Fans of classic PC games will be disappointed to learn that the current copyright holder of several does not appear to share their enthusiasm. EA has requested that multiple older games be removed from the GOG storefront.
Electronic Artscurrently holds the rights to many classic games, as well as more well-known modern series such asBattlefieldandTitanfall. Two such licenses the company holds areUltimaandSyndicate, and today the company exercised its power to remove several games in these series from a third-party platform.
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According to SmollestLight, a member of the GOG.com team,Ultima Underworld 1+2,Syndicate Plus, andSyndicate Warswill all be delisted from the platform “on publisher’s request.” Those looking to purchase any of the games affected should do so before the delisting date of June 28. After the delisting, theUltimagames will only be available on EA’ssoon-to-be-renamed Origin platform, as well as only the non-Plus version ofSyndicate.Syndicate Warsis nowhere to be seen, though hopefully it can at least be brought to Origin.
EA’s move will disappoint fans of classic gaming, archivists, andanti-Digital Rights Management advocatesall at once. Classic games can already be difficult to find on modern storefronts, with many only available through spending hundreds of dollars on legitimate copies or piracy. The delistings are especially frustrating given that EA has done nothing with theSyndicateseries since the 2012 reboot, and theUltimaseries has remained dormant since 2013.
TheUltimaseries is a staple of 1990s PC gaming, and to see it removed from an easily accessible, DRM-free storefront will frustrate PC gamers looking to relive their childhoods or try the classic games for the first time. Meanwhile, thecyberpunk setting ofSyndicate Warsin combination with its tactical gameplay has gained the series a cult following, and the game being pulled without an alternative storefront to purchase it from means it will be difficult to find. All the affected games are currently on a 75% off sale, and will remain available in players' GOG accounts even after being delisted, so current owners have nothing to fear.
With companies likeSony making anti-preservation moves, classic games are becoming increasingly difficult to play on modern devices, or even access at all. EA’s delisting will force players to use the Origin storefront to buy the games that are available on it, adding a layer of inconvenient DRM to purchasing and playing these classic games, and fans ofSyndicate Warscan only hope EA adds the game to Origin in the near future lest it become completely unpurchaseable.
