I'm fine with stuff like Diablo given it did not run on Windows 10 same goes for the stuff they brought back from the dead or license limbo (like SWAT 4). That's fair game in my eyes.

Not so much Project Warlock, but I've bought the game where it's been released since due to it deserving every penny ten fold

Limiting the choice of buying here or there is different from limiting the choice of installing or not a 3rd party client (or installing yet another one). If it was just exclusivities for DRM-free games over here or over there, I'd be buying everywhere. Exclusivity for a new mandatory client ? Fuck epic.

The backers gave them a interest free loan based on a false promise. They got their money based on the promise of offering the game on Steam and GOG, including the stretch goals that were reached.

What we have now is Snapshot got an interest free loan to make their game possible at all, and now they’re selling it exclusively on a different platform (almost 50% owned by Tencent, by the way).

And even with a full refund, GOG and Steam users can’t be sure they’ll get the game with all the promised DLC included in the price after the exclusive deal is over a year later. If the game is ever going to appear on GOG anytime soon, that is.

Snapshot really messed this one up big time. I’m not impressed by Julian Gollop.

From their FAQ:

I really wanted the game on Steam or GOG.com. What can I do?

Whichever delivery option you had originally opted for, we’re still positive that you will have a fantastic experience with Phoenix Point on the Epic Games Launcher.

How about “No, F you, Snapshot Games”?

Thanks for keeping us posted.

https://www.reddit.com/r/PhoenixPoint/comments/b0cha7/good_news_backers_will_receive_steamgog_keys/

Backers will finally get their steam/GOG keys after Epic exclusivity year. Not the best solution, but probably the only possible one, once the contract between Epic and Snapshot has been signed.

Snip. Ninjas

“Not the best solution” is quite an understatement. Snapshot’s still giving the finger to all Steam and GOG backers.
It’s kind of telling and hilarious how fast they backpedaled. It seems that the backlash was bigger than they expected it to be.

“Thank you for your interest free loan, we’re going to exclude you from playing the game for one year, opposite of what we promised. All Epic customers say thank you to you useful idiots.

Sincerely unsincere,

Julian Gollop”

I was a Julian Gollop fanboy for about 30 years, and backed this immediately. I felt kicked in the gut when Snapshot dropped Linux support. At least they were quick in processing the refund. I won't be a customer/mug again.

Let's not be obtuse here, even you understand that if you pay a 5$ tier that only says "thank you for your support" you have no rights. But, when you pay for a tier that says you get a product like they have advertised, that is a purchase and you have certain rights.

Like I wrote, this is clearly false and misleading advertised to get more money in the dev phase (can be interpreted as a scam), and then ditched what was advertisement. The fact that many doesn't try this in a legal court (of course it's not always feasible because there are loopholes or it's very hard to do it because of the digital nature and we have borders in the real world) doesn't mean that the company/people behind the advertisement is free from certain responsibility, legally.

In the moment people pay for a product, AND those don't get what's advertised; that's scam (and thus illegal)!

EDIT: The so-called option to "refund" is nothing more than an poor attempt to wiggle wiggle them out of a legal response.

I am not being obtuse. Crowdfunding sites are not selling products. They are not treated under the law as purchases.

Yes, you'll still receive a GOG (or Steam) key after the 1-year period. That cools my jets. As long as I still get it on GOG eventually!

Semantics vs loopholes. Crowdfounding can be both. But we'll just have to disagree on that :)

Well this sucks. One of my most anticipated games in years, and now it's out of my reach for another twelve months.

I wouldn't mind so much if all this cash Epic's throwing around wasn't basically the proceeds of gambling and addiction-mongering. Hopefully once all of Europe makes lootboxes illegal and the Fortnite ecomony crashes, Epic will go under and Snapshot will come crawling back to GOG.

Well, I can dream, can't I?

One difference I see people overlooking...
Thronebreaker and Diablo being GoG exclusives were never advertised as going to other platforms first nor promised to Kickstarter backers. Furthermore, GoG exclusives are usually only exclusive for a month or two, not a whole year.

And who is to say GoG will want to carry a game that has been out for a whole year. What if it's sales aren't very good? I doubt GoG is going to make a commitment to carry a game like this over a year out from it's availability.