GOG Says They Hired an Investigator to Track Down a Lost Game’s Rights

GOG.com, owned by CD Projekt Red, has built its reputation on preserving older games and making them playable on modern hardware. But as noble as that goal sounds, the reality is far more complicated than many of us might imagine.

From DRM headaches to private investigators, GOG shares the hidden struggles of preserving classic video games

In a recent interview with The Game Business, Marcin Paczynski, GOG’s senior business development manager, admitted that the process of game preservation is tougher than the team initially expected. “To be perfectly honest, it’s harder than we thought it would be,” he said.

According to Paczynski, the issue isn’t just about whether a game launches — it’s about the finer details that make a game feel playable today. Think about it: many older titles don’t support modern controllers, ultra-widescreen monitors, or even basic features like minimizing the game window. These might sound like small inconveniences, but for players in 2025, they’re essential. Without them, even a working game can feel outdated and frustrating.

And then there’s the legal side of things. Tracking down the rights to older games can be a nightmare. Paczynski shared one story where GOG had to hire a private investigator in the UK to locate someone who had unknowingly inherited the rights to several titles. Luckily, that individual was supportive of preserving his family’s legacy, but not every case ends so smoothly.

One of the biggest thorns in preservation, however, is digital rights management (DRM). Paczynski pointed out that DRM prevents games from being played without the original systems or services. Many titles tied to Microsoft’s old Games for Windows Live platform, for instance, are now unplayable without unofficial patches.

Paczynski suggested that major publishers could make life easier by removing DRM protections a few years after release. That way, future generations wouldn’t struggle to access these games. But as he admitted, that’s unlikely to happen. For most executives, preservation simply isn’t a priority compared to profit.