A bit of an emotional title, and yes I'm aware that Activision may own the rights to the titles now, but something deeply pissed me off when I saw the advertisement in my email today.

I grew up on these games, and they had a major impact on my childhood. I used to play them with my dad and sister, and I'd say the Quest for Glory series (Hero's Quest) had maybe even a larger impact because it had a moral aspect to the game in the paladin goals. These games gave me a curiosity to explore as a child, and that helpd nuture my drive to travel the world and eventually become a researcher on the effects of such experience abroad.

Furthermore, it was during a formative period of computer gaming that these games were created. I had a truly special place in my heart for the company name "Sierra" at that time and the people behind it. I was a complete fan. I considered games in general to be art (still do), and loved I the puzzles and worlds that they created.

I had originally planned to go into game design myself, even making little games when I was a teen. While in college I saw the business turn into a cut-throat, idea owning, employee lay-off machine. It became a business I wanted nothing to do with. One of the reasons I celebrate people who create games like Minecraft outside of the massive EA's that grew up from these.

Yet, something deeply angers me seeing these games labeled as "Activision" Quest games. They were simply bought out by them, they did not create these, they were not the teams that forged these ideas. Unless all the employees got together and bought out Activitision to own the rights to their ideas and creations again. I can't help but see it as similar to a business clown taking credit for the hard work of others years in the future, hoping that someone forgot history as he attempts to take credit.

I understand why GoG probably had to list it as Activision, but I wanted to give a shout out to the original teams at Seirra, a company that no longer exists in it's current form, who truly deserve the salute for defining that decade of game.

The very name of Sierra IS synonymous with the "questing" game genre, NOT Activision. They had nothing to do with it what-so-ever.

Think of it this way: if it wasn't for IP transfer these games would be dead and never able to be re-released at all.

See also: the Sierra City Builder series; Caesar, Pharaoh, Zeus and Emperor.

I like that the games are on sale again, but the online community (while you might not like to mention it here) would still have them available for download under the table.

I just feel something inherently wrong with an IP transfer not even giving note to the deep history behind these games. If I were to get one of these games and see the Activision logo pop up instead of Sierra I'd get sick to my stomach. There is a rich history behind these games, and the quest series were arguable defined by Sierra. Sierra = Quest series.

It would be like buying all of Picaso's paintings, then since you own them, claiming you painted them. IP transfer, fine, but credit needs to go to origins as well. To use a mechanic from the great QFG games, to present it as your own work, well that's just "dishonorable."

Well honor has nothing to do with it, just money.

I know along with most of you would prefer game companies to be in business because of the games and their fans but the bottom line is game companies are in business to make money. They dont care about the fans, they dont care about showing respect, they dont care about giving dues, they just care about money. A game developer is no different than anyother corporation on the planet. Its not the friendliest attitude but business will always be business.

Very few game devlopers or publishers are actually in it for the games and fans, my hat goes off to them but most are in it for themselves and no one else because thats how the business world works.

Just go past the logo and enjoy the game, you cant let the little things bother you this much because thats all life is a whole bunch of little things constantly and in a never ending stream.

Not trying to argue with you anything, Im just saying is all.

Sierra used to be rather small actually, and they invested a lot into their games and had a really good connection with the fans of their games. The developers and designers did care about the art and what they put into their games. The individuals within the company, (who hopefully are still on the credits!) invested a lot, just like any do.

Sierra isn't what it used to be now, and was quite different back when. It's impressive to see what has become of games, but disgusting to see what has become of the treatment toward developers and those who create games.

Well the in-game credits are the same, it's just the GOG branding that has changed to reflect the new publisher. I understand where you are coming from though and I wish IP stays with the creators, not corporations, but unfortunately this is what we have as an industry.

It's still good to support it, since the interest in these IPs here and elsewhere has resulted in things like The Silver Lining getting a green-light and Telltale getting the King's Quest license.

The full front page post does say "Activision's famous and celebrated Quest games by Sierra are now all 30% off". Its just the Email that doesn't mention it. I don't think Activision is trying to take all the credit here. Probably just some graphic designer who didn't think it was all that important for the email. Its more a fault of the entire industry that publishers get all the credit these days. Its not specific to Activision at all.

Edit: I say these days, but thinking back its always been that way, hasn't it.

I see, I guess my beef is maybe with GoG and their email partially too then lol :D

Activision wasn't responsible for Sierra's demise.

Activision also isn't claiming they wrote the games in question. They're simply the custodians. And they think well enough of these games to allow GoG to feature them in a wknd promo.

I liken it to the games in question all being music records, whose original record company is no more and are now being re-pubished by another, more financially stable record company.

I grew up on Seirra games too, and I'm not taking Activision owning Seirra's games personally at all. Rather I like the way they operate, allowing these games to be on GoG here.

I personally LOVE alot of the Sierra adventure/etc games, and love the logo as well(Squee!)....but as others here said i'm more glad they're still around and being kept up by people so that future peoples can buy them. Yes those other(Y'argggh!) sites DO allow people to play them as well but they don't maintain or upgrade/fix them for future compatibility like Gog does, and most of them probably don't care about Sierra as much as we do either......

True, CUC International was largely responsible for their demise, since after Ken Williams sold the company to them, Sierra started its downward spiral. Sure, they had success with games like Half-Life, but the company as a whole was looking pretty bleak after Cendant sold it to Havas.

GoG could've at least put it in description...

They did, just not in the emails. ;)

Activision is allowing the games to be out there for legal purchase with full professional support, while still crediting Sierra as the original creators and not messing with the in-game credits at all, and ensuring that they keep getting marketed and exposed to new people through GoG. Awful company or not (and believe me, I'm no fan of Activision), that's certainly a good thing, and Activision deserves some credit for doing the right thing with the IP rather than squatting on it.