Posted June 27, 2019
kai2: IMHO the problem isn't resource allocation. GOG has resources (albeit few profits). IMO the developing problem is deeper...
GOG's ambition
GOG's ambition would seemingly be to no longer be solely the best place for good old games... it's to rival Steam.
In order to do so, GOG needs more customers. In order to do that, they create Galaxy 2.0 to siphen customers from rival platforms. But in growing their customer base this way -- poaching from rival markets where old games and DRM-free content aren't priorities -- GOG will seemingly be forced to make changes. ie. Why add more old games when most gamers aren't playing games more than 5+ years old (or niche games for that matter)? Galaxy 2.0 is GOG trying to battle into the "major leagues" of digital delivery without falling back on the dreaded "exclusives"... and where that might work, I don't know whether GOG's ambition can live alongside their original mission.
Steam has a full catalog across mainstream to niche because for many years they have been a monopoly... ubiquitous with digital game delivery. Everyone goes to Steam. GOG doesn't have that luxury.
A fair point. They don't have that. Yet. And they're certainly never going to if they don't try to compete. GOG's ambition
GOG's ambition would seemingly be to no longer be solely the best place for good old games... it's to rival Steam.
In order to do so, GOG needs more customers. In order to do that, they create Galaxy 2.0 to siphen customers from rival platforms. But in growing their customer base this way -- poaching from rival markets where old games and DRM-free content aren't priorities -- GOG will seemingly be forced to make changes. ie. Why add more old games when most gamers aren't playing games more than 5+ years old (or niche games for that matter)? Galaxy 2.0 is GOG trying to battle into the "major leagues" of digital delivery without falling back on the dreaded "exclusives"... and where that might work, I don't know whether GOG's ambition can live alongside their original mission.
Steam has a full catalog across mainstream to niche because for many years they have been a monopoly... ubiquitous with digital game delivery. Everyone goes to Steam. GOG doesn't have that luxury.
But if GOG doesn't try to compete and instead stays stagnant so they aren't shifting 'focus' at least to some degree from their 'fans', they're pretty much going to be dead in the water. And that will likely mean at some point down the road those 'fans' are going to be looking for somewhere else to buy their games and wondering why GOG couldn't stay in business.