GoG offers X-wing, TIE Fighter games as legit downloads for first time

When Disney bought Lucasfilm for over $4 billion nearly two years ago to the day, we lamented the uncertain publishing future of the company's stable of classic LucasArts games. The fear was that these classics would be lost in corporate shuffling indefinitely. Thankfully, digital distribution site GoG isn't letting that happen. This week, GoG published its first games from the Lucasfilm/Disney catalog as DRM-free downloads playable on modern machines.

While the digital distribution site says its partnership with Disney Interactive allows for the release of 20+ classic LucasArts games, today's offerings include the following six titles:

• Star Wars: X-Wing Special Edition - Windows - $9.99 - first downloadable release
• Star Wars: TIE Fighter Special Edition - Windows - $9.99 - first downloadable release
• Sam & Max Hit the Road - Windows, Mac, Linux - $5.99 - first downloadable release
• The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition - Windows - $9.99 (temporary 20 percent off sale price)
• Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis - Windows, Mac, Linux - $5.99
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - Windows - $9.99 (temporary 20 percent off sale price)

More LucasArts games will be "popping up frequently" on GOG.com in the coming months according to the site. A number of LucasArts classics are also available on Steam, if that's more your speed. [Update: Reviews Editor Lee Hutchinson reminds me that even the Windows-only retro games might work on a Mac through a tool like Boxer]

Late last year, GoG was forced to stop selling the Fallout game series on its service after a legal battle caused the game's rights to revert from Interplay to Bethesda Softworks. Those titles returned to Steam last June but have yet to be offered on GoG again.

In June, GoG announced still-pending plans to offer an optional, DRM-free platform called GoG Galaxy to streamline game downloads, updates, and social features.