According to GOG MD, the requirement for developers to maintain games online indefinitely could result in a decrease in game releases
Maciej Gołębiewski, who leads the PC platform GOG, has raised concerns about the potential decline in new game development if developers and publishers are required to keep games available online indefinitely. He explained to Eurogamer that the financial burden of maintaining games online in perpetuity may deter game companies from investing in new projects, as this would add to the existing costs of production and promotion.
The issue Gołębiewski highlights comes as debates about game longevity and the discontinuation of service-based games, like Ubisoft’s The Crew, gain attention. Campaigns such as Stop Killing Games are advocating for government policies to prevent developers from taking games offline permanently.
According to Gołębiewski, the industry needs to discuss what constitutes a reasonable life span for games. He questioned whether games should simply disappear when services end, leaving developers unable to access their creations despite years of effort.
The objective of preserving games indefinitely is commendable, but Gołębiewski warned of the possibility that imposing long-term maintenance obligations on game creators might discourage them from launching new titles. The fear is that the financial expectations involved, due to potential regulatory demands, could result in fewer innovative games reaching the market.
Addressing the challenges of game preservation, Gołębiewski described it as a "complicated riddle" involving intellectual property issues and economic feasibility, suggesting goodwill alone isn't enough to keep game preservation financially sustainable.
This discussion has emerged shortly after Electronic Arts decided to discontinue its action RPG, Anthem, nearly seven years post-launch.
Recently, GOG was sold back to its co-founder Michał Kiciński for $25 million, following its ownership by CD Projekt. In related discussions, plans for evolving the PC gaming platform were explored with the new ownership.