. I felt like doing another play through (it is a relatively short game, less than 50 hours) and now, on the EXACT SAME COMPUTER, with the EXACT SAME OS (Windows 10), I just went through the exact same steps and no dice. Nada. Nope. Likely a Windows Update or three in between is/are the culprit(s) I guess.
So, what gog? Is that now the official policy? Old games will work with the "modern system" ONLY AT THE TIME OF RELEASE? Because I can tell you that the Gothics aren't the only games that don't work "out of the box" here anymore. The bunny thing is, it seems to affect games after 1995 more than game prior to it, I guess because DOSBOX is still reliable while whatever they did to Windows games only works for the Windows version at the time of release. Only thing I can think of.
Come on Gog. If you're going to advertise that you sell old classics already ready to run on modern systems, then that means ALL modern systems, not just the one that was the most recent at time of release here. How many of the mid 90's to mid 2000's games that were released back when GOG first opened (2008) no longer work? Are you EVER going to make an attempt to keep your advertised promise anymore?
Here's what's going to happen. Another company (not Steam or GOG) is going to do the very thing GOG did back in 2008, and open up and say "Buy your old games here, and we guarantee they'll run on your modern machine." And then that company will be okay... until they too no longer keep with changing Windows versions. And then another and another and another... and when it's all said and done we will have bought all of these old games 10 times just to get them to run.
There has to be a better way.
