After a long period of inactivity (say, a year), maybe that would be a good solution. And if, for some reason, there is an update (or some significant reason why the thread should be unlocked), the user in need can send a PM to a mod, who can unlock the thread.
It could work. I don't know the logistics, but theoretically it would cut back on topic revival (the whole classic gaming forum would be gone within a few years
).