Where to Buy Old PC Games

Think back to the time before the digital age and before children all starting using cellphones – writing things down on paper was important.

For gamers, this usually meant writing down CD keys. Before digital distribution, gamers would get all of their games in these large, shelf-hogging boxes that you have to go to the store to buy. Inside each box would be a CD, a manual, some advertisements, maybe an art book or map, and most importantly, the CD key.

Unfortunately, the average gamer owns up to hundreds of games and most of them are likely to lose these games in one way or another, especially the older ones. Some truly exceptional titles have stood the test of time during the video game industry’s extensive career. It would simply suck if those games were lost forever, and until the internet’s emergence, lost games were truly gone.

Online Digital Distribution

Then the internet changed everything. At first, there were still no official channels to obtain old games with the exception of illegal files. Illegal files became so popular that they became a serious threat to the gaming industry. For some time, many companies were beginning to think about abandoning PC games development.

Enter Digital Rights Management

However, the rise of online digital distribution platforms such as Steam, Direct2Drive and GoG.com meant that companies could now resell old data without producing any new material. Granted there are costs to optimize old games with new operating systems, but the idea is that remarketing old electronic data has become a profitable thing to do.

To counter piracy, Steam and Direct2Drive both utilize Digital Rights Management (DRM). Many gamers feel that DRM is intrusive, primarily because it restricts making additional copies of the game. Many tears were shed, but eventually most people understood that, from a developer’s standpoint, utilizing some form of DRM was essential to make sure that the game actually got some sales.

Prefer Not Having to Deal With DRM?

On the other hand, GoG.com promises old games that are 100 per cent DRM free. Personal encounters with the company revealed that they were a very courteous staff and were prompt in replying all queries. GoG.com is definitely recommended as the number one place to shop for discounted old video games.

Thankfully, game developers decided not to charge consumers premium for old content. Many games are sold for less than $5 USD and can be instantly downloaded onto hard drive.

Be sure to look out for discounted video game bundles. Often the larger companies Steam and Direct2Drive will have month long promotions, offering older games at heavily discounted prices.