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Good Old Games adds 36 games to its Mac storefront
Good Old Games has discovered a new branch of software compatibility wizardry that apparently involves a magic bucket, which has resulted in 36 games being added to its storefront for Mac. Some of these have previously been available for Mac on other services like Steam, but we're not one to question the selection process of magic buckets. Among the newcomers is Fallout Tactics, Smugglers 5, Iron Storm, Enclave and Wizardry 8. The full list is provided here, though, if you'd prefer to see which of the new additions cater most to your interests.
Shadowrun Returns drops DRM, may appear on GOG
Harebrained Schemes has announced plans to sell all future copies of Shadowrun Returns (as well as its upcoming expansions) sans pesky digital rights management schemes. "Thanks to a new agreement we were able to negotiate with our partners at Microsoft, Harebrained Schemes is pleased to announce that we are now able to release fully DRM-free versions of Shadowrun Returns and future expansions such as Berlin," reads a message on the Shadowrun Returns Kickstarter page. Other than the removal of DRM, Harebrained Schemes assures fans that these new copies of Shadowrun Returns will receive the same level of developer support as any other version of the game. "You'll be able to download all game patches, use the Shadowrun Returns editor and experience user-generated content downloaded from third-party sites such as Nexus," the message states. Those few who ignored our glowing 4/5 star review and still haven't played Shadowrun Returns may have another chance to pick up the game when it makes its Good Old Games debut. Harebrained Schemes is currently working toward this goal, though there is as yet no word on when or if the game might hit GOG.
Good Old Games unveils three games for $5 charity offer
Scoring cheap games is a noble pursuit, charity doubly so. Now, thanks to Good Old Games, you can tick off both boxes simultaneously. GOG recently hit its five-year anniversary, and to celebrate, the classic game distribution service is offering players the chance to download three games from its collection for only $5. Throwing more cash toward GOG won't increase the number of games you earn, but it should give you a case of the warm fuzzies from helping your fellow human beings. Full details, including which charities are involved, can be found on the official GOG website. There is currently no word on when (or if) this charity promotion will end, but if you'd like to take advantage, we'd suggest doing so sooner, rather than later. There's no telling when the orphanage might run out of porridge.
Rayman, Prince of Persia games 60% off in GOG's Ubisoft catalog sale
Good Old Games is hosting a weekend-long sale on Ubisoft's digital catalog, giving up to a 60 percent discount on featured games like Rayman Origins, Beyond Good & Evil, and the Prince of Persia Sands of Time trilogy. All 54 games can be purchased together for $163.56, offering over $80 in savings over purchasing them individually at their regular prices. If, for whatever reason, you don't feel like you need all eleven Might & Magic games on offer, the bundle can be customized to include as many or as few games as desired. The sale extends through Monday, November 4.
Report: New devs at work on Dark Matter following mass dismissal
Though a new ending for the controversial Dark Matter is supposedly in the works, a Gamasutra report claims that the game's development staff has already been laid off. As reported yesterday, players were incensed by the cliffhanger ending seen in Dark Matter. Instead of a satisfactory conclusion, the game simply offers players an abrupt "To be continued ..." despite a notable lack of current plans for a sequel. Complaints about the ending poured in so rapidly that both Steam and Good Old Games opted to give customers refunds for the game. In a message posted to the Dark Matter community on Steam, CEO of publisher Iceberg Interactive Erik Schreuder blames the problematic ending on the failure of the Dark Matter Kickstarter effort. This is crucial, as Gamasutra claims that the fundraiser's collapse not only crippled the game, but also led to the dismissal of the majority of Interwave Studios' staff (including almost all of the developers who worked on Dark Matter). Gamasutra's report claims that a new developer has been handed the task of building a better ending for Dark Matter, but that this unnamed studio includes none of the original development staff. It's currently unknown when (or if) this hypothetically improved finale will appear.
Surviving a fight with pirates and an 800-pound gorilla
GOG.com isn't competing with Steam, GOG marketing lead Trevor Longino says. GOG is the No. 2 independent digital distributor, with more than 600 games and 2 million unique visitors each month. For DRM-free digital distribution, GOG is No. 1, and it recently rolled out an indie service aimed at streamlining the game submission process for developers. Steam has 50 million users and 3,000 games, and is the No. 1 digital distributor worldwide. For four indie developers on both Steam and GOG, Steam is the first place they want to see their games: "I think it'd be hard to find an indie that wasn't prioritizing Steam above all other platforms," Papers, Please developer Lucas Pope says. "Obviously, everyone wants to get onto Steam first," Defender's Quest developer Lars Doucet adds. "We looked at Steam in the first place, because we knew that many games there reached large audiences and we ourselves are big fans of the platform," Manuel Kerssemakers of Reus says. "The first distribution hub we looked into for our game was Steam, mainly because of the large userbase and the general exposure that Steam provides," Kenny Lee of Rogue Legacy says. Even if GOG isn't competing with Steam internally, the platform's popularity is a factor that GOG can't ignore.
GOG sale: 50% off Wing Commander series, 60% off RPGs
Good Old Games continues its fifth anniversary sale-abration with a new collection of limited-time promotional discounts. This week, the service spotlights the Wing Commander series and a varied lineup of PC role-playing games. GOG's September RPG Special drops the price of many lengthy adventure games, including Wizardry 8, System Shock 2, Vampire the Masquerade: Redemption, and Divinity 2: Developer's Cut. The full 18-game collection can be purchased for $72.62, which breaks down to approximately one-hundredth of a penny per hour of gameplay. Good Old Games also hosts a sale on the Wing Commander games, bringing steep discounts for the four main series entries, Wing Commander: Academy, and Wing Commander: Privateer. All six games are available in a bundle priced at $16.75. Fans of classic PC games may also want to check out Flight of the Amazon Queen, which GOG is offering up as a free download this week.
No Linux support for GOG's 'foreseeable future'
GOG will not offer support for Linux in the "foreseeable future" due to the fragmentation inherent in the operating system's open-source nature, GOG's Head of PR and Marketing Trevor Longino told GamingOnLinux last week. "For every game we release we provide a money-back guarantee: if we can't get the game working on the customer's computer with the help of our support team, we return the money," Longino explained. "The architecture of Linux with many common distros, each of them updating fairly often, makes it incredibly challenging for any digital distribution company to be able to properly test the game in question, and then provide support for the release--all of which our users are accustomed to." PR Representative Piotr Szczesniak added that GOG's previous investigation into supporting Mint, Debian and Google's Chrome OS suggested the hypothetical revenue would not account for the potential amount of work involved with rebuilding games for every major OS update. Despite noting that there's "no way that the economics of Linux support make sense for us," Szczesniak also stated that GOG is "investigating how to do this for a variety of issues beyond Linux support, so don't give up hope. Just don't expect it tomorrow, either."
GOG.com launches indie game portal that could compete with the Mac App Store
If you're an indie game developer and want to see your wares distributed on Mac, you're probably going to target either the Mac App Store or Steam. While both of these marketplaces are vibrant, GOG.com thinks it might be able to do things even better. The digital game distribution outlet -- which originally launched to focus strictly on vintage titles -- is launching a new indie developer portal for both Mac and Windows titles. Perhaps the most interesting thing about GOG's new venture is that it could very well become a direct competitor to Apple's own Mac App Store. GOG's userbase has been steadily growing for several years thanks to well-timed sales and a vast catalog of older content for both Mac and Windows, and the company is offering a couple of options with regards to revenue splits. Developers can opt for the same 70/30 (Developer/GOG) split as Apple offers on its digital store, or -- and this could be a big deal for many -- GOG will offer an advance on the royalties from future sales. That advance is then repaid to GOG through a 60/40 (Developer/GOG) split until the amount is repaid, at which point royalties default back to 70/30. This novel approach to royalties can help fledgling developers score some much needed cash once a project has been finished, and may well lure some game makers away from other distribution options. On top of this, GOG promotes all of the games it sells via well-trafficked social media channels as well as the site's front page. These perks may or may not fully equal the foot traffic advantage that the Mac App Store will likely always hold, but it's definitely worth the consideration of budding game creators. [via Develop]
New on GOG: Neverwinter Nights 2, Strike Suit Zero, Mac games galore
This week on GOG sees the launch of a few good, new games (GNGs) and of course some decent, old games (DOGs) on Mac and PC. Indie darling Strike Suit Zero hits PC today for the sale price of $16, while classics Neverwinter Nights 2: Complete and Conquest: Frontier Wars invade PC for $15 and $6, respectively. That Neverwinter Nights 2 price is 25 percent off.The Mac launch lineup comprises Legend of Grimrock, The Blackwell Bundle, Alpha Centuri, Fallout 2, Sid Meier's Colonization, Postal 2 Complete, Ultima 7: The Complete Edition, Freespace + Expansion, Terminal Velocity and Conquest of the New World.
Good Old Games rolls out Mac support, 50 games now in catalog
As we first reported on October 18, the fine folks at Good Old Games, which offers legacy PC games at bargain prices, will be supporting our favorite platform: the company's announced that 50 titles will now be available for the Mac, with prices starting at $2.99. There's an Essentials bundle which delivers five classics (SimCity 2000, Postal) at a 50% discount to celebrate the launch; that's good through Thursday afternoon. Joystiq caught hints of this announcement with the release of The Witcher 2 on Steam last week, so they're pleased that the expected Mac support has come to pass. You can browse the full GOG catalog for Mac and see if there are any games that catch your fancy.
Good Old Games now supports Mac, kicks off with approximately 50 games
Everyone's favorite DRM-free digital games distributor, Good Old Games, is now offering support for just over 50 games on Mac OS-based machines. That means that classics like Syndicate and the Wing Commander series are now offered through the service, not to mention new classics like Botanicula and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. To kick off the launch, GOG's offering a variety of discounts (including 50 percent off of SimCity 2000 -- a no brainer if you ask us), as well as an Apple-flavored commercial that we've dropped below the break. If you haven't already headed over to GOG and started madly purchasing things, we'd suggest watching the tongue-in-cheek trailer, for the chuckles alone.
GOG launches Mac support, 50 games available now
Good Old Games is expanding to include not only Mac games, but PC games for Mac. Right now GOG has 50 games available for Mac, 28 of which are only on GOG. Games include: Syndicate, the Ultima and Wing Commander franchises, The Witcher 2 (all out for the first time on Mac today), Machinarium, FTL, Syndicate, Sim City 2000, Dungeon Keeper, Tiny and Big: Grandpa's Leftovers and Crusader: No Remorse. Find the complete list of Mac games on GOG here.GOG is hosting a Mac sale today, which includes The Witcher Enhanced Edition, Crusader: No Remorse, Theme Hospital, Little Big Adventure, Postal Classic and Uncut, and Simcity 2000 for half off.All GOG games are hybrid, meaning both Mac and PC versions come for one price: Buy it for PC, own it for Mac and vice versa. GOG hosts a native OS X downloader app as well. There are eight free games available for Mac users to test out the system, including Beneath a Steel Sky, Tyrian 2000, Ultima 4 and Warsaw.Thanks for not making liars out of us, GOG.
Select Ubisoft games 60% off on GOG right now
Whether you're simply behind on your gaming or have emerged from a block of ice after that hiking expedition in Antarctica went awry ten years ago, you may like to catch up on some of Ubisoft's PC wares. Good Old Games is making it much easier – at least on your wallet – to play catch-up by slashing the price on 36 Ubisoft games.There are many highlights in this Ubisoft sale, including several games for $3.99 a pop: Far Cry, Far Cry 2: Fortune's Edition, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Warrior Within, The Two Thrones, and Beyond Good & Evil included. Rayman and its two sequels are also on sale for $2.39 each.If you're not into the whole piecemeal thing, you can snag all 36 discounted games for $134.04, a total savings of $201.60.
Dreamfall: The Longest Journey, Far Cry 2, American Nightmare hit GOG
"Old" may no longer be a requirement for admission to the Good Old Games vault, but we're glad to see that "good" still makes the cut. The Longest Journey's sequel, Dreamfall, open world shooter Far Cry 2, and Remedy's Alan Wake's American Nightmare have arrived on the service, and are now available at $15 or less.Other recent updates include a few other, properly old games like Torin's Passage, the Quest for Glory series, and Silver.
Good Old Games taking half off Interplay titles this weekend
Good Old Games is hosting an Interplay 50 percent off sale this weekend, cutting the prices of 32 games right in half. Or, as we like to call it, this is GOG's "buy 16 games, get 16 games free" sale.The sale includes Fallout 2, Earthworm Jim 1 and 2, MDK, Freespace and Invictus: In the Shadow of Olympus, for $3 each. Every title is $3, actually, making the entire bundle $96 -- a savings of $96. Yes, that's what we meant with "buy 16, get 16 free." This could also be the "buy one, get two half off" sale, or the "buy 8, get 16 half off" sale. Take your pick; any way they're all good old games for a great new price.The sale runs from now until Monday at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
Have a good, Zork-filled weekend with Activision Treasures sale on GOG
It seems like a good old weekend to play some good old games, and luckily there's a website dedicated to supporting exactly that. This weekend, GOG has a mad rush of Zork titles and other "Activision Treasures" on sale, including Zork: Grand Inquisitor, Zork Nemesis: The Forbidden Lands, Return to Zork and The Zork Anthology, which has Zork 1-3, Beyond Zork, Zork Zero and Planetfall.All Zorky titles are half off, for $3 each this weekend, along with Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, Caesar 3 and Vampire the Masquerade: Redemption, the last of which we hear was recently rebooted as an open-world western. Or, wait. That may have been something else entirely.
TopWare games takes 50 percent, a load off on GoG
It's a lazy Sunday afternoon, so stay in your pajamas, grab a mug of coffee and curl up in front of your computer with the final run of Good Old Games' weekend deal on TopWare titles. The TopWare Mix is half off until tomorrow at 11:59 p.m. EDT and includes Two Worlds, Jagged Alliance 2: Wildfire, Jack Orlando: A Cinematic Adventure, the Earth series and more. Check out the full lineup right here, but hey, take your time. It is the day of rest, after all.
The Daily Grind: Are you giving the gift of games this year?
If you've got a gamer on your Christmas list, congratulations. With the proliferation of digital download titles and services like Steam and Good Old Games, it's never been easier to put a smile on the face of your favorite geek. Digital gifting does have a dark side, though, or at least a hmm-that's-kind-of-impersonal side. While most of us would never turn down a virtual copy of Skyrim or a few funny bucks to spend in an MMO cash shop, it is nice to get (and give) an actual present that someone's taken the time to wrap and deliver. What about you, Massively crew? Are you giving the gift of digital gaming this year? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Report: Good Old Games to offer Good New(ish) Games
During the CD Projekt Red Investor's Day conference in Poland today, GOG managing director Guillaume Rambourg announced an "audacious plan" to bolster the DRM-free retailer with the addition of new games, following the success of The Witcher 2 on the service. "Traditionally, GOG.com has looked for great classics that are three years old or older," he said. "We will continue to add classic games, of course, but we are actively working to sign newer titles now." Rambourg noted that the newer games will cost more than most GOG releases --$13.99 to $16.99, but that the company plans to maintain its DRM-free model. The low prices suggest that these won't be brand new games, but simply games more recent than GOG's current three-year cutoff period. According to a translation of GOG's action plan, the company's goal is to be the number two PC digital distribution platform. It's already the number one platform in our minds, whenever we think about old adventure games. Isn't that enough? Update: GOG officially announced the initiative. Find the press release after the break.
