Posted 3 hours ago
I try not to get all Emotionally invested in corporations. It can be especially difficult if that company makes a product that you have strong emotional ties with. Since Videogames are, because of their interactive nature, capable of investing players a *Great* deal, it can happen quite often with them. Sadly, many Corporations are _Well_ aware of this and weaponize it often.
So, with THAT in mind- Well done GOG! As a Jaded, Crusty (Not)Good Old Gamer myself since 1976 at the age of 5 with my first PONG system, I've seen a great deal. I've regularly seen companies that created games that players sunk a lot of time & energy into. Games that gave Players a great amount of joy & not rarely, took them out of Dark Places. Many games created entire communities and made friends that simply wouldn't have existed without them. The Positive impact of the gaming medium cannot be understated.
Videogames have long since become a form of Cultural Expression that is equal to older, more established mediums, like Film & Music, the much older medium of Books and the Backbone of Humanity's long-term expression- Pictures.
However, as with many of these others, especially the newer ones & in the last 120 years of Commercial production of Art, much of this was created almost totally for money & was considered disposable. There's always a lot of junk, of course, but even the bad or just 'blah' can have relevance, even if for them, it's more about the historical/cultural documentation than any personal enjoyment. 'Custer's Last Stand' for the Atari 2600, anyone?
For the Good though, the importance of keeping our history intact is vast. Yet Videogames, almost more than any other medium (except perhaps, Animation), has been hurt by that disposable mindset. In America, a large part of this is because of what I call the 'Trix are for Kids' view. Even after 50 years, Videogames are still often seen as something only children take part in. It's silly and absurd, but true. So with the attittude of them being disposable children's entertainment and throwaway corporate profit-generators, preserving games is not high on the list of many.
Which is why I was actually happy to see GOG return to their 'Good Old Games' roots. Since 2008 this company has been an inconvenient & embarrassingirritant on the Gaming Industry, showing that many of the lies it pushes (I.E. that DRM is Mandatory, or else piracy will collapse everything) are just hyperbole if not outright false. To me, GOG was THE alternative to the huge Rental Platform, where most don't realize that's exactly what is happening. Games are being Rented, not purchased, even though words like that are used.
GOG is also a window into a better world (no, not exaggerating). A world where the best of both Digital and Physical media are combined to create a service that is more 'Customer First' than nearly anything else out there. It represents a future ALL media companies should follow, because hey, who knew? If you offer a customer a product they want, at a reasonable price and don't treat them like criminals, they will actually buy that product instead of pirating it. Shocking.
Now GOG is Leveling Up on that idea, attempting to not just treat customers decently & not as 'The Enemy', but giving some thought to our posterity, acknowledging that, long after we are all gone, these games will remain & our children have the right to experience those games that meant so much to all of us.
Kudos Guys. I hope this program goes well & inspires others.
So, with THAT in mind- Well done GOG! As a Jaded, Crusty (Not)Good Old Gamer myself since 1976 at the age of 5 with my first PONG system, I've seen a great deal. I've regularly seen companies that created games that players sunk a lot of time & energy into. Games that gave Players a great amount of joy & not rarely, took them out of Dark Places. Many games created entire communities and made friends that simply wouldn't have existed without them. The Positive impact of the gaming medium cannot be understated.
Videogames have long since become a form of Cultural Expression that is equal to older, more established mediums, like Film & Music, the much older medium of Books and the Backbone of Humanity's long-term expression- Pictures.
However, as with many of these others, especially the newer ones & in the last 120 years of Commercial production of Art, much of this was created almost totally for money & was considered disposable. There's always a lot of junk, of course, but even the bad or just 'blah' can have relevance, even if for them, it's more about the historical/cultural documentation than any personal enjoyment. 'Custer's Last Stand' for the Atari 2600, anyone?
For the Good though, the importance of keeping our history intact is vast. Yet Videogames, almost more than any other medium (except perhaps, Animation), has been hurt by that disposable mindset. In America, a large part of this is because of what I call the 'Trix are for Kids' view. Even after 50 years, Videogames are still often seen as something only children take part in. It's silly and absurd, but true. So with the attittude of them being disposable children's entertainment and throwaway corporate profit-generators, preserving games is not high on the list of many.
Which is why I was actually happy to see GOG return to their 'Good Old Games' roots. Since 2008 this company has been an inconvenient & embarrassingirritant on the Gaming Industry, showing that many of the lies it pushes (I.E. that DRM is Mandatory, or else piracy will collapse everything) are just hyperbole if not outright false. To me, GOG was THE alternative to the huge Rental Platform, where most don't realize that's exactly what is happening. Games are being Rented, not purchased, even though words like that are used.
GOG is also a window into a better world (no, not exaggerating). A world where the best of both Digital and Physical media are combined to create a service that is more 'Customer First' than nearly anything else out there. It represents a future ALL media companies should follow, because hey, who knew? If you offer a customer a product they want, at a reasonable price and don't treat them like criminals, they will actually buy that product instead of pirating it. Shocking.
Now GOG is Leveling Up on that idea, attempting to not just treat customers decently & not as 'The Enemy', but giving some thought to our posterity, acknowledging that, long after we are all gone, these games will remain & our children have the right to experience those games that meant so much to all of us.
Kudos Guys. I hope this program goes well & inspires others.
