jamyskis: So what's next? Adding DRM because "the decision on DRM is in our partners' hands"?
Is there anyone in PC gaming nowadays with anything resembling an ounce of backbone?
Also, quoting The Witcher 2 is a little disingenuous, because that was not a strategic choice, but rather a court-enforced choice between either pulling it from GOG or applying regional pricing due to a botched agreement with Namco Bandai.
I get the feeling that the classic releases are also going to be bumped up in price in the months to come, especially where EA, Activision and Ubisoft are concerned.
When I read the GOG announcement above I thought regional pricing kind of sucked considering they are opposed to it. Having said that though, I have to ask myself what is more important:
1) Having more DRM-free games on GOG.com at any price whatsoever whether it varies regionally or not.
or
2) Having less DRM-free games on GOG and having to go buy them on Steam DRM-encumbered instead *and* with regional pricing anyway.
Most games are likely to still be globally priced I imagine, but given the choice between buying a game on Steam which is DRM-encumbered and regionally priced, or buying a game on GOG which is DRM-free and regionally priced, I'll take the latter over the former all else being equal. DRM-free is just flat out more important.
As for the regional pricing, I don't think it really matters that much in the end. When I look at the price of a game, the numbers it shows me are either perceived by me as being worth the value of the game to me personally or not. If it is, I'll buy it, if not I wont. If someone else can buy it even cheaper than what I'd consider a fair price, good for them. If I don't consider the price I'm offered fair, I just wont buy it. Another option is for someone who gets a better regional price to buy the game for someone who gets a worse price and code swap (unless something is done to prevent that too). Since the games are DRM-free though, nothing could be done to enforce that on the software side of things without adding DRM, and GOG isn't going to go down that road really or the entire point of their business model goes out the window and they lose the customer base because of it. They know that so I don't think they'd ever do that personally.
I just want more DRM-free games and I'd like to get them on the game's release day personally rather than having to wait for 6-24 months or more for whatever the reasons might be. I went ahead and bought Trine 2 on Steam because it was $1 or so during December and I figured if it was ever coming to GOG it'd be here already. A few weeks later Trine 2 came to GOG. Argh! Why wasn't it here from day 1? I have no idea and don't expect anyone to be able to tell me the actual official reason either. If there's anything GOG could have done to bring the game or any other game here sooner and DRM-free which is a reasonable compromise on other matters that does not compromise the stance on DRM-free I think they should consider these things.
All that matters with regard to pricing really is what price one sees and whether they think that is a good price for the value the game provides. Whether or not someone else pays more or less might be annoying to know, but it's irrelevant if the game is a good price without knowing what others pay. Of course due to the forums, I'm sure pricing differences wont be a mystery for anyone who is curious enough.