Everything you need to know about today's GOG Showcase
, by Enzo
A few minutes ago, the GOG Showcase took place, organized to celebrate the company's 18th anniversary. The event featured gaming announcements, including new games and updates, as well as information about their project to preserve (very) old games to ensure their compatibility with modern machines.
Here’s a summary of the very first GOG Showcase.
First, GOG co-founder Michał Kiciński gave a brief introduction, reiterating the company’s philosophy and its commitment to preservation. There were numerous video messages. Prominent figures from the gaming industry sent their congratulations on the 18th anniversary, as well as their best wishes for the company’s future projects.
GOG Patrons
Marcin Paczyński, Head of Business Development, discussed the GOG Patrons initiative. This is a community that financially supports the company’s projects through a €5 monthly subscription. The perks for this support are listed on the website.
To date, more than 300 games have already been preserved and made compatible with modern operating systems, thanks to the support of over 10,000 Patrons in more than 100 different countries. More than 1,700 fixes were required to restore these games (bugs, technical issues, videos, resolution, etc.). The last game voted on by the community was Nox, which they managed to fix, update, and release.
The legendary Wing Commander series is back in a big way
There are memories that didn’t just leave a mark on certain players, but on an entire generation. The Wing Commander series is getting a special update: the Anniversary Editions. Wing Commander 1 and Wing Commander 2 are getting their 35th-anniversary editions, while Wing Commander 3, Wing Commander 4, Wing Commander Prophecy Gold, and Wing Commander Privateer 2 are getting their 30th-anniversary editions.
They’re now more accessible to players, with support for numerous controllers, newly digitized videos in higher resolution, and various fixes and updates. Each Anniversary Edition is offered as a bundle containing two games: the original version and the anniversary version.
Players who already own one of these games in its original version will receive the new version for free.
Road Rash is also back
The cult classic series of violent motorcycle racing games created by Electronic Arts in 1991 is making a big comeback on GOG starting today. Check out the trailer below.
Retrovibe by GOG
What if GOG were no longer just about preserving games? This year, they’re setting their sights on new horizons: game publishing. This initiative combines Retrovibe’s hands-on publishing experience with GOG’s expertise as a platform, its marketing capabilities, and its network of PC gamers around the world.
Several titles have been announced, accompanied by brief preview clips:
• Cop Bastard, which plunges us into early-’90s Japan with this fast-paced FPS featuring a VHS-style aesthetic, where a lone detective must fight his way through hordes of yakuza.
• The Looter, where you explore a post-apocalyptic world infested with mutant creatures, scavenge anything that might be useful, and try to survive in this action-oriented adventure.
• Shardpunk 2, set in a fallen empire, where you take command of a human outpost, gather resources, and manage your troops to withstand an ever-more-dangerous new threat.
• Project Warlock: Lost Chapters, which brings back the retro universe of Project Warlock in three new nightmarish worlds, ranging from hostile jungles to space horror and pirate terrors.
• After Hell Freezes Over, a survival mission set in a vast, frozen open world where you build your shelter, gather supplies, and face the dangers lurking in the darkness.
You can watch trailers for each of them on the dedicated page on Retrovibe.
GOG Social
Every game inevitably leaves us with memories or things to say. You can now share them on GOG Social, the company’s new social platform.
It was designed with gamers in mind: you can post image galleries, videos, links, or even polls. This platform is connected to our games: you can mention games in a post, create entire forums, subscribe to topics, or join conversations—not to mention spoiler tags to avoid spoiling the fun for players who haven’t discovered the games yet. A true gaming social network!
GOG Social is still in beta. Players who have already tested it are thrilled. You can join the beta on the company’s website.
GOG Galaxy is Coming to Linux
This launcher is also set to arrive on Linux soon. The upcoming version will be even better: more visually appealing, faster, and just as customizable. You can sign up to stay updated on the release progress.
That concludes our recap of this very first GOG Showcase, held to celebrate the company’s 18th anniversary.
It’s quite likely that in the future, they’ll step up their communication about their projects, especially given that physical games are disappearing at an ever-faster pace, a trend driven in part by the discontinuation of disc-based PlayStation games.