Since games are primarily purchased and activated digitally, the question arises whether they truly belong to you. While Steam now has a clear opinion on this, another platform is taking its own path.
Don’t games belong to you? In times when games are predominantly bought digitally, this question arises more frequently. What happens if a platform like Steam eventually shuts down its servers? What if a publisher removes its game from the platform?
Steam recently made it clear that users only acquire a license when purchasing. Essentially, a kind of permission to use the game. However, this is only valid as long as the license is not terminated. Some publishers have a clause that allows them to do so and simply discontinue the operation of a game. In the best-case scenario, a company only removes its game from the shop, but it remains in the user’s library.
To transparently highlight this, Steam now includes a notice at purchase. But not all platforms operate this way. On GOG.com, a site increasingly dedicated to older games, users can expect a different approach.
The case of Warcraft shows how GOG operates
What does GOG do? A recent example demonstrates well how the platform stands on the issue of “purchased games”. The original versions of Warcraft 1 & 2 are available for purchase there, but only until December 13, 2024. After that, they will disappear from the shop.
The reason is the release of the remastered versions of both games by publisher Blizzard. The polished games cost significantly more compared to the original versions. In the Blizzard shop, battle.net, they are priced at €39.99, while the GOG bundle with the originals costs only €13.69.
However, GOG makes it clear that anyone who purchased the games before the day they disappear from the shop can continue to play them. Until the cut-off date on December 13, there is even a small discount on the two titles.
Moreover, Warcraft 1 & 2 are part of GOG’s in-house “Preservation Programs”. This is an initiative dedicated to preserving old games. They are to be kept technically up to date and remain playable on newer systems. This also applies to titles that have long disappeared from the shop.
The community celebrates GOG for this
What do players say about this? Not surprisingly, GOG’s announcement has met with great enthusiasm among users. On Reddit, many players reacted and praised the platform for its approach:
- ‘That’s why I love GOG,’ writes user FederalBoxx.
- ‘We need more providers and companies like GOG that value the preservation and ownership of games,’ demands loneshadow066.
- ‘GOG is the only digital distributor from whom I buy games. Their games are not tied to the account,’ says Twin_Titans.
- ‘I refuse to buy anything from Blizzard after they took away my Warcraft 3 for their new version,’ writes Apokolypse09.
Because even with the remastered version of Warcraft 3, the old, original version was no longer playable and was essentially “overwritten” after the Reforged launch. However, the new version did not satisfy the fans. This even led to Blizzard reworking part 3 again in the course of the remasters of parts 1 & 2: Warcraft III: Reforged was remade again – The update that everyone wanted
