Reviving “dead” games such as Black & White or the original Civilization isn’t hampered by a lack of demand, but often by complex copyright laws and ownership issues. GOG’s preservation team, led by Marcin Paczynski, has encountered unexpected challenges, including the tale of an individual in the UK who unknowingly inherited rights to several games but was impossible to locate.

“He kind of fell off the grid, so we hired a guy in the UK that was supposed to find him. That was the type of person who was really, really living without any cell phone, without any online presence, just chilling. He didn’t even know that he owned the rights because this was just a package with his inheritance … we have a lot of stories like that.”
Translation: His lifestyle made it exceedingly difficult to track down ownership rights.

GOG’s difficulties are compounded by the complexities surrounding the technical aspects of making older games run on modern machines and ensuring long-term access. Despite the logistical nightmares, GOG is committed to digital preservation, a necessary endeavor as over 87% of games are unplayable without piracy or digging through archives.