It’s always nice when old games are re-released, and it’s even better when those old games are made available for free. But due to new publisher arrangements, Dragonsphere won’t be available for free any more. So get it while you can.
The announcement was made recently on Good Old Games, where Dragonsphere has been available for free for a good little while now. If you’re unfamiliar with the game, it’s a point-and-click adventure from Microprose, the developer and publisher more famous for their simulations and the Civilization games.
It’ll still be available in 2016 and beyond, but you’ll have to pay US$6. “With the start of the new year, Dragonsphere will no longer be a free game on GOG.com due to new publisher agreements,” the site warns. “If you haven’t claimed a copy for yourself, make sure to do so by December 31, 22:59 PM GMT – afterwards the game will be regularly priced at US$5.99.”
The news also follows the revelation that “all Duke Nukem games” are being removed from GOG’s storefront upon the beginning of the new year. “We are in talks with the new rightsholders to bring them back as swiftly as possible,” the site said.
As a mea culpa of sorts, you can acquire the Duke Nukem games (sans Forever) for $2.36. I don’t know how many people would really be into the original platformers, although there has always been a latent love for Duke 3D.
Most people will have those games, but Dragonsphere has always been one to fly under the radar. You can add it to your GOG account now without downloading, although the game is small enough that you might as well get it now. It’s not the cleanest point-and-click adventure from that era, but I still had fun (although, in fairness, that was over a decade ago).