Purchase and download old PC games on the cheap
February 14th, 2009
Good Old Games is a digital download service offering PC games that, while they aren’t going to tax your new GTX 295, are some of the greatest titles of their time. Fortunately, they also won’t tax your wallet much. We’re not talking Ultima 2 or anything like that. Everything I’ve seen on the site was published in the last 15 years, and the quality of the games shows through in spite of the dated graphics.
Games are currently topping out at $10 and often include extras like books of artwork in PDF format, strategy guides, and other supplemental material. There is no client software eliminating a common step from the digital distribution model. Just buy and download the game you want, install, and play. The games work out-of-the-box with either Windows XP or Vista so you won’t have to manually run DOSbox to get your game working. It’s a pretty slick system.
I have to admit the beautiful web site is as much a draw for me as anything. The presentation is done with a level of care that frankly makes Steam look like a dog. (Note: I really do love Steam in spite of it’s ugliness.)
The site also seems to have a pretty strong community around discussing and reviewing the games offered. True to form, users of the site have setup an IRC channel on irc.quakenet.org. They offer forums for each game, and the catalog displays the average user review for each title.
If you’re itching for something new (to you), check out Good Old Games. According to the site, they actually screen for goodness, so you’ll at least get something that is worth a play. Just remember, good gameplay transcends and doesn’t need to rely on bleeding-edge technology.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.