GOG is launching GOG Preservation Project to ensure old games remain playable on modern PCs

GOG has announced the GOG Preservation Program, a collection of over 100 games that the company intends to improve and maintain to ensure they run in modern system environments.

To put this into perspective, as a game ages and PC technology changes and advances, compatibility is often lost. An older game may not have support for higher resolution monitors, game controllers, or even operating systems. Some shaders that were used decades ago might not look right, or new bugs may crop up on newer drivers. A lot of the time, fans need to step in to create fixes or patches to keep these games running on new machines. 

GOG has always done some work to make sure games on its storefront run correctly when they’re added. Usually, this just involves creating a DOSBox launcher for pre-Windows games. It works a lot of the time, but for some, the results are less than desirable. There are games like Interstate ‘76 that have bugs that can be game-breaking. In I76’s case, its physics are tied to the framerate, and it runs too fast on modern GPUs. One mission in particular has a jump that is already difficult to pull off under normal circumstances, but completely impossible on faster hardware. So, fans have had to solve the issues, and even following their instructions, it can be tricky to get it right.

Interstate ‘76 isn’t on the list (unfortunately), and that’s largely because, as I found out, GOG sometimes can only get games on their platform under the condition that they don’t edit the build. So their hands are contractually tied. However, that’s clearly not the case for the games on this list.

As of right now, as I’m writing this, I don’t have a lot of details on what’s been changed with these games. I’m curious about titles like SimCity 2000, which people have complained that the version available on GOG is the DOS version, rather than the superior Windows one. Considering the work that GOG did on the Windows versions of the Resident Evil games, I have to wonder if they put in the effort to create a new Windows build of SimCity 2000. I’ll probably know the answer shortly after this article goes up. (Update: still DOS version.)

Speaking of which, the initiative developed from GOG’s work on their work on getting Alpha Protocol and Resident Evil back on storefronts. As the company puts it, “These releases embody our work: reviving games built on outdated, bespoke tech that original creators can no longer maintain.” Essentially, they’re taking maintenance responsibilities over from the original devs. Not everyone can be Petroglyph, who still releases regular updates for 2006’s Star Wars: Empire at War.

As someone who frequently spends time trying to get old games to cooperate on my computer, I appreciate the effort and look forward to seeing the results. Maybe they could help me get Extreme Paintbrawl working.

Starting today, games will be stamped to signify that they’re being maintained by GOG. This includes titles like Heroes of Might and Magic 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. The team hopes to certify hundreds of games with their stamp of approval by the end of 2025.