This isn't the first time a company has done this.

My very first gig was to make some older video games available for release again. The company had lost all of the files for these games, so we ended up having to crack the copy-protected games for them, or hunting around for pirated copies. They were happy with the product and I got paid. :)

It's against their interests to mention that cracks might have any legal use what so ever or otherwise even mention their existance. I'd expect that major publishers have demanded clause in their contract with GOG that forbits GOG staff from talking about the means they use to remove copy protections. Actually I'd expect DRM providers have put such clauses in their contracts with devs/publishers as well.

I really don't see why but I may be biassed due to having used cracks pretty much my entire PC gaming career. It's simply more convenient and more safe as proven by Warlords Battlecry 3 controversy where developers bothced the removal of the DRM and the game offered in all direct download services was broken quite long time (monts/years?) until GOG managed to fix the broken game by using an unofficial patch. Other direct download services have since also incorporated the same patch to their versions of WB3.

I would argue that the guys doing the cracks should get royalties from GOG. Hmmmm, isn't that an interesting notion!

I do not feel as if this is wrong in any fashion. I support this idea wholly. If GoG need to remove the DRM and there is an existing crack for it that some pirate mad, then screw it. Take the work of the pirate and make it so that we can all safely enjoy these games. Because lets face it, I can do what GoG does, for free, but first I'd have to obtain the game, then find a crack that works. Simple enough, but you click a wrong link or download the game and find only viruses then what? I'll pay the measly fee to ensure I can enjoy the games I want with no hassle. Download the Installer, click on it. Install Game. Enjoy.

Dudes... the game works on Win7 and GOG have the rights to sell the game with no DRM... so imo all good!
Speaking of cracks.... IS THERE A WIDESCREEN CRACK????
:/

I'm pretty sure, that GOG, Steam etc. use cracks whenever the copyright holder gives them cracked versions of their games. See, cracked versions of the games are much easier to find these days than original executables without drm applied. The original studios and their assets mostly don't exist anymore after all. And as far as i'm concerned cracks belong to the copyright holder anyway,.

Crackers provide a useful service. I apply their work to games I have bought if I can't get them working with a mini-image.

In some parts of the world (like the USA) that would be illegal on my part.
1) I'm thankful I don't live there , 2) I see that kind of law as immoral

But as for payment or recognition from GoG... I can't see any argument for that.

I know im up old thread. Here is the very often happened situation. Unfortunately. Lamos positioned themselfs as smartness user\gamer.
OP is not trying to trigger someone here, i guess. He just want attention same as for someone who found Take2\R*\2K use Razor cracks in Steam (and some retail) for some time (still Mafia 1 now installed as DLC i think still be Razor exe - i dont care actually, same for my retail re-edition).
He really think that original DRM-free un-SafeDisc'ed exes (originally packed on icd or similar file on CDs) should be differ than "cracked ones" - even when they already differ unlike Take2 exes. Whole first post is about diferences and not similarities.

Unfortunately GOG staff not so better been back in '11 before GOG wrapper use laming killing Explorer as compatibility solution. And moders, but what expect from some who just almost regular users, after all. Sometimes such wrong misleading or even warez info been pinned on GOG forums, or on some devs own forums.

For now, usually this is can be seen in Steam Community guides. Trash place. And better if Steam Community stay such trash bin place, and not GOG forums. Unfortunately such old threads with wrong info like here on in many game specific still exist or even still pinned in some cases.

I found this thread searching for some term and not want to find some wrong info like this. But here i am. Found what i not searched and it is not even correct info...

There is no legal or quality issues if games bundles with cracks. And no, this games was not bundled with cracks. it is UnSafeDisc tool that extract drm-free exe hidden in some files on CD. All no-cd-exe's should be identical for DRM version used for this games.