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General discussionAnnouncement: Big Preorders & Launch Day Releases Coming!(4041 posts)(4041 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted February 21, 2014
The DRM-Free Revolution Continues with Big Pre-Orders and Launch Day Releases!

Good news! GOG.com is going to bring you more fantastic launch day releases, preorders, and other exciting new content from some of our favorite developers. We've lined up 3 big titles that we will be bringing to GOG.com in the next couple of months for sale or preorder that we think will be hits with all of our gamers; and we have more equally exciting games coming up soon.

If you've been a member of the site for a long time, you may recall that when we launched sales of The Witcher 2 on GOG.com, we had to add in regional pricing. The game cost different amounts in in the US, the UK, the European Union, and Australia. We're doing something like that once again in order to bring you new titles from fantastic bigger studios. Since we don't accept currencies other than USD on GOG.com right now, we'll be charging the equivalent of the local price in USD for these titles. We wish that we could offer these games at flat prices everywhere in the world, but the decision on pricing is always in our partners' hands, and regional pricing is becoming the standard around the globe. We're doing this because we believe that there's no better way to accomplish our overall goals for DRM-Free gaming and GOG.com. We need more games, devs, and publishers on board to make DRM-Free gaming something that's standard for all of the gaming world!

That brings with it more good news, though! As mentioned, we have three games we're launching soon with regional pricing--two RPGs and a strategy game--and while we can't tell you what they are yet because breaking an NDA has more severe penalties than just getting a noogie, we're confident that you'll be as excited about these games as we are. For a limited time, we will be offering anyone who pre-orders or buys one of them a free game from a selection as a gift from GOG.com, just like we did for The Witcher 2.

If you have any questions, hit us up in the comments below and we'll be happy to answer (to the best of our ability).

EDIT: Since we've answered a lot of the common questions already here (and lest you think that we've ignored you), it may be handy for you to check out the forum thread about this and search for staff answers by clicking this link here. (hat tip to user Eli who reminded us that the feature even exists. :)
Posted February 23, 2014
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d2t: If you had to add 20-sth % of VAT tax on top of the price of a product when you sell stuff in Europe, would you cover that from your own pocket? Why would a developer or publisher sacrifice part of his income, because your or mine government taxes all products?
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Gearmos: Nice one.

GOG/Valve/Microsoft/Apple/Whatever sets a regional price based on the average VAT across Europe. The average is about 18%, and they increase prices at 35% (with 1$=1€ conversion). Fair price.
It has nothing to do with GOG, Valve, Microsoft of whoever - developer or publisher sets the price of their games and stores have to oblige. I've mentioned the VAT-thing because somebody earlier could not understand why the game would be more expensive in Europe than it is in the US. I'm not saying that charing 35% more is okay if the average tax is 20% + some conversion rate fluctuations.... at the same time, I'm saying that you simply cannot pretend like the 20%+ markup VAT does not exist for sales in the EU.
Post edited February 23, 2014 by d2t
Posted February 23, 2014
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JohnnyDollar: ... I would like to see what AAA launch day titles come here too. I may not even be interested in those 3 games, but I like the idea of big publishers using GOG as a DD for newly launched AAA titles, because I know that I'll be interested with what's offered eventually, and DRM-free is the reason.
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Trilarion: Actually if GOG would have discovered that what's holding the big publishers and their AAA titles as well as back catalogues back was regional pricing and not DRM and they would bring all this to us in the near future.... I would forgive them. :)))
Hehe, well if you've already got pretty much all you want out of the catalog now, then no harm done if they go with regional prices but can deliver newly launched AAA games going forward and acquire older titles at a higher rate without the DRM, then why not? Yeah, I and can understand that.

It'll take a while before they can get momentum, but it's doable to some degree. GOG have to get large enough so that their sales are high enough to where publishers are willing to cut out the DRM with new games and offer their back catalogs, because the opportunity is too good to pass up.

That's what GOG is planning on if I were to guess. If they really believe in the "DRM-free revolution", then that's probably a necessary step that they have to take in that direction to get there.
Post edited February 23, 2014 by JohnnyDollar
Posted February 23, 2014
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Thunderstone: Not that this post would matter at this point, but I think we should maybe put down our pitchforks for the moment and see what happens. I'm hoping that gog will reject region pricing that are blatant ripoffs like what is done on Steam. I can see where this can be a help in some ways to people if it is based more on cost of living or legitimate conversion rates than in 1 USD = 1 Euro bullshit.

Gog is one of the more reasonable gaming companies out there, lets give them a chance. They are not going "Mwahaha, lets put the screws to our customers and alienate our whole base." That would be stupid and suicidal.
But GOG already said they have no say or any power in how the pricing will be applied, it’s all in the hands of the publishers/ developers - TET made it clear that the current regional pricing model will be used (it's in his #909 post). He also brought up Divinity: Original Sin multiple times. Here’s how it’s priced on Steam. Do you think this is ok?
Posted February 23, 2014
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HypersomniacLive: And this is what those saying “it doesn’t affect me, so I don’t care, lol” or “enough with the whining and bitching” don’t get. The concerns expressed are not baseless speculation, but pragmatic worries based on what’s been said by GOG (people, read he blue text, please) and experience with other companies.

Thanks for posting this and the support.
I've read all of the blue posts and nowhere in them did I find substance to all the speculation you all have been trying to pass out as fact and things that undoubtedly will come to pass.

You talk a lot about values and core principles, but apparently only when it comes to companies. Consumers that only care about price and money and go all bitchy when this happens, foreshadowing the worst possible outcome, giving GOG no chance and engaging in conspiracy theories, hypothetical reasoning and fear leverage spreading, dressing it as "pragmatic worries", going to buy a DRM version of a game on some other digital distributor sure are very morally entitled to talk about values and core principles, right?

And, please, stop talking as if those of us not overreacting like egotistical cry-babies were all douches with no respect for your concerns. First of all, that's not true. Secondly, you are on no righteous quest of any sort to uphold core values and ethical principles, all most of you are doing is misinterpreting what GOG said and seeing things where there's absolutely nothing to be seen -- yet, at least.

Most of us don't go around spamming "it doesn't affect me, lol" -- in fact, I didn't see a single post of that nature, so far. Please, stop making things up, either regarding this situation or people that aren't overreacting and prefer to take the sensible course of action and waiting to see where this leads us. Other than that, keep complaining all you want, GOG are unethical monsters in your disappointed eyes, but somehow they haven't been censoring any of this, they didn't close the thread, they addressed, to the best the NDAs let them, pretty much all of your inflated concerns, so, use the thread to express your anger, I'm OK with that, everyone has the right to speak their mind, as long as they keep things civil.
Posted February 23, 2014
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HypersomniacLive: And this is what those saying “it doesn’t affect me, so I don’t care, lol” or “enough with the whining and bitching” don’t get. The concerns expressed are not baseless speculation, but pragmatic worries based on what’s been said by GOG (people, read he blue text, please) and experience with other companies.

Thanks for posting this and the support.
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groze: I've read all of the blue posts and nowhere in them did I find substance to all the speculation you all have been trying to pass out as fact and things that undoubtedly will come to pass.

You talk a lot about values and core principles, but apparently only when it comes to companies. Consumers that only care about price and money and go all bitchy when this happens, foreshadowing the worst possible outcome, giving GOG no chance and engaging in conspiracy theories, hypothetical reasoning and fear leverage spreading, dressing it as "pragmatic worries", going to buy a DRM version of a game on some other digital distributor sure are very morally entitled to talk about values and core principles, right?

And, please, stop talking as if those of us not overreacting like egotistical cry-babies were all douches with no respect for your concerns. First of all, that's not true. Secondly, you are on no righteous quest of any sort to uphold core values and ethical principles, all most of you are doing is misinterpreting what GOG said and seeing things where there's absolutely nothing to be seen -- yet, at least.

Most of us don't go around spamming "it doesn't affect me, lol" -- in fact, I didn't see a single post of that nature, so far. Please, stop making things up, either regarding this situation or people that aren't overreacting and prefer to take the sensible course of action and waiting to see where this leads us. Other than that, keep complaining all you want, GOG are unethical monsters in your disappointed eyes, but somehow they haven't been censoring any of this, they didn't close the thread, they addressed, to the best the NDAs let them, pretty much all of your inflated concerns, so, use the thread to express your anger, I'm OK with that, everyone has the right to speak their mind, as long as they keep things civil.
this thread is for discussion. I suppose you'd have everybody who is disappointed here, shut up until they start getting burned? Is it OK for them to speak then?

I don't appreciate the use of the term bitching. I don't appreciate the term "cry-babies" as well. I have read much of this thread, there has been no or very little bitching.

No one is fear-mongering here.

I think you have said before that you don't use Steam. So then you don't really have experience continually running into an unfair price. Maybe if you did you might feel differently.
Post edited February 23, 2014 by johnnygoging
Posted February 23, 2014
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Thunderstone: Not that this post would matter at this point, but I think we should maybe put down our pitchforks for the moment and see what happens. I'm hoping that gog will reject region pricing that are blatant ripoffs like what is done on Steam. I can see where this can be a help in some ways to people if it is based more on cost of living or legitimate conversion rates than in 1 USD = 1 Euro bullshit.

Gog is one of the more reasonable gaming companies out there, lets give them a chance. They are not going "Mwahaha, lets put the screws to our customers and alienate our whole base." That would be stupid and suicidal.
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HypersomniacLive: But GOG already said they have no say or any power in how the pricing will be applied, it’s all in the hands of the publishers/ developers - TET made it clear that the current regional pricing model will be used (it's in his #909 post). He also brought up Divinity: Original Sin multiple times. Here’s how it’s priced on Steam. Do you think this is ok?
Gog has power, it did business with the publishers despite their principles, which they abandoned.
Posted February 23, 2014
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Lodium: were woud we going though.
Steam?
Origin? Shudders!!!
U-play?
GMG?
D2D?
Humble Bundle?

Probably dozens more ive forgotten about.
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Kyanti4869: I know Steam is DRM.... but it's the best out of the worst. Still makes it bad, but what can we do?
When there is no choice, you dont choose. Simple as that.
Entire world has big problems just because people choose the "lesser evil". Look where that led us, no matter the domain, be it gaming, politics etc etc.

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JanIIISobieski: Isn't regional pricing just like everything else?
Prices are bound to be different region to region, not to mention country by country: gas prices, food prices, toll prices. What's video games to add to the mix?
Yea man, compare the price of real tangible goods with 0/1 digital bits goods. That is bound to reach a apotheotic finale.
Posted February 23, 2014
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GhostwriterDoF: Many of us are understandably upset about the regional pricing, whether it affects us directly or not, however, let’s try not to lose our heads, and be rational. Take a moment to think things through. Pricing is going to ultimately be decided by sales, our voting with our wallets, and pricing will be adjusted over time.

If we are ever to move the DRM free Revolution forward, then we must get the big AAA Developers and Publishers on board with us, in the DRM free distribution markets. And this isn’t just about Gaming, we can expand the cause to Movies, Music and Literature or reference materials as well.

GoG has made a compromise in their pricing principles to make this happen. The AAA Devs and Pubs have made a compromise on their DRM policies to make this happen. Unfortunately the current structure of the large business models are bound to regional pricing and content restrictions, but that doesn’t mean that it will always remain so.

We must be constructive in our criticisms, expressing our influence as a community to be more forward thinking. Let’s welcome these new Devs and Pubs that release their Titles on all DRM free sites.

When it comes to restricted access to content, that is something we can petition Governments and businesses to ease up on, if we make a compromise with possible posted warnings and/or age restriction guidelines, to let individuals decide whether the content is appropriate for them.

(an echo of my post in another thread... ) :P
That seems sound to me I suppose. It can be interpreted by some as a little grandiose, but if you do believe in the DRM-free revolution and GOG's commitment to it...
Post edited February 23, 2014 by JohnnyDollar
Posted February 23, 2014
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Gearmos: Nice one.

GOG/Valve/Microsoft/Apple/Whatever sets a regional price based on the average VAT across Europe. The average is about 18%, and they increase prices at 35% (with 1$=1€ conversion). Fair price.
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d2t: It has nothing to do with GOG, Valve, Microsoft of whoever - developer or publisher sets the price of their games and stores have to oblige. I've mentioned the VAT-thing because somebody earlier could not understand why the game would be more expensive in Europe than it is in the US. I'm not saying that charing 35% more is okay if the average tax is 20% + some conversion rate fluctuations.... at the same time, I'm saying that you simply cannot pretend like the 20%+ markup VAT does not exist for sales in the EU.
GUYS! Are you sure that the GoG (or any other digital distributor) has to collect VAT and then send it to all the states accordingly to how many people from those states has bought the game??? It sounds to me like total bullshit coz all the problems that comes with it, Its more likely made up nonsense by greedy publishers brainwashed to peoples heads that somehow people really believed.
Much more logical, as some here already said, is that the distributor pays VAT to the country wheres his place of bussiness is, for all the sold games no matter where they sold it!
Stop repeating this again and again please! Im amazed I hear this story everywhere around the net and almost everyone think its true :(
Posted February 23, 2014
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Thunderstone: Not that this post would matter at this point, but I think we should maybe put down our pitchforks for the moment and see what happens. I'm hoping that gog will reject region pricing that are blatant ripoffs like what is done on Steam. I can see where this can be a help in some ways to people if it is based more on cost of living or legitimate conversion rates than in 1 USD = 1 Euro bullshit.

Gog is one of the more reasonable gaming companies out there, lets give them a chance. They are not going "Mwahaha, lets put the screws to our customers and alienate our whole base." That would be stupid and suicidal.
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HypersomniacLive: But GOG already said they have no say or any power in how the pricing will be applied, it’s all in the hands of the publishers/ developers - TET made it clear that the current regional pricing model will be used (it's in his #909 post). He also brought up Divinity: Original Sin multiple times. Here’s how it’s priced on Steam. Do you think this is ok?
What I had in mind was more along simply rejecting the the particularly unreasonable markups. True it may be up to publisher to set the price, but the power is in gog's hands of what they will accept on the website.

Ouch, I see what you mean there
Post edited February 23, 2014 by Thunderstone
Posted February 23, 2014
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Thunderstone: Not that this post would matter at this point, but I think we should maybe put down our pitchforks for the moment and see what happens. I'm hoping that gog will reject region pricing that are blatant ripoffs like what is done on Steam. I can see where this can be a help in some ways to people if it is based more on cost of living or legitimate conversion rates than in 1 USD = 1 Euro bullshit.

Gog is one of the more reasonable gaming companies out there, lets give them a chance. They are not going "Mwahaha, lets put the screws to our customers and alienate our whole base." That would be stupid and suicidal.
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HypersomniacLive: But GOG already said they have no say or any power in how the pricing will be applied, it’s all in the hands of the publishers/ developers - TET made it clear that the current regional pricing model will be used (it's in his #909 post). He also brought up Divinity: Original Sin multiple times. Here’s how it’s priced on Steam. Do you think this is ok?
Had been brought up before but previously GOG had certain pricing tiers games fit into. With the cap being lifted (bit disappointed that happened for certain games to come here and more expensive indies $20+ --- really shouldnt be case....another discussion another day..) publishers can go "Ahhhh i can be greedy and try for as much $$$ as i can". Gog HAD more negotiation power before - fit into the tiers or not at all. With that being lifted - sky is the limit - the new regional pricing scheme which applies to NEW AAA and pre orders (at least for now) gives the publishers more power over the prices than before and as pointed out, games on here have a finite contract length between GOG and publishers - so there is every chance in the world publishers will try to push higher prices (or at least push the regional pricing bs further)
I for one am really disappointed in Larian have already gone ahead and joined the regional pricing farce. Have they comment to anyones inquiry about this?
Posted February 23, 2014
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Ichwillnichtmehr: I'm a Kickstarter backer too, and you can still change between Larian Vault/GOG.com/Steam on your backer page.
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HypersomniacLive: And what exactly would that accomplish? Divinity: Original Sin is already regionally priced everywhere.

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adamhm: snip

I'm certain it'll never happen. DRM-free is GOG's main selling point and the reason behind their decision to accept regional pricing. It's the main thing that sets them apart from other distributors. For this reason I don't see them ever compromising on it. Plus, if they did ever compromise on their stance on DRM, what would that really accomplish? If any DRM gets accepted then we all might as well just run off to Steam - that would be far more convenient at least.

snip
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HypersomniacLive: I encourage you to read my post once more - everything you say applies to today, but could change under certain circumstances. I'm not playing prophet here saying that the worst is on its way, but I'm going to watch how things play out - on all fronts.
I'm a DRM-free believer and advocate, I sure hope nth related to DRM-free will ever change, but GOG is after all and above all a for-profit entity that has already demonstrated how it adapts to global standards if that's going to promote its business.
It's not unthinkable that some time in the future they may assess that conditions on multiple levels and fronts are ripe enough to ditch the DRM-free Revolution if that is going to promote their business more or best.
He was asking about redeeming D:OS on GOG.com, and I just told him he still has other options.

What he does is up to him.
Posted February 23, 2014
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johnnygoging: this thread is for discussion. I suppose you'd have everybody who is disappointed here, shut up until they start getting burned? Is it OK for them to speak then?

I don't appreciate the use of the term bitching. I don't appreciate the term "cry-babies" as well. I have read much of this thread, there has been no or very little bitching.

No one is fear-mongering here.

I think you have said before that you don't use Steam. So then you don't really have experience continually running into an unfair price. Maybe if you did you might feel differently.
Nowhere did The Enigmatic T and/or GOG said they're adopting an unfair pricing system. Again, there you go jumping to conclusions based alone on "it may happen".

I'm sorry for having used the terms bitching and cry-babies. It obviously doesn't apply to everyone, but from what I gather, so far, there has been some cry-babies bitching. And, no, I don't want anyone to shut up, I just recommend thinking about this before reacting this harshly. No one will get burned, if people's fears become reality, then, yes, attack GOG with all you've got, boycott them, do whatever you think it's best. Right now this reaction just seems a bit too much.
Posted February 23, 2014
Since they've removed the "one world fair price" point from their credo, it's safe to assume that they know that the regional pricing will be unfair.
Posted February 23, 2014
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Pheace: Also, @ people asking why they didn't call a vote for this... seriously? We all know what the answer would have been, so does GOG. The answer was obvious, so they simply opted not to do it.
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Trilarion: I think the answer to such difficult questions is never obvious. The active commentors are a small fraction of the total customer base of GOG. I prefer to have such numbers black on white.

But probably you are true. GOG feared that the result of a survey would be negative and anyway they had set their mind, so why asking if you don't want to ask anyway. Or maybe they're just too lazy.
Maybe they've just made the decision internally and don't intend on seeking our opinions or a go-ahead from us. In other words, the decision is theirs to make and they aren't asking for advice from us before they make it.
Post edited February 23, 2014 by JohnnyDollar
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionAnnouncement: Big Preorders & Launch Day Releases Coming!(4041 posts)(4041 posts)
(4041 posts)