Activision classics to roll out on the GOG website

Whether its just the vocal gamers being the most heard or the community simply doesn't like DRM, recent news could be cause for celebration.

In what has been called a 'landmark deal for the DRM-free digital distribution movement', Activision Publishing Inc. is bringing a wide range of classic games to GOG.com. With a wealth of PC-gaming gems tucked away in the Activision vaults, the deal gives all types of gamer - from the long-time devotee to the laptop-carrying "newbie" - an unforgettable glimpse into the rich history of the PC gaming.

GOG.com - or Good Old Games offers more than 180 PC games at low prices and free from what is considered by some as intrusive copy protection. The arguments are long and passionate about the merits and drawbacks of Digital Rights Management (DRM) a generic term used for access control technologies that can be used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals to try to impose limitations on the usage of digital content and devices.

"Signing the agreement with Activision is the biggest thing that's happened at GOG.com since the actual announcement of the service. This is a huge step forward for our site and for digital distribution as a whole, as Activision is one of the biggest publishers in the world with a long history in the games industry," said Adam Oldakowski, Managing Director at GOG.com. "We're even happier to bring Activision games back to gamers, as GOG.com is the only place right now, where you can grab the announced titles. We've also managed to work on those titles to provide full compatibility with modern operating systems."

The recently struck agreement will see games from the vaults of Activision gradually unveiled in the coming weeks so as to encourage maximum enjoyment of the classic gameplay. The first two titles should be instantly recognizable to any fan of games in the adventure and role-playing genres.

Available now for $5.99, Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magic Obscura (Role-Playing Game, 2001) is the masterpiece from too-quickly-shuttered Troika Games. Heralded by The Electric Playground as "the most diverse and open-ended RPG to date," Arcanum was conceived by many of the same minds responsible for the Fallout series and places players in a refreshingly unique setting, as ogres and other fantastical creatures come to grips with life in the midst of an industrial revolution.

The second title now available for $5.99, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers (Point-and-Click Adventure, 1993), envisioned by legendary game designer, Jane Jensen, stands as a shining example of adventure gaming at its best. As writer and bookstore owner, Gabriel Knight, players set off to investigate a series of murders, in hopes of using the research to write a new novel. Sins of the Fathers is the first part of Gabriel's adventures, considered by many as the best Sierra adventure-game series.