GOG Debuts Dreamlist

TL;DR

Good Old Games (GOG) announces Dreamlist, its next generation tool allowing for input on what games should be released to the service.

Wishlist with an upgrade

GOG just announced that their popular Community Wishlist tool has received a major upgrade. Boasting a new design with easier navigation, it should prove to be a hit with gamers hoping their favorite video game makes the jump to digital storefront.

Community Wishlist boasted wide participation, with Stats showing over 13.5M votes cast for suggested game inclusions as of this writing. However, it seemed deeply rooted in a Forums type of formatting. Given the use case, it was a bit clunky to navigate and provided limited information.

The new Dreamlist interface is more closely aligned with that of a modern digital storefront. Registered GOG users can upvote on games already on the list as well as add new entries. Once in a title listing, you’re presented with a clean and comprehensive screen with ability to upvote as well as view Trailers and Screenshots of the game.

A great new tool is a ‘Stories about this game’ section. Similar to a digital memory book, it asks participants to post memories to the game’s wall of what made it notable and why it should be brought to GOG.

Dreamlist provides an overall increased ease of use. I particularly appreciate inclusion of the memory wall. Given commercial and rights intricacies involved with video games, there’s no guarantee a given favorite will ever return to either GOG or any distribution channel. This serves as one means to preserve the memories of those impacted by these digital treasures regardless of current availability while simultaneously illustrating overall interest in a game to rights holders.

Accessibility and Preservation

If you haven’t given GOG a try, I’d highly recommend it. They’ve centered their business model on providing a modern digital storefront with DRM-free titles. From AAA to Indies, there’s likely to be something for everyone. You typically won’t see the newest releases on the platform. Conversely, they provide a path to games unavailable anywhere else. All in a manner that supports game creators and rights holders. Taken together, it’s a great endeavor that supports game preservation.