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General discussionDo I actually own a game on GoG, or is it just a license?(44 posts)(44 posts)
(44 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted August 18, 2018
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Wolfy777: GOG also won't punish you for user inactivity (e.g. Steam will close your account if you haven't logged in for 2 years or more),
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CharlesGrey: Citation needed. Did a quick web search to see if this is true, and apparently they will only close inactive accounts without any purchased games. As soon as you spend money on a Steam account it should be safe for as long as Steam/Valve are around.

Think about it for a moment -- Why would they possibly want to remove legitimate user profiles? There's always a chance the user will return and spend more money. And even if the account remains inactive, such accounts still boost their usage statistics. And then there's the potential backlash and negative PR if they just randomly remove accounts, and keep people from accessing their games library.
Sorry, I must have mixed it up with another service.
E.g. A Uplay account can be terminated if "your Account has been inactive for more than six months and you do not have access to pay functions;", taken from here: https://legal.ubi.com/termsofuse/en-GB

As for GOG, I can cite it from an email (date 9. 12. 2017).
Me:
"What happens if a user does not use their [GOG] account at all for two years or more? Is the account closed or frozen until an explanation is given?"
GOG's Support:
"There are no adverse effects of not using your GOG account for any period of time. As long as you have access to the email you have registered your account with, you will be able to log back in after a period of inactivity. If you lose access to your email for any reason, you can always contact us and we will be able to change the email assigned to your account for you, after we verify you as the account's owner."

P.S. Would you happen to remeber where you found the information about this part: "Did a quick web search to see if this is true, and apparently they will only close inactive accounts without any purchased games."?
It seems I need to refresh.
Posted August 18, 2018
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toxicTom: Best chance to own a game is a DRM-free digital store (GOG, a few games on Humble, itch.io, some others). But own always means "a license for personal use". Has been like that forever. Even if you buy a disk - you own the (physical) disk and a license to use the software contained on it. You can't of course own "the game" because that would mean you'd be free to distribute it.
It's all just semantics... You own a game for personal use! Just like you own a baseball bat... but still aren't allowed to purposefully use it to bash somebody's head in. Ownership has never been a 100% or nothing thing.

It's just that DRM turns that ownership effectually into a usage license.
Posted August 18, 2018
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Fairfox: always! enebias we're nothin' without connexions 2 other peeps
an open heart, understandin', compassion an' kind thoughts :)
+1
It kinda hurts to see such a post downvoted just because of your special way to write :'(
Posted August 18, 2018
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Enebias: just like in the good old physical DRM-free releases era.
When was that?
Pretty much every game in GOG had DRM at one point, be it in the form of codes you had to input, cdkeys you had to write during setup, disks needing to be on the drive at all times, and then actual drm programs like starforce and the like.

That is if you don't count the biggest form of DRM there, which was actually owning the game :P

As an anecdote I saw a physical copy of Dark Messiah of Might and Magic for one (1) buck at a local store recently, I was going to buy it but then I remembered it had Starforce. I'll just keep my Steam copy.
Posted August 18, 2018
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It uses SecuROM.
But maybe the version that was released in Chile used Starforce... don't know about that.
Posted August 18, 2018
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PixelBoy: Backing up is a good habit, although that's not even the biggest issue. You can always find "backup sites" to download games from. But if a service like GOG goes down, where do you have a proof about your end-user licence then?
From a legal point of view, it's more important to backup confirmation mails about game purchases than games itself.
I get what you mean, but law does not work that way, you have no obligaion to present proof of any kind.
First of all, you must get accused of stealing games, and that is already unlikely.
Second, each accusation must be proved, and that is fundamentally impossible without very strict DRM.
Only after you have been accused and somehow they managed to prove that you illicitly obtained your games, you need to present proof of purchase to contradict the false accusations.
Nobody in their right mind would ever start a cause like that, it is basically impossible to win and even then the expenses would not be worth the trouble.

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PixelBoy: USERNAME:Enebias#Q&_^Q&Q#GROUP:4just like in the good old physical DRM-free releases era.
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PixelBoy:
Well, around 1998-2004 there were quite a few here. Eidos games, basically every german Game...
Post edited August 18, 2018 by Enebias
Posted August 18, 2018
You have a license. And any downloaded copies of your games are yours forever. Just like a company can't revoke your right to play NOLF because you have the disc, no one can revoke your right to play any game you have a copy of on your hard-drive if you legally purchased a license. So the answer is you own a copy of the media you downloaded. You have a license to use that media as you see fit.
Posted August 18, 2018
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DRM != copy protection
And, many old games never have any kind of copy protections, so your claim "pretty much every game" is false.
Posted August 18, 2018
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teceem: It uses SecuROM.
But maybe the version that was released in Chile used Starforce... don't know about that.
My bad, it's SecuROM. But yeah, pretty much every game in the mid 00s had one of those two...
Posted August 18, 2018
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kbnrylaec: DRM != copy protection
Yes, these days DRM is a lot more than just copy protection, but it is also copy protection, always. Copy protection is the most basic form of DRM.
Posted August 18, 2018
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PixelBoy: DotEmu closed their shop and deactivated all user accounts.

There are many reasons that can cause GOG to shut down too, although ironically those other stores having gone away probably increases GOG's chances to survive at least a bit.
Frankly, I was surprised DotEmu lasted as long as it did. It always felt like a very poor man's version of GOG. In comparison, their game catalog was lacking a lot and often lagging behind GOG when they did get the same games, their website was always a pain to use, and their marketing strategy was virtually non-existent. It's no wonder it never felt like a real competitor and inevitably went belly up.
Posted August 18, 2018
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Mr.Mumbles: Frankly, I was surprised DotEmu lasted as long as it did. It always felt like a very poor man's version of GOG. In comparison, their game catalog was lacking a lot and often lagging behind GOG when they did get the same games, their website was always a pain to use, and their marketing strategy was virtually non-existent. It's no wonder it never felt like a real competitor and inevitably went belly up.
Yeah, I had much the same impression, although I was still sad to see them go since they were offering a bunch of games that don't seem to have had digital releases anywhere else. I happened to buy Transarctica and Hardwar from them not long before they closed down, and probably would have found a few more interesting ones over time if the opportunity had been there.
Posted August 18, 2018
low rated
deleted
Posted August 18, 2018
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kbnrylaec: DRM != copy protection
True, and a fair distinction to make between the two. But when a game won't start unless it detects that very medium which is copy protected, you're pretty much screwed if something happens to it. Some (including myself) see that as DRM.
Post edited August 18, 2018 by WinterSnowfall
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionDo I actually own a game on GoG, or is it just a license?(44 posts)(44 posts)
(44 posts)