People do not understand that company name means nothing. The OG people who were the heart and soul of Blizzard are long gone. Blizzard is just a name now.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 27 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Absolutely but companies can retain the culture they were originally set up under if they actively work to do that.

[–] mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works 23 points 3 weeks ago

Which Blizzard hasn't done

[–] massive_bereavement@fedia.io 34 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

zug zug

[–] Ioughttamow@fedia.io 13 points 3 weeks ago

Me not that kind of orc

[–] thebigslime@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Something need doing?

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Awe, more work?

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[–] newthrowaway20@lemmy.world 147 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

Wasn't Microsoft just talking about how important game preservation was to them?

[–] justOnePersistentKbinPlease@fedia.io 133 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Its important for them to preserve any chance of profit that may be squeezed from old games.

[–] TheLowestStone@lemmy.world 45 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Ah yes, the Nintendo method of preservation.

[–] GhiLA@sh.itjust.works 12 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

I have a script endlessly deleting and downloading BOTW on repeat so Nintendo experiences thousands of lost sales every few days.

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[–] Someonelol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 56 points 3 weeks ago

There's a very crucial fact you're forgetting about corporations who say they care about anything. They're liars and only care about money.

[–] CosmoNova@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I guess that must be why I can't buy the Black & White games or Fable 2. Because Microsoft cares so much about preserving the awkward legal Loop some of their Lionhead Games are in.

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[–] NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip 91 points 3 weeks ago (12 children)

Friendly reminder: A "DRM-Free" game is only as preserved as the hard drive space you dedicate to it. If GoG goes down tomorrow then you are looking for torrents, same as everyone else.

That said: GoG has been doing this basically since year one (I want to say they lost and regained Interplay's library like five times?). On the one hand, I love that I get that "hey, buy it now or never. Here is a discount code" warning. On the other hand... this feels like I would be calling it out as manipulative FOMO bullshit were it any other company.

Although... it is a pretty safe bet that MS aren't interested in going back to GoG until the next time their online ecosystem collapses. So probably a "reasonable" bit of FOMO for those who love the SP campaigns of these games.

[–] Glide@lemmy.ca 30 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

On the other hand... this feels like I would be calling it out as manipulative FOMO bullshit were it any other company.

While I hesitate to type this as it might be perceived as viewing a corporation as a friend, the intent matters, and GOG has a different history than the majority of FOMO abusing game companies. Did they identify that this is probably an opportunity to push some sales? Sure, probably. But I am chill permitting them that right when they're visibly working to remove FOMO as a commercial strategy.

[–] NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip 9 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Say it with me kids: Corporations are NEVER your friends. At best you have mutual interests, for a time.

Just look back to everyone who was all in on Google because "Do no evil" and "They aren't Apple" and so forth. Unity when they were the underdog relative to Unreal. Reddit when they were the "counter culture" social media. And so forth.

I like GoG a lot and have since they first launched. I also remember the French Monk Incident and so forth.

[–] cmhe@lemmy.world 15 points 3 weeks ago

The underdog is often the one that is most pro-consumer, since that is in their business interest. As soon as the take the lead, the doors to enshittyfication open, because business shifts from getting new customers to not letting them leave. (Of course there are exceptions, but this is the case broadly)

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[–] Don_alForno@feddit.org 28 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (3 children)

A "DRM-Free" game is only as preserved as the hard drive space you dedicate to it.

You mean, just like any pre digital purchasing game that you own on disks? Or similar to any physical object you ever bought (hard drive space / shelf space), for that matter?

They're preserving it as much as they're able to without being a government funded museum.

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[–] WarlordSdocy@lemmy.world 13 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah normally I would feel the same way about this FOMO style of marketing but normally in that case it's the company selling it deciding to like remove it from sale to create the FOMO need. In the case it's another company basically forcing this decision on them so I don't think it's bad to let people buy it for cheaper while they still can.

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

If GoG goes down tomorrow

Or if Blizzard sues them to get the games removed.

[–] UndercoverUlrikHD@programming.dev 9 points 3 weeks ago (9 children)

The game will be removed on 13. December?

However that can't simply take away a game someone has already bought.

[–] blind3rdeye@lemm.ee 7 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

It will be removed from sale on 13 of December, but everyone who already bought it will continue to be able to download it from GOG indefinitely. Furthermore, GOG has stated their commitment to ensure the game remains compatible with newer computer and operating systems. That's what the preservation project mentioned in the post is about.

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[–] Thcdenton@lemmy.world 56 points 3 weeks ago

Always pirate blizzard

[–] Suavevillain@lemmy.world 55 points 3 weeks ago (7 children)

It is so lame that originals get delisted. I still hate that about the GTA trilogy when the remaster sucks.

[–] ipkpjersi@lemmy.ml 22 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

That's one thing I really hate and why video game preservation is so important. We need to keep games alive forever so future generations can enjoy the classics and all the masterpieces out there.

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[–] Phoenicianpirate@lemm.ee 44 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

I never got into WOW. As a 90s kid Warcraft was always the FIRST game in the series. I couldn't get the 2nd one as a kid (and only played part of it a few years ago to get it out of my system).

This hatred for old games makes me want to take a shit outside their offices.

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 23 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

I can understand hating WOW. I can even understand not getting into WC3. But how do you enjoy WC1, but lose interest at WC2???

That's like saying "A hamburger is good, but I just can't into bacon double cheeseburgers."

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (6 children)

I can even understand not getting into WC3.

I cannot. Could be nostalgia talking, but WC3 was the pinnacle of the PC RTS gaming era imo. WC3 and AOE2.

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[–] Phoenicianpirate@lemm.ee 8 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

I did not lose interest in 2. I simply couldn't get it. I think we had some demo versions but they just... didn't work. I have a functioning copy now, but I haven't played it much. It is a fantastic game.

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[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

get a job as their janitor under a false identity. shit inside their offices.

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[–] Pyrin@kbin.melroy.org 14 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I already have these in my library, it turns out. But it is nevertheless awesome for GOG to do this.

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[–] umbraroze@lemmy.world 14 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I have them on CD-ROM.

I also think I have the final patches for them on floppies that I stuffed in the boxes. Not sure if they're readable (or in fact the final patches)

[–] inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago

Thankfully it seems that PC gaming wiki still has working links to the patches.

[–] learningduck@programming.dev 9 points 3 weeks ago

Use code Makewarcraftliveforever on GoG to get a $2 discount.

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