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General discussionI boycott GOG ... well because of (lost) principles(316 posts)(316 posts)
(316 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted October 02, 2015
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john_hatcher: If you do not agree with me and still go on buying games and movies from GOG, it's fine with me, but please don't tell me how I 'm wrong, because I see it that way and this is my only way to express it.
Like I always say, vote with your wallet, which is what you are doing. If you are miffed at GOG about something, then do what you must.

I personally don't find those issues you presented as biggies, so I will continue buying games from GOG for the time being (1037 GOG games and counting...).

You know what, I'll join your boycott, but in a different way. Since the real crux of the problem is the German government and the Germans who voted Angela Merkel to power with her anti-gamer agenda, I solemnly swear not to buy another Volkswagen. That'll show her! I had a Volkswagen like 8 years ago but it was full of problems, both engine and electricity problems which were very costly to repair, over and over again. Now I have a Japanese car and it works like a clockwork (or a train toilet, as we say here in Finland).

Power to the gamers! And drivers!
Post edited October 02, 2015 by timppu
Posted October 02, 2015
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tfishell: Where do you plan to buy from instead?
I had the same question in mind. Is there a digital store which sells those same games to Germans?

If he says he is still buying games from Steam, I call a double-standard.
Post edited October 02, 2015 by timppu
Posted October 02, 2015
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timppu: I had the same question in mind. Is there a digital store which sells those same games to Germans?

If he says he is still buying games from Steam, I call a double-standard.
Not directly through Steam, but there might be a store that sells Steam keys without restrictions.
Posted October 02, 2015
Uhmm.. aren't you a bit late?
Also, do you really think that boycotting Gog will change german laws? O_o
Posted October 02, 2015
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tfishell: Where do you plan to buy from instead?
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timppu: I had the same question in mind. Is there a digital store which sells those same games to Germans?

If he says he is still buying games from Steam, I call a double-standard.
Steam has regional locking for about everything, but maybe Humble Bundle.
HB sold a non locked bundle with Commandos 1-3 after GoG stopped selling Commandos 1 to Germans.

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phaolo: Uhmm.. aren't you a bit late?
Also, do you really think that boycotting Gog will change german laws? O_o
Another one that believes the lie about the laws.
It's not required by law, just by Bethesda, so maybe people should start boycotting Bethesda instead (and there are many more reasons for that).

The regional pricing thing is something I won't forgive though and I'm not only talking about the additional $ that have to be paid by Europeans but about the Russian discount as well (which doesnt give all the others any store credit).
Post edited October 02, 2015 by Klumpen0815
Posted October 02, 2015
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DanTheKraut: The law for e-shops is called JMStV... also already mentioned before and what was also already mentioned before is that GOG is not affected as a store not based in Germany by this. GOG is not affected by the JMStV which is for digital articles and not affected by the JuSchG which is for retail copies because both laws end at the german border which can be read in those specific laws for people who don't believe it.
It's not that easy. Since the launch of the German site, gog.com is officially targeted to a German audience. While I don't think they can be fined for selling blacklisted or banned stuff to Germans, since they are no German company the BPjM and KJM have another way to punish GOG: They can blacklist the site as a whole. This would mean gog.com would disappear from all search results of German targeted search engines - and you can imagine how bad it would be for business to disappear from google.de.
That's why with the launch of the German site the Commandos series was made unavailable for Germans. GOG already takes a risk by selling Mortal Kombat and Harvester.

I agree that GOG's policy of this problem is a little erratic. Some games are available to Germans, some are not. I think they could sell at least Quake 2+3 openly, but this block might have been Bethesda's decision. It could be because there is a ZeniMax Germany GmbH, which poses the risk to get made liable for selling blacklisted games to Germans (through GOG).
Post edited October 02, 2015 by toxicTom
Posted October 02, 2015
I girlcott GOG.
Also probably Bethesda is forbidden to sell the games in Germany, otherwise they probably wouldn't turn down the money offered. As for rumours of DRM on gog, i think they are exaggerated. So far I see no reason to boycott gog. Yes they have regional prices, but they also have fair price package, yes they have regional (buying) restrictions in some countries, but that's the fault of the countries themselves, not GOG. And I'm sure that any german user who wants to get the Wolfenstein or Commandos games can get them via other means...
Posted October 02, 2015
I don't think GoG has much of a choice. If they do not region lock those games they might get in trouble and worst case they won't be allowed to sell to Germany anymore.

Germany has some crazy strict rules on games, its not something GoG can bypass. All that can be done is for games to make a different German version (like wolfenstein the new order did). Potentially with an online "back to normal" mod somewhere
Posted October 02, 2015
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Klumpen0815: It's not required by law, just by Bethesda, so maybe people should start boycotting Bethesda instead (and there are many more reasons for that).
If I was German, I would most probably refuse to buy the games that Bethesda refuses to sell to me.

EDIT: Sorry if I lost it in some earlier messages, but if it is true there are no restrictions nor impediments whatsoever for Bethesda to sell any of its games in Germany (unaltered, and not requiring some extra hoops to make sure the digital buyer is 18 years old), what then is your theory why Bethesda and/or GOG.com refuses to sell the games to Germans? You people act like the German legislation has nothing to do with that, so why then?
Post edited October 02, 2015 by timppu
Posted October 02, 2015
Anyone think GoG or Bethesda hates money so much that they don't want to sell games in Germany?
Posted October 02, 2015
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toxicTom: While I don't think they can be fined for selling blacklisted or banned stuff to Germans, since they are no German company the BPjM and KJM have another way to punish GOG: They can blacklist the site as a whole. This would mean gog.com would disappear from all search results of German targeted search engines - and you can imagine how bad it would be for business to disappear from google.de.
That's why with the launch of the German site the Commandos series was made unavailable for Germans. GOG already takes a risk by selling Mortal Kombat and Harvester.
If I personally would make for example Wolfenstein buyable on GOG.com from Germany territory (site language doesn't matter) I would personally go to jail. :) Or fined or smth. There was some legal explanation about it somewhere on the forums.
Posted October 02, 2015
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timppu: If I was German, I would most probably refuse to buy the games that Bethesda refuses to sell to me.
See my post above. They probably are afraid German law can get to through ZeniMax Germany GmbH.
Posted October 02, 2015
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Johny.: If I personally would make for example Wolfenstein buyable on GOG.com from Germany territory (site language doesn't matter) I would personally go to jail.
But the Germans would still get their game, right? I say go for it. I'll send you flowers to brighten up your cell.
Posted October 02, 2015
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Johny.: If I personally would make for example Wolfenstein buyable on GOG.com from Germany territory (site language doesn't matter) I would personally go to jail. :) Or fined or smth. There was some legal explanation about it somewhere on the forums.
Fined. Jail only if you're really renitent and stubborn. :-)
Or maybe not. There are good chances that games are nowadays seen as art and part of culture, which would place them on the same level as movies and comics (since Spiegelman's Maus), meaning the ban on "symbols" could be lifted. But so far nobody had the balls to take this to court.

Maybe it would take a "Maus"-like game. A depressing depiction of living under the rule of the Third Reich, with authentic propaganda, marching SA/SS, Gestapo, Jews disappearing... Something that combines art and edutainment and would lead to an outcry if it was banned in Germany.
Posted October 02, 2015
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phaolo: do you really think that boycotting Gog will change german laws? O_o
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Klumpen0815: Another one that believes the lie about the laws.
It's not required by law, just by Bethesda
What?! It's a lie? :O
But.. why should Bethesda auto-censore their games for a country?
Also, this has happened before for another company, hasn't it?
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionI boycott GOG ... well because of (lost) principles(316 posts)(316 posts)
(316 posts)