It seems that you're using an outdated browser. Some things may not work as they should (or don't work at all).
We suggest you upgrade newer and better browser like: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Opera

×
DRM-free approach in games has been at the heart of GOG.COM from day one. We strongly believe that if you buy a game, it should be yours, and you can play it the way it’s convenient for you, and not how others want you to use it.

The landscape has changed since 2008, and today many people don’t realize what DRM even means. And still the DRM issue in games remains – you’re never sure when and why you can be blocked from accessing them. And it’s not only games that are affected, but your favourite books, music, movies and apps as well.

To help understand what DRM means, how it influences your games and other digital media, and what benefits come with DRM-free approach, we’re launching the FCK DRM initiative. The goal is to educate people and ignite a discussion about DRM. To learn more visit https://fckdrm.com, and share your opinions and stories about DRM and how it affects you.
Anyways, nice to see GOG knows what is important to their customers. As a DRM-free gaming proponent, this pleases me and makes me feel even better having bought yesterday yet more games from GOG.
So I assume GOG has been sitting on this website since June already? Remember that the EFF launched a new logo in July, hahaha!

avatar
fronzelneekburm: At least, it *WAS* a wonderful resource until some asshole publisher in Germany sued them and the dumb fucking court decided to side with the publisher, so Project Gutenberg had to block access to German IPs entirely. Let that be a lesson to you all: Enjoy your online libraries while you can! They may be DRM-free, but that won't prevent some dumbfuck court from eventually blocking your access anyway.
The problem with PG is that they really are a publisher themselves. A publisher of books that happen to have gone into the public domain in one specific jurisdiction. Those rights they are dependent upon are not international. This has very little to do with DRM.

Their ebooks did not contain actual DRM code. (As many do, e.g. using Adobe’s DRM system.) Whether they were ever legally allowed to even publish the books internationally is a separate issue.

Still waiting for the day a publisher will start selling ebooks DRM free. Rather than the free books on PG or the Internet Archive that are only free because they aren’t IP encumbered.
avatar
tfishell: Offensive name, I demand an apology and deletion of the name.
I propose you "Suck My DRM".
Interesting initiative, but I fear its too little too late in the era where drm is an accepted pratice everywhere besides gog.

Also you could have listed more websites for books that offer only drm-free books like

https://www.baen.com/

Jim Baen the founder of the store was against drm since day one and baen ebooks don't have and will never have drm. It should really be included since its the forerunner for commercial drm-free ebooks.
Post edited August 21, 2018 by Matruchus
high rated
avatar
ColJohnMatrix: It's pretty laughable that Gabe Newell, founder of the largest DRM platform in existence, is quoted on there. It almost undermines the entire message.
Indeed. After seeing that... "person", let's call it, quoted there, that site lost credibility.
Although, if you think about it, having that quote there also serves a purpose: he says DRM is bad but he still uses it. That shows his platform is useless and that he is an hypocrite.

avatar
Waldschatten: Even The Dread Lord GabeN knows it doesn't work.
If he knows it doesn't work, why does he still use and enforce it?
He is an hypocrite. He says DRM is bad to appeal to the users: "oh, newell is so nice. He takes our side!" but in reality, he supports DRM because it's what profitable for him since it's what most devs want (devs want DRM, I mean).
low rated
deleted
Post edited August 21, 2018 by Fairfox
avatar
reative00: Ok, you got me scared for a second. I thought "The landscape has changed since 2008, and today many people don’t realize what DRM even means. " is gonna be followed by "Therefore we don't see the mandatory galaxy as an issue, thank you for understanding".
LOL yeah, for a brief second there, I got this sinking feeling, expecting something like "Here are the things DRM can do for you! It helped us beat communism, and it can help you too! But don't worry, we'll not do evil things with it - only good things! Like censor evil content when ultra-sensitive hyper-pussies get offended by stuff so they don't commit suicide before they realise that using free speech to call for it to be revoked is massively hyporcritical, which is totally not evil! Glory be to DRM!"

Luckily, that imagining of GOG transforming into a Disney-esque corporation of lawyers, DRM SW devs and total assholes who swallow up all before them before re-releasing them in tiny, slightly-modified morsels based on maximum profit without regard for integrity, artistic expression, or common sense, didn't materialise.

Great initiative.

OK sure it's obviously a marketing ploy - yet I don't understand some of the comments on here. Marketing ploys are not inherently evil per se, and they may be beneficial to more than just the company (such as this initiative). Some companies donate to charities which do some good, yet people don't tend to complain that "it's just a marketing ploy" (although that is almost always the primary motivation for the company to do it). So what's the issue?

If the issue is "a list made by GOG may not be fair and representative of what's out there" - that is undoubtedly true. They are a company that is in competition with others, so even if they did a 100% good faith effort here, that statement would still be true since bias will always be suspected. It wouldn't surprise me if getting on the list requires something, such as a similar statement on the "partner's" site listing GOG, some cash, maybe some hookers for the CEO, maybe a night with their wife and/or daughter, possibly a blood sacrifice or two...

Seriously though, I would personally butcher thousands of orphans if it were guaranteed to destroy DRM and its use in our society forever. Since I doubt this would ever be the case (magic not being real and all), I shall instead spread this message around via social media (it's also much easier than butchering, which is hard work from what I hear).

Sometimes it's truly scary the nonchalance people have with DRM. Most people who I know who use Steam have games with DRM without even realising it - this way maybe it can be explained to them without requiring Inquisition-levels of heathen conversion.
I am going to go out on a limb here. GOG is having to do this, because of the sudden influx of people repackaging and selling these products, so they get pushback, and they are trying to counter it. Just open Aazon, Ebay, etc... to find the latest GOG version of something. I am all for this non DRM thing, but it has turned into an entitlement by many, and the excuses make you facepalm sometimes. What is actually going on, is not what GOG, nor this FCKDRM movement is discussing.

What does this have to do with GOG? It's about their original reason why we disliked DRM. It has morphed into something it was never meant to be . And GOG is not discussing that part of the picture.

Have you noticed how so many people are trying to legitimize the self victimization of not being able to buy a game these days, or commenting they should get it for free because of some self delusional thought to try to legitimize theft? This line of thought was never what the anti-DRM approach was for. Its not an entitlement. Doesn't take long to find someone saying they will download a repackaged GOG for free, because the evil game developer wanted to charge $10 for it, and they only had $2.

I get it, but the way people are turning the original no-DRM movement into, is not good for the industry. It's almost as if its turning games into an entitled necessity, and there are many who assume no-DRM means free access if they can find it. NO EXCUSE is proper for stealing. The past Amazon incident should be proof of that, and is probably why they are pushing this. Because game devs are seeing what is going on and are starting to push back.

JMO, and I do support GOG anti-DRM.
avatar
GOG.com: DRM-free approach in games has been at the heart of GOG.COM from day one. We strongly believe that if you buy a game, it should be yours, and you can play it the way it’s convenient for you, and not how others want you to use it.

The landscape has changed since 2008, and today many people don’t realize what DRM even means. And still the DRM issue in games remains – you’re never sure when and why you can be blocked from accessing them. And it’s not only games that are affected, but your favourite books, music, movies and apps as well.

To help understand what DRM means, how it influences your games and other digital media, and what benefits come with DRM-free approach, we’re launching the FCK DRM initiative. The goal is to educate people and ignite a discussion about DRM. To learn more visit https://fckdrm.com, and share your opinions and stories about DRM and how it affects you.
Great job GOG. I also love the email at the bottom of the page.

iwantto@fckdrm.com

:)
avatar
JenkoLite: iwantto@fckdrm.com
That DRM must be such a hottie. ;)
avatar
Barry_Woodward: Dear GOG, the first entry of the chart you made on that website has the X and Check in the wrong columns. See the attachment below.
Err... either you've misread or you're making a joke I'm too stupid to get. :P
Post edited August 21, 2018 by SirPrimalform
avatar
D3nshi: I'm tempted to assume that GOG purposefully chose the rules for inclusion so that they're the only games vendor listed.
The list claims to contain "sources of DRM-free art and media". Itch.io and Humblebundle are sources of DRM-free games, just as much as grocery stores are sources of tomatoes. Whether a media store also carries media with DRM is irrevelant for someone looking for stores that carry DRM-free media.

Please, GOG, don't make this a marketing stunt! Show that you care and reward stores that have (clearly labelled) DRM-free games.

At least the following should be included:
http://fireflowergames.com/
https://www.humblebundle.com/store/search?sort=bestselling&drm=download
I found no clear way on itch.io to filter for DRM-free games so I wouldn't recommend it.

avatar
mirage2000: Stallman was right.
avatar
D3nshi: Of course he was, though his free software philosophy is more about software as a tool and doesn't directly apply to games and other media. He has (understandably) a different view on what ethical media should be. See: https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/copyright-versus-community.en.html
I used to love humble, but lately it is just so riddled with drm (not all products, but more of them are than aren't) that I wouldn't includ it in lists of drm free vedors if I was telling friends about places to look (which I have done on several occasions). Even if you can filter for drm free only via search on the site (did they add that?) you still get e-mails from them promoting lots of drm infested products consistantly.
As others have said you need to have a better approach to this.

While I appreciate the efforts, you're only listing GOG.com under Games without DRM category.
I also know of Itch.io, and the Humble Trove. Although there are probably others out there as well.

FCKDRM really needs a better name, perhaps the "No DRM Initiative, League, or Coalition"
Obviously don't use all 3 words unless you want to.

If it looks more professional and less like something a 13 year old kid would make, you could start an entire revolution.
It would be great if that site included a and maintained list of articles (captures of, like PDFs, since articles disappear) of DRM issues, like the SimCity release, games like DarkSpore vanishing entirely, people losing their accounts, etc.
I am wondering why GOG thinks that site is a good idea.

There are already sites out there that list lots and lots of DRM-free resources, offer more in-depth explanations about DRM, and have site names that are safe to work and everywhere else.

Other than getting their site name listed on that other site, I really fail to see the brilliance of this idea.


For instance, here's a better "competing" site:

http://www.defectivebydesign.org