GOG , the online game retailer , is allowing customers to redeem old game codes from physical boxes and provide a DRM free version of the game with no strings attached. GOG is typically more well known for selling older games whilst ensuring compatibility to ensure those games can run on modern computers. This is the first service for it’s kind to allow users to trade in old codes for a DRM free version of the game.
DRM stands for Digital Restrictive Management and like its name suggests, places limits on the game in regards to how it can be played and what you can do with it. This may not sound bad at first however it severely limits player experience by forcing users to access the game in a certain way or prevent users from moving a saved game to their new PC. One of the most seen examples of this in gaming is forcing a user to play a single player game online which many PC platform do. Even Steam uses DRM to an extent by limiting how games are shared with friends.
“We’re doing our best to add more games”
What GOG is doing is allowing users to download and play their old games without restriction. Sadly the service is currently limited to only a handfull of games however GOG have plans to add to this number.
The games currently included in the service are:
- Eador: Genesis
- Mount & Blade: Warband
- Mount & Blade: With Fire and Sword
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Call of Pripyat
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
And of these only the S.T.A.L.K.E.R games are worldwide, Eador: Genesis and the Mount & Bland games are only available in Russia right now which is a country GOG have recently expanded into. It has been acknowledged that not all codes will work due to the data being lost which is unfortunate for those users.
If you have any of those games head on over to the reclaim page for your DRM free copy! What games are you hoping they add? Let us know in the comments below!