paladin181: I don't really feel like there is a DRM on delivery. That's like claiming that buying an item in the store is DRM, which is false. Some people would call anything not free as using DRM. Is your bread DRM-ed?
But it is DRM, that's the whole point. If you don't have a GoG account, or if you haven't purchased a game from GoG, you can't download that game. It's managing your rights to the digital content... DRM.
No one is saying it's the same as draconian DRM like securom, but it's still very much a form of DRM, however unobtrusive it might be.
Anything that requires something you have locally (that doesn't phone home, either) and doesn't have a limit that is irrevocable (securom) such as CD keys I don't think can be considered DRM as much as copy protection. Similar but not the same as it requires an accessible item that will be perpetually available to you and therefore will not be able to lock you out of your purchase in the future.
If we start changing the definition of DRM to whatever makes us feel comfortable, then it's pointless to try and promote DRM-free to a layman. CD keys are DRM. If you can't install and play that game without inputting a CD key, that's managing your rights to that digital content. That's DRM.
the.kuribo: It's also why the best malware are the ones that are undetectable or trick the user into buying into the added benefit it provides and instills a false sense of security.
Yeah, Norton and McAfee have that market on lock. It's disturbing how many OEMs just load up their computers with them and pass them on to their customers.
timppu: No, the delivery part does not include DRM.
It's not on the transmission of the bits and bytes, it's because in order to download (ie: delivery to your computer) the game, you have to have A) a GoG account, and B) have purchased said game from GoG, tying it's license to your GoG account.
Trilarion: One thing is to have restricted rights and the other thing is to have a physical restriction of these rights.
... *facepalm*
And you people wonder why no one cares about DRM-free. You can't even agree among yourselves what is and isn't DRM, how do you expect anyone else to grok it?
Trilarion: Getting the game file you only need to do once in your life, ideally right after purchase.
Sure... if you want to constantly be buying larger and larger hard drives (or more and more discs and optical burners) to store all your game installers on and keep them backed up on at least a second hard drive (or more and more discs because discs don't last forever) in order to account for drive failures, if not yet another off-site backup in order to account for catastrophic events like your house burning down.
I saw the folly in that approach ages ago when games started growing past a handful of floppies into full CDs, then several CDs, then DVDs, and then several DVDs... now we're even starting to blow past BDs. Sure, most of the games on offer here aren't in that category, but I know there are quite a lot in the 3-15GB range, and Witcher 3 I'd bet is going to be at least a 20GB download, and around 40GB to install (yes I've seen the specs)... that's 60GB if you're holding onto the installer. For a single game. And that's not even including the expansions if you get those. Even if you keep your installers/downloads on a separate drive from the game installs, you're still needing that space whether you contain it to one drive or two (or more).
I'll take the more pragmatic approach, follow gaming press and keep up on the status of GoG and CDPR, and until I start catching a whiff of potential closure, I'll be fine to keep my downloads/installers on GoGs servers until I need them.
Trilarion: But in case we start counting only right after download, GOG games would not have DRM while Steam games would.
Except for the DRM-free games on Steam, of course.
Trilarion: In opposition to that with Steam games you have to ask for permission to use them regularly.
Except for the DRM-free games on Steam, of course.