GOG announces first ever games showcase
GOG is holding its own showcase on November 5, announcing new games and features coming to the storefront
Digital gaming storefront GOG is holding its own showcase on November 5, announcing new games and features.
This will be the first showcase in GOG‘s history and marks its 18th anniversary. We can expect to hear updates on new games being added to the store, as well as new efforts to preserve older games and ensure they are still playable on modern hardware.
A short teaser on GOG’s YouTube account makes it clear that, sticking true to its mission statement, the showcase will be sticking to older games. We can therefore expect some more classics to get DRM-free re-releases on PC.
GOG’s unique selling point compared to other storefronts is that all of the games on its service are DRM-free. While this still doesn’t mean that the consumer legally owns the game, it is seen as a much better alternative, as users can play their games offline and without any launchers.
Since customers have the offline file, it is, in practice, theirs to do what they want with it. Because of this, many publishers avoid releasing their games on GOG, at least at launch.
GOG regularly re-releases older games that have otherwise become inaccessible through legitimate means. Just recently, GOG said it would love to try to re-release the 1992 game Dune 2: Battle for Arrakis, but is struggling to get around the licensing situation, as so many different companies have their name on it.
On the GOG site, users can vote for which games they would like to get onto the storefront in the future. The most sought-after game is Black & White from Lionhead Studios, with 138,473 community votes.
Other popular requests include the first two Silent Hill games, Fable 2, and The Simpsons: Hit & Run. Many will be hoping that some titles from this wishlist are announced at the showcase tomorrow, but as with Dune 2: Battle for Arrakis, many are held back by copyright issues.
