Thanks for free Syndicates and Ultimas, and please let GOG sell more EA games!

[tfishell]

I wanted to say thanks to EA for bringing back the Syndicate games and Ultima Underworlds, and for giving them away for free on Origin and GOG.

Naturally I also wanted to encourage EA to let GOG release more games on their service; I understand GOG is far from a priority, but EA is missing out on extra income since GOG users aren't being supplied with new titles to buy. (The last EA games were released like 5+ years ago)

Here are links to highly-voted wishlist entries on the GOG wishlist (I understand there are probably messy legal issues with some of these): 

Black & White, Black And White, 

Command and Conquer, Command & Conquer

Mass Effect,

American McGee's Alice, Alice: Madness Returns, 

Dune,

Sims,

The Neverhood,

Need for Speed,

Theme Park World,

Sim Tower,

Sid Meier's Sim Golf,

Dragon Age 2,

Dead Space 2,

etc.

[SirPrimalform]

Glad to hear EA seems to have changed their mind about GOG being "unauthorised".

EA, you have a huge back catalogue of classic games and GOG customers would really like to buy them.

[mqstout]

Yes, there's a ton of EA stuff [and in many cases, it'd be re-buying for older titles I have or had on disc] I'd buy if only they're release it in a friendly fashion on GOG. Heck, C&C Remaster would probably make me take a sick day! Armies of Exigo might be my top choice, though. It's a shame so few people got to experience that game.

[karnak327]

I've already bought all of EA games on GOG and I'll gladly buy more if they release more of their games on the GOG store. 

[BKGaming_PC]

And GOG has confirmed they are an authorized partner, as if a company owned by CD Projekt would not have a legal agreement to sell EA games. GOG is not a grey market site. EA rep has locked the original thread, but hopefully that EA rep has been informed that they are indeed wrong and incorrect. Stuff like that can damage a companies reputation. However if EA brought Sims 1 or 2 to GOG I'd buy that instantly, or Dragon Age 2 or Mass Effect remake too but that is far less likely.

GOG Statement:

GOG is not an authorized partner of Electronic Arts, page 1 - Forum - GOG.com

Original Thread:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/EA-General-Questions/GOG-SPORE-Collection-Serial-Keys-Depleted/m-p/1056544...

[Wolfsite]

Showing support for more EA games on GOG, there is a demand there and EA has a huge back catalog of games they could release with rather minimal effort to generate cash (GOG would probably help with this if there are issues). I won't lie I would most likely double dip and buy games I already own on Origin to get a DRM-free copy of themm

[tyl0413]

Agree, GOG is the best place to buy PC games, hope more of EAs games will be released there.

[MeowCanuck]

Also voicing support. There's a ton of interest in both old and new titles. It'll have a huge boost your PR throughout the industry along with some extra revenue!

[ivrognard]

I would love to see more of the EA's old games on GOG, too. But the chances seem to be slim.

From the list, the games that are unlikely to return:

Black and White series - EA only had the publishing rights, but the games disappeared from sale once Lionhead was bought by Microsoft. Who owns the rights for those games, pretty guess work. Might be Microsoft, but nothing is sure.

Dune - EA's license expired, Brian Herbert has no interest in the re-release of the old games. Currently the Dune license for developing new games was granted to Funcom (a Tencent company).

Need for Speed - expired licenses, many that can't be renewed, as the tuning or the car companies do not exist anymore. Also, the soundtracks put another problem. The cost to re-license the music would be too high to justify a re-release of those old games.

Not on the list, but unlikely to be re-released because licensing: the older FIFA games, the older NBA/NHL/Nascar (insert EA sport series name here), The Godfather series (license status unknown, the company that granted the license to EA did it without the consent of Puzo Estate and after the lawsuit between Puzo Estate and the said company EA had to remove the games from sale), LOTR BFME series (the LOTR license isn't with EA anymore, so they can't do anything there), the James Bond 007 games (lost license), Armies of Exigo (developer went bankrupt, the rights might be back to the people that owned the developing studio), The Movies (same situation as with Black and White series), the Def Jam series, The Harry Potter games (license with Warner for over 10 years now)

I think i've covered the most wanted licensed series. Those games are for now in copyright hell and while i hope that they will be back at some point, i know that the chances are really low.

On the other hand, any IP that is actually owned by EA has some decent chances for a comeback

[AIexanderDeLarge]

Not only is sitting on the back catalogue sitting on free money waiting for the taking, the new games should release there too. I'd 1000% buy BF1-2042 on GOG.