Can anyone confirm that the reason we don't have the Soldier of Fortune games on GOG is the fact that it's kind of a licensed product (SoF Magazine)? Only reason I ask, is that they seem to be glaring omissions from the Activision lineup.

No one but GOG staff would be able to confirm that, but it's generally a good bet that licensing issues are the reason any particular game is not here.

Technically, everything has a license. When it expires, you usually end up with what is now freeware. As for the games that GOG does and doesn't have, it's basically up to a contract agreement, I assume, between this website and the license holder, in this case it would be Activision. It may be something that hasn't been contracted for, hasn't been requested by the people who manage communications or write up the agreements. It could be that Activision doesn't have any interest in sharing the game, because they don't think they'll see anything out of it. It could be a number of different reasons. But generally, it's impossible to say when and what companies will license what games at what times for GOG to use aside from the occasional tease.

Oh, my bad. Let me rephrase: can anyone confirm that it was indeed a licensed product?

Check my post, but yes, it was licensed. I checked it and it's actually been given to Raven Software at some point. Again, every creative electronic material is going to have a license attached to it, that's what affirms an ownership to someone. If it expires, it's free to the public.

And it's worldwide licensing, i.e. if they cannot get the worldwide rights, GOG does not sell it.

Well, shit. I was hoping they would release them at some point, but looks like my dream just got thrown out the window.

Although, the CD-ROM copy of SoF II I own is from the UK, under a re-release label. So maybe all hope is not lost forever. Honestly, the main reason I want them to get released is so I can get a proper working version of the first game. Apparently if you delete the contents of the game directory without properly uninstalling the game from your computer, it will never allow you to reinstall/uninstall it.

Never say never. Most people thought that Syndicate would never make its way onto GOG.

Licensing is just always a touchy issue when it comes to these things. Hitman:Contracts is still not on Steam (and likely never will be) just because one level in the game uses a piece of music in a club scene from some shitty metal band whose label won't sell the rights to.

That sounds incredibly stupid. This seems to be a way bigger issue with PC game re-releases than console games. Well, 8 and 16 bit console games. Music licensing is a real bitch.

Oh music stuff is especially stupid. Licensing in general has been a clusterfuck in PC gaming. Publishers just woke up to the fact that the worldwide market actually matters, before they were just pawning off the rights for any kind of cash because they literally didn't care. Some really shortsighted stuff has gone on. I'd bet the GOG guys have some serious war stories negotiating over this stuff (which they do a great job of, really, you should be thrilled with what's already here, a ton of blood and sweat went into getting it here).

I have been thrilled, and I probably own at least three quarters of the catalogue, if not close to that.

Actually, upon looking through it again, it's probably closer to half.