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Hey, GOGgers,

We're not perfect, we're exploring new frontiers, and we make mistakes. We thought DRM-Free was so important that you'd prefer we bring you more DRM-Free games and Fair Price was less critical and that it could be sacrificed in some cases. The last two week's worth of comments in our forums (nearly 10k!), show that's not the case. We didn’t listen and we let you down. We shouldn't sacrifice one of our core values in an attempt to advance another. We feel bad about that, and we're sorry. Us being sorry is not of much use to you, so let’s talk about how we will fix it.

One: DRM-free forever. Abandoning fixed regional pricing means it will probably take longer to get some games, but you've made it clear that sacrificing fair pricing for more DRM-free games isn't acceptable.

Two: We will adamantly continue to fight for games with flat worldwide pricing. If that fails and we are required to have regional prices, we will make up the difference for you out of our own pockets. For now it will be with $5.99 and $9.99 game codes. In a couple of months, once we have such functionality implemented, we will give you store credit instead, which then you will be able to use towards any purchase and cover the price of it in full or partially. Effectively gamers from all around the world will be able to benefit from the US prices.

This will apply to every single game where we do not have flat pricing, such as Age of Wonders 3 (full details here), Divinity: Original Sin, and The Witcher 3. If you remember the Fair Price Package for The Witcher 2, this will be exactly the same.

Three: We still intend to introduce the pricing in local currencies. Let us explain why we want to do it and how we want to make it fair for everyone. From the very beginning our intention was to make things easier for users whose credit cards/payment systems are not natively in USD. The advantages are simple because the price is more understandable and easier to relate to. There would be no exchange rates involved, no transaction fees, and no other hidden charges. However after reading your comments, we realized we have taken an important element away: the choice. In order to fix this, we'll offer the option of paying in the local currency or the equivalent in USD. This way, how you pay is always your choice.

Four: You are what matters, and we will be sure to involve you all more in what we're doing and why we're doing it. Let's start by meeting you at GDC - we’d like to invite you to meet us face-to-face Monday the 17th at GDC. Obviously, not all of you can come to San Francisco, so we want to invite all of you to an online event with us early in April to ask us whatever you would like. More details soon.

The bottom line is simple: there may be companies that won't work with us (although we will work hard to convince the most stubborn ones ;). Yes, it means we might miss out on some games, but at the same time GOG.com will remain true to its values and will keep on offering you the best of DRM-free gaming with Fair Prices.

Once again thank you for caring so much about GOG.com. We will work hard not to disappoint you again.

--Marcin "iWi" Iwinski & Guillaume "TheFrenchMonk" Rambourg
Nice ! Thanks for listening ! :-)
Thank you.

And to celebrate, I'm going to buy one of today's new releases.
This is terrible news because it's making people happy, I don't like that. GOG, bring DRM, please and thank you.
After rereading this, shouldn't it be "we'll offer the option of paying in USD or the equivalent in the local currency." instead of "we'll offer the option of paying in the local currency or the equivalent in USD." in order to be sure that everyone pays the same fair price on the classic games?
Ok, I'm confused. Have you gone back to worldwide pricing or not? At the beginning you said that you would work for a one world price and if that failed and you had to do regional pricing you would give the difference in credit. Then at the end you said we might miss out on some games and publishers. If you willing to cover the difference why would some publishers not work with you?
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saberwolfxm: Ok, I'm confused. Have you gone back to worldwide pricing or not? At the beginning you said that you would work for a one world price and if that failed and you had to do regional pricing you would give the difference in credit. Then at the end you said we might miss out on some games and publishers. If you willing to cover the difference why would some publishers not work with you?
I m guessing that some company are asking for too much regional price difference for them to cover without going in the red.
Post edited March 11, 2014 by Hawat
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Rhyney: :(

Don´t you guys have the balls?
People don´t know what's best for gog.com, you do!

I really would have liked more publisher's games on gog.com. I personally don´t care for money, I care for games.
I hope this means you found a reasonable compromise to satisfy crybabies and money-whore publishers.

Sorry for my distinctive manner of speech. But gog, you now are lumbered with a pack of stupid entitled fans that think they can talk into every of your decision. I am sorry for you.
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BKGaming: Lol, I love this quote... because it's so true... every decision GOG makes now will be decided by complainers. xD
Guys like you surprise me. So if a company listens to the majority of its customer base, then they are following complainers. What type of companies you like? Ones that ignore their customers and treat you like an idiot? Ones that assume they know best for you? Ones that never say they did anything wrong even if they keep screwing their customers?

You can argue that it was a vocal minority that was against regional pricing and maybe a poll would have confirmed or denied that. My guess is GOG must have some estimate and numbers to show how big was the backlash and whether it was a minority or not.

From my point of view, no regional pricing was one of their cores, dropping one of your core values is always a bad business decision specially if its why your customers trust you. My guess is they thought fair price was no big deal for most customers and they assumed no one will care if they dropped this core value, it turned out to be false hence the revert back in actions.

I work for a company where customers trust and support us because of our values, and I am sure once these values start slipping, we will lose much more than we can gain.
+1 GOG.com
high rated
I'm not entirely happy about this, because it would mean GOG is losing money, and if a lot of new games using this are added, and they sell well, it might be too much of a financial strain. How about making this optional ? So that way, people who have the "unfair" pricing, but don't really care about the money, can choose to not get "compensated" ?
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Professor_Cake: First of all, let me say well done to GOG for conceding that they got it wrong. Although it took longer than some may have liked, it is majorly better than what many businesses in the same situation would have done i.e. nothing. The compensatory measures (in the form of store credit) will be welcomed from most people. Whether this will persuade people back or restore the goodwill GOG had is a different matter, however it is a much better situation than what was at hand.

It does irk me however that GOG will now effectively be paying for the poor business practices of their new partners, and in some ways encourage regional pricing from other publishers knowing that GOG will compensate the customers accordingly. Yes, I know GOG placed themselves in this position, but it still encourages people to buy products that, frankly, aim to rip people off and encourages the use of regional pricing. I thus still believe that these new regionally priced games should not be purchased; not to detriment GOG, but to show publishers that such practices are unacceptable in any guise, even when a DD makes up the difference from their own pocket.

Overall that regional pricing was considered at all wasn't right in any way, but props to GOG for trying to rectify things a round about way. Whether this was a change of heart or a simple evaluation of the future prospects for GOG given the recent uproar is unclear, either way it may persuade people back. I think many people want GOG to succeed, but success founded through the sacrifice of key principles will be no success at all.
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Zoidberg: +1 this.

GOG was free to compensate their clients to suport those games, GOG would be free to make those games less visible if it costs them too much money.

Maybe they'll be able to have a new game with a regional price on day one, then later make it fairer. Then maybe only allow regional priced games for a certain amount of time before making them fairer...

In any way, gog has my trust now so I'm sure they'll manage to reach their goals.
It's kind of funny the situation they are in now. Now they say to the publisher: You want regional prices? Sure, but you have to give us more revenue because of our policy to compensate. So that will screw us. GOG turned themselves into how we felt before. The regional rip off victim has just shifted places from Customer to GOG.
Alternatively, if people buy the new games from GOG and gog grows more and more, the publishers see a growing market of potential customers and thus GOG will have a bigger say. I mean Steam is now a very important place for developers to display their game, thus Steam has a lot of power. Let's make GOG grow that way as well all the while keeping their core values.
Post edited March 11, 2014 by Senteria
@saberwolf

I doubt it is not so much that the publisher won't work with GOG as GOG can't afford to supplement them. None of us benefit if GOG runs itself in to the ground and goes under.
I'm happy that you listen to your customers. Thank you.
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Licurg: I'm not entirely happy about this, because it would mean GOG is losing money, and if a lot of new games using this are added, and they sell well, it might be too much of a financial strain. How about making this optional ? So that way, people who have the "unfair" pricing, but don't really care about the money, can choose to not get "compensated" ?
You can just let your store credit pile up and pay for every purchase you make instead of using it.
A bit of coverage from elsewhere on the 'net:

http://www.pcgamer.com/2014/03/11/gog-drops-regional-pricing-as-mistake-apologizes/
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/132832-GOG-Returning-To-Its-Roots-After-Regional-Pricing-Backlash
Cheers! Wonderful news. Thank you GOG, you have done the right thing :)