4th December 2024, 7:46 AM
Blizzard is now taking the original versions of Warcraft 1 and 2 off the GOG store. Not Diablo 1 (plus Hellfire) apparently, just the two directly competing with the remaster. It's THAT pat confusing me, since I would have thought it was because it was competing with their own store sales. The fact they've left Diablo 1 up tells me it's JUST out of concern for competing with the remastered version though. It makes me wonder how long before Blizzard cuts the original versions from their own digital store too, since whatever store the games are on, they still compete with the remakes for sales.
Now that Blizzard is owned by MS, that does leave an open question. MS have failed entirely to support GOG releases, instead focusing solely on Steam. For example, of the two Ori "metroidvania" games, only the first saw release on GOG, and the second has yet to get sold there. Notably, the second was AFTER MS fully embraced Steam.
Personally, I suspect MS hate that they even have to sell games on Steam in the first place since people largely ignore the Windows Store. I mean, Windows Store software uses a whole different method of interacting with hardware, one far more limited, without drive portability, and with far less ability to mod. There are exceptions, and it varies from game to game, but people have largely rejected the store for one reason or another. But Blizzard's own store? Well they own that now, and it's doing decently. I suspect MS may pour a lot of money into making THAT take off and become a real competitor to Steam.
Now that Blizzard is owned by MS, that does leave an open question. MS have failed entirely to support GOG releases, instead focusing solely on Steam. For example, of the two Ori "metroidvania" games, only the first saw release on GOG, and the second has yet to get sold there. Notably, the second was AFTER MS fully embraced Steam.
Personally, I suspect MS hate that they even have to sell games on Steam in the first place since people largely ignore the Windows Store. I mean, Windows Store software uses a whole different method of interacting with hardware, one far more limited, without drive portability, and with far less ability to mod. There are exceptions, and it varies from game to game, but people have largely rejected the store for one reason or another. But Blizzard's own store? Well they own that now, and it's doing decently. I suspect MS may pour a lot of money into making THAT take off and become a real competitor to Steam.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)