Good Old Games: only 250 more PC titles worth having
UPDATED: Retro download site's boss thinks site will pursue 'other directions' once PC catalogue is maxed-out
Good Old Games MD Guillaume Rambourg has stated that, although there are several years' worth of new deals yet to come, there is a finite amount of retro PC titles the download service could feasibly host.
Talking to GamesIndustry.biz about the site's current catalogue – which currently totals around 230 games – he was clear that there was a ceiling in sight.
"The thing is, I believe we are running after roughly 200 good old games," he said, "and then I think the PC catalogue will be pretty much packed. There are only so many good old games. 450, 500 and then I think we'll be done."
Rambourg did not reveal plans for the site past that point, but did have a timescale in mind. "It took us two years to get 230 games, so I think it will still take us at least another year, maybe two years to get to 400. We still have much on the plate.
"Our current strategy is to have one key publisher per quarter."
The MD confirmed that "we are performing above expectations so far," but recommended against other firms trying to enter the digital distribution market.
Good Old Games recently relaunched, following a hoax closure, with Hasbro-owned titles including Baldur's Gate added to its catalogue.
The full interview with Guillaume Rambourg, in which he also discusses the challenges of marketing old games using modern means, the Polish government's attitude towards the industry and whether he still sees Steam and the like as rivals, is available here.
Update: Rambourg has clarified his comments to GamesIndustry.biz: "GOG's ultimate goal is NOT to sign 250 more games and consider our job done and dusted. We are way more ambitious than that.
"The message behind my comment was simply that in our humble opinion, there are today around 200 great PC gems to be signed to strengthen GOG's position of main digital distribution platform for PC back-catalogue content.
"Once we have reached this level of excellence (our most sincere wish), I do believe GOG would have already taken other directions to expand the business further and share our passion for old titles with a wider audience. To sum it up: count on us!"