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GOG.com Implements Court-Required Changes; Uses Geo-IP to Determine Location for Witcher 2 Purchases

If you’ve been paying attention to news about the CD Projekt RED group, you’ve possibly heard that a French court made a judgement about a few things that were in dispute between CD Projekt RED and Namco Bandai Partners. Most of the decision doesn’t influence GOG.com, but one of the rulings from the court does: according to the findings of the court, the method that we have been using to determine what location a game purchaser is located at when they buy a copy of [url=http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/the_witcher_2]The Witcher 2 (and, as such, what version and price they are presented with) needs to be changed.

GOG.com has stated for a long time now that we believe that the best security is asking only for the minimum of information that we need to successfully transact business with our customers. Our opinion is still that including things like determining your location via Geo-IP, because there are several possible flaws with that system. However, in order to keep selling The Witcher 2, we will need to implement a Geo-IP based system for determining your location, per the orders of the court.

We will be implementing this system immediately; you will see that your local currency’s price is now featured on the product page when you visit it, based on your IP address. Since we've already announced the price for this game would be the same flat price everywhere during the Holiday Sale (which ends on January 2nd, 2012, at 23:59 EST Time), we’re not going to change the pricing for the Witcher 2 until this sale ends.

We remain committed to user privacy and keeping your information as safe and secure as we can. Further, while your profile’s location is, by order of the court, determined via Geo-IP when you purchase a copy of The Witcher 2, you can still set your country location for the forums as you would like, and your location doesn’t matter for buying any other games on GOG.com.

If you have already purchased your copy of the Witcher 2, we won’t be changing anything on your already-bought copy, just as if you had a boxed copy on a physical shelf instead of a virtual box on your GOG.com shelf.

If you have any questions about this, please feel free to ask it the comments below, or (if you’re a journalist) drop us an email and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
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DarkUltima: I see peoples points better in relation to my own original opinions.

I'm not sure if I said it before but I'm under the impression people's grievances are against the wrong targets.

I harbour more against those who manipulate and coerce GoG into bending their own rules just to be as faithful to their customers as possible, almost as much as I harbour a grudge against my own government that decides I as a 22 year old cannot determine myself what content I am willing to expose myself to in the video games I play.


Maybe it's just me though.
Oh, the number one villains here are clearly Namco. Not only to they gouge the customers on price, they also don't supply region-appropriate content. The world would be a lot better without Namco-Bandai. It sticks in my craw to see any of my money going to them. Now there's a dangerous thought to follow to its logical conclusion, right?

The number two villains here would be the Australian parliament. Last I heard they were allowing games to be rated R18 in theory, but it's a slow process and we're not going to see anything come through for years yet. http://www.r18games.com.au/
Post edited January 04, 2012 by BreathingMeat
I remember throwing my vote in direction of R18+ for games. I really should be more politically active than I am at my age.
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DarkUltima: For GoG, it was a matter of doing the least damage; implementing Geo-IP will annoy people under principle, refusing to would mean removing The Witcher 2, which means Everyone who purchased it has lost access to their merchandise;
Say, that's a selling point that belongs on the front page. "Our promise at GoG: if we change the terms of sale after you've bought our product, we'll continue to allow you to own what you paid for (under a lengthy and boring YET BINDING click-through contract). All hail DRM-free software! If you love us, tell your friends!"

I bet it was hard work getting through Wizard Levels 1-4, but if you think Steam doesn't have a dozen lawyers and fifty PR people watching this thread with morbid interest, you might have gone to the wrong Hogwarts prep school. Or maybe you were absent on Careers Day.
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DarkUltima: For GoG, it was a matter of doing the least damage; implementing Geo-IP will annoy people under principle, refusing to would mean removing The Witcher 2, which means Everyone who purchased it has lost access to their merchandise;
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OneNight: Say, that's a selling point that belongs on the front page. "Our promise at GoG: if we change the terms of sale after you've bought our product, we'll continue to allow you to own what you paid for (under a lengthy and boring YET BINDING click-through contract). All hail DRM-free software! If you love us, tell your friends!"

I bet it was hard work getting through Wizard Levels 1-4, but if you think Steam doesn't have a dozen lawyers and fifty PR people watching this thread with morbid interest, you might have gone to the wrong Hogwarts prep school. Or maybe you were absent on Careers Day.
Would you rather they took the games away from people who had bought them or given them censored versions & removed the game from sale so no one could buy it?
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DarkUltima: For GoG, it was a matter of doing the least damage; implementing Geo-IP will annoy people under principle, refusing to would mean removing The Witcher 2, which means Everyone who purchased it has lost access to their merchandise;
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OneNight: Say, that's a selling point that belongs on the front page. "Our promise at GoG: if we change the terms of sale after you've bought our product, we'll continue to allow you to own what you paid for (under a lengthy and boring YET BINDING click-through contract). All hail DRM-free software! If you love us, tell your friends!"

I bet it was hard work getting through Wizard Levels 1-4, but if you think Steam doesn't have a dozen lawyers and fifty PR people watching this thread with morbid interest, you might have gone to the wrong Hogwarts prep school. Or maybe you were absent on Careers Day.
I honestly can't see your point, I suggest you present your argument better (because I'm still willing to listen instead of just shrugging you off as ignorant).

Additionally: Ad Hominem.
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DarkUltima: For GoG, it was a matter of doing the least damage; implementing Geo-IP will annoy people under principle, refusing to would mean removing The Witcher 2, which means Everyone who purchased it has lost access to their merchandise;
Say, that's a selling point that belongs on the front page. "Our promise at GoG: if we change the terms of sale after you've bought our product, we'll continue to allow you to own what you paid for (under a lengthy and boring YET BINDING click-through contract). All hail DRM-free software! If you love us, tell your friends!"
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DarkUltima: For GoG, it was a matter of doing the least damage; implementing Geo-IP will annoy people under principle, refusing to would mean removing The Witcher 2, which means Everyone who purchased it has lost access to their merchandise;
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OneNight: Say, that's a selling point that belongs on the front page. "Our promise at GoG: if we change the terms of sale after you've bought our product, we'll continue to allow you to own what you paid for (under a lengthy and boring YET BINDING click-through contract). All hail DRM-free software! If you love us, tell your friends!"
I honestly can't see your point, I suggest you present your argument better (because I'm still willing to listen instead of just shrugging you off as ignorant).
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DarkUltima: For GoG, it was a matter of doing the least damage; implementing Geo-IP will annoy people under principle, refusing to would mean removing The Witcher 2, which means Everyone who purchased it has lost access to their merchandise;
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OneNight: Say, that's a selling point that belongs on the front page. "Our promise at GoG: if we change the terms of sale after you've bought our product, we'll continue to allow you to own what you paid for (under a lengthy and boring YET BINDING click-through contract). All hail DRM-free software! If you love us, tell your friends!"
Because repeating your last comment really works wonders for proving your point....
It makes no sense to me the fact that the developers signed with a publisher. It's an old gate keeper third party. They have good reputation and nice delivery channels. A publisher seems useless to me(and causes problems as we have seen). I hope your next game comes straight to us from the devs.
If it is a French court then it should only apply to the French not the world.
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FlyByU: If it is a French court then it should only apply to the French not the world.
again. Namco is not selling the game in France only. that's why it is worldwide.
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FlyByU: If it is a French court then it should only apply to the French not the world.
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lukaszthegreat: again. Namco is not selling the game in France only. that's why it is worldwide.
Still a French Ruling does not apply to the world just France unless Namco is a French company.
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lukaszthegreat: again. Namco is not selling the game in France only. that's why it is worldwide.
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FlyByU: Still a French Ruling does not apply to the world just France unless Namco is a French company.
NO. it does apply worldwide, or to be more precise where namco operates according to the contract with CDPR.
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FlyByU: Still a French Ruling does not apply to the world just France unless Namco is a French company.
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lukaszthegreat: NO. it does apply worldwide, or to be more precise where namco operates according to the contract with CDPR.
I guess Americans don't go by rulings of other countries because most would violate our Constitutional Rights. However if a company is going to enforce the ruling outside the States I guess we have to accept it or not use the services of said provider.
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FlyByU: I guess Americans don't go by rulings of other countries because most would violate our Constitutional Rights. However if a company is going to enforce the ruling outside the States I guess we have to accept it or not use the services of said provider.
Of course you have to abide the rulings of other countries courts!
If you do not you will get fined, restriction on your business practices can be set up.