​

GOG has updated their list of videogames included into their Preservation Program, which aims to preserve classic games and maintain them playable on modern systems, including upcoming operating systems as well, even if the original developers of said games are no longer offering support for the titles, and to maintain those classic titles available and free of any DRM.

Today, GOG has added 26 titles to their list, with the full list of included titles being the following:

• Silent Hill 4: The Room
• F.E.A.R. Platinum
• Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption
• Tomb Raider: Anniversary, Legend, Underworld
• Alone in the Dark 1, 2, 3
• Fallout 2
• Deus Ex GOTY Edition
• Ultima™ 1+2+3, 4+5+6, 8 Gold Edition
• Wing Commander™ 1 & 2
• Jagged Alliance 2
• Privateer 2: The Darkening
• Port Royale 3
• Alien Breed + Tower Assault
• Cannon Fodder 1 & 2

​

Silent Hill 4: The Room, in particular, was one title that GOG already had available in their store. However, this recent addition of SH4 to the Preservation Program also saw the opportunity for GOG to update the game, given how the build that GOG had in their store before this update was an old one from years ago, and the original PC port of Silent Hill 4 was lacking several things from the main console versions, like some of the Room Hauntings being missing from the PC port, as well as other missing content. The hauntings have been restored to the PC port of SH4 now thanks to GOG's update, and the game has also received modern controller support alongside hotplugging and vibration.

GOG is still working on adding even more and more games to their GOG Preservation Program, and if you wish to have a particular older game make their list of preserved titles, you can vote for your favourites games in their GOG Dreamlist, which currently has Silent Hill 1, 2 & 3 and Resident Evil: Code Veronica X with high votes, amongst many other popular titles.

GOG Preservation Program
GOG Dreamlist

 

[Blythe93]

Wasn't Fallout 2 already available on GOG?

EDIT: Ah, to the list of the games that will work on future systems. Gotcha.

 

[Wolfy]

Still hoping for the impossible to be made through the program; the number of games I went ahead and upvoted on the dreamlist when I heard about their endeavors, but there will always be those hidden gems that get missed.

No, I'm not still salty about some of my favorite games not getting added to the Xbox Backwards compatibility program...

 

[Kwyjor]

Weird that they're specifically excluding Ultima 7? I would have thought the amount of work that went into Exult would have future-proofed that one substantially more than a lot of the others. But then again, not everyone likes Exult, I guess. Or maybe it's some weird licensing thing.

 

[solitonmedic]

Silent Hill 4 finally broke out of the PS2 purgatory

 

[The Catboy]

Silent Hill 4 finally broke out of the PS2 purgatory

Silent Hill 4 has been on PC for a hot minute now. The issue with the PC version is that it doesn’t always work without modifying it to work on current operating systems. GOG is looking to correct that and maintain future compatibility for current and future operating systems

 

[ShadowOne333]

Silent Hill 4 finally broke out of the PS2 purgatory

Silent Hill 2, 3 and 4 were all available for PC back in the mid 2000s, heck they even were available for Xbox too.
I still find it completely insane that Konami hasn't released those games on Steam in 2 decades with only Homecoming being on Steam, and only SH4 being available on GOG.
Silent Hill 2 and 3 are still missing from any kind of PC digital storefront. Silent Hill 1 even worse, that one never had a PC port, but at least it can be easily emulated and improved upon with emulation given how it was originally for PSX.

 

[Xzi]

At least it emulates perfectly now with Xenia Canary, but I'd be forever grateful if they could get Geometry Wars 2 out of its Xbox 360-shaped cage. Would be incredible to have online leaderboards and such for PC.

 

[MariArch]

Why the fuck would we want sh4 before 2 or 3?

 

[ShadowOne333]

Why the fuck would we want sh4 before 2 or 3?

Silent Hill 4 is the only one from the original classic quadrilogy to be available for purchase for PC.

GOG already had it on sale, they simply updated it and added it to the preservation.

Given how many votes the other games have in their Dreamlist, I'm sure GOG will seek out to add the other games eventually.

 

[asdfzxc920]

Weird that they're specifically excluding Ultima 7? I would have thought the amount of work that went into Exult would have future-proofed that one substantially more than a lot of the others. But then again, not everyone likes Exult, I guess. Or maybe it's some weird licensing thing.

U7 is already in the program.

 

[NinStar]

Ah yes, preservation until they go bankrupt or a bigger company buy them out for whatever reason and decide it is no longer relevant to their business.

I'll never see this as true preservation, no matter how much some people may cope, it simply doesn't align with the fundamental principle behind for-profit companies.

 

[Jayro]

I've only played Fear 1 and 3, and 3 was amazing got stuck at the helicopter shooting me tho. I don't know what to do there.

 

[SK91]

Ah yes, preservation until they go bankrupt or a bigger company buy them out for whatever reason and decide it is no longer relevant to their business.

I'll never see this as true preservation, no matter how much some people may cope, it simply doesn't align with the fundamental principle behind for-profit companies.

They literally give you offline installers to keep forever without a trace of DRM
if that's not being cynical I don't know what is

 

[handy333]

Screw it. I'm getting Deus Ex before it's too late. It's like about a dollar.

 

[ChiefReginod]

I'm happy to see that they added the Tomb Raider Legend/Anniversary/Underworld trilogy and have already updated the installers. All capped to 60 fps now for stability, though I don't know if it was even possible to run them at higher frame rates than that before.

And obviously when they say "forever" it just means as long as GOG is still around, but it's nice to see that they're this committed to it. Also I get the feeling that they're banking less on Microsoft maintaining compatibility with older software and more on open source DX wrappers and stuff like Wine progressing either way. It's getting to a point where even if Microsoft broke everything, there would still be a way.

 

[NinStar]

They literally give you offline installers to keep forever without a trace of DRM
if that's not being cynical I don't know what is

You are deliberately misinterpreting my comment.

 

[xtrem3x]

Oh good, No One Lives Forever and Black & White are on the wish list already with lots of votes... That's what I like to see

 

[Robert Newbie]

Ah yes, preservation until they go bankrupt or a bigger company buy them out for whatever reason and decide it is no longer relevant to their business.

I'll never see this as true preservation, no matter how much some people may cope, it simply doesn't align with the fundamental principle behind for-profit companies.

I understand that perspective. True preservation would be decompilations, linux support, never-ending updates, etc. The library of games in need of preservation is huge and always increasing. In fact, if GOG were to go away, the GOG versions themselves would need preservation by way of the community. It's a never-ending process that continuously requires people to take up the mantle.

Still, it's nice that GOG brings attention to the issue, makes older and incompatible games available, and offers sales and discounts. They may not always exist and they may be in it for the money, but they are here right now.

 

[voddy]

i cant find f.e.a.r in the shop - its probably forbidden in my country :\