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General discussionGetting back to our roots(1418 posts)(1418 posts)
(1418 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted March 11, 2014
Hey, GOGgers,

We're not perfect, we're exploring new frontiers, and we make mistakes. We thought DRM-Free was so important that you'd prefer we bring you more DRM-Free games and Fair Price was less critical and that it could be sacrificed in some cases. The last two week's worth of comments in our forums (nearly 10k!), show that's not the case. We didn’t listen and we let you down. We shouldn't sacrifice one of our core values in an attempt to advance another. We feel bad about that, and we're sorry. Us being sorry is not of much use to you, so let’s talk about how we will fix it.

One: DRM-free forever. Abandoning fixed regional pricing means it will probably take longer to get some games, but you've made it clear that sacrificing fair pricing for more DRM-free games isn't acceptable.

Two: We will adamantly continue to fight for games with flat worldwide pricing. If that fails and we are required to have regional prices, we will make up the difference for you out of our own pockets. For now it will be with $5.99 and $9.99 game codes. In a couple of months, once we have such functionality implemented, we will give you store credit instead, which then you will be able to use towards any purchase and cover the price of it in full or partially. Effectively gamers from all around the world will be able to benefit from the US prices.

This will apply to every single game where we do not have flat pricing, such as Age of Wonders 3 (full details here), Divinity: Original Sin, and The Witcher 3. If you remember the Fair Price Package for The Witcher 2, this will be exactly the same.

Three: We still intend to introduce the pricing in local currencies. Let us explain why we want to do it and how we want to make it fair for everyone. From the very beginning our intention was to make things easier for users whose credit cards/payment systems are not natively in USD. The advantages are simple because the price is more understandable and easier to relate to. There would be no exchange rates involved, no transaction fees, and no other hidden charges. However after reading your comments, we realized we have taken an important element away: the choice. In order to fix this, we'll offer the option of paying in the local currency or the equivalent in USD. This way, how you pay is always your choice.

Four: You are what matters, and we will be sure to involve you all more in what we're doing and why we're doing it. Let's start by meeting you at GDC - we’d like to invite you to meet us face-to-face Monday the 17th at GDC. Obviously, not all of you can come to San Francisco, so we want to invite all of you to an online event with us early in April to ask us whatever you would like. More details soon.

The bottom line is simple: there may be companies that won't work with us (although we will work hard to convince the most stubborn ones ;). Yes, it means we might miss out on some games, but at the same time GOG.com will remain true to its values and will keep on offering you the best of DRM-free gaming with Fair Prices.

Once again thank you for caring so much about GOG.com. We will work hard not to disappoint you again.

--Marcin "iWi" Iwinski & Guillaume "TheFrenchMonk" Rambourg
Posted March 13, 2014
nm, 100% my bad and my fault.
Post edited March 13, 2014 by OldFatGuy
Posted March 13, 2014
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vicklemos: I try to run some gog games through wine 100% with little success since I hate configuring wine; it pisses me off!
Tried CrossOver? It's very easy to use
Posted March 13, 2014
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vicklemos: I try to run some gog games through wine 100% with little success since I hate configuring wine; it pisses me off!
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adamhm: Tried CrossOver? It's very easy to use
Yep I know crossover for a long time and, personally, I thought their humble bundle ports were awesome
But what about GOG games?
Posted March 13, 2014
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KILLA-CONNI: I would have abandoned fair prices to get the big publishers to sell their games DRM-free. The regional pricing wouldn't effect games who aren't sold in retail anyway and this way it simply means GOG is missing out on (hopefully few) big games.
I don't think it is possible to achieve the goal of without sacrifices. When I read the letter from TheFrenchMonk I was happy to expect some newer titles in the catalogue but I didn't comment. Now, after many users went beserk, I think GOG won't be able to challenge Steam someday because the catalogue simply won't get anywhere near Steam. :(

If I misunderstood anything, please, correct me.
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HypersomniacLive: Does GOG really need to challenge Steam? I never regarded GOG as a direct competitor or challenger of Steam, nor did I ever wish it would. I want GOG to grow and succeed not to challenge (or thread) Steam's business, but to keep providing what's important and satisfying to me and others like me.
IMHO, it's rather highly unlikely that GOG users like myself (DRM-free proponents) would be ever attracted by Steam, no matter the games selection, prices or whatever else.

GOG and Steam can co-exist just fine as, in my eyes, they basically cater to different audiences.

And if you carefully read this announcement, GOG has not abandoned regional pricing, they only made some adjustment that make the majority of their objecting customers more comfortable and happy.
The big publishers I suspect you have in mind won't come to GOG any time soon, primarily because of DRM-free and not regional pricing.
Whether you like it or not, of course steam and GOG are big competitors! Steam being the biggest digital pc game distributor in the world, and GOG quickly emerging as one of the leading alternatives! In the end, they are both selling the same type of product, the same way VONS and Trader Joes are competitors (U.S. residents should understand this at least) They are both grocery stores with a different way of doing things.

Also, I have to disagree with your assertion that most gogers don't use steam. The simple fact is, if you're a pc "gamer" (especially if you enjoy modern multiplayer games) you pretty much HAVE to have a steam account. The vast majority of (non MMO) multiplayer games use steamworks.

They both cater to the same audience- PC Gamers, but gog also has a DRM free niche audience as well.
Posted March 13, 2014
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Messi_is_Messiah: Also, I have to disagree with your assertion that most gogers don't use steam. The simple fact is, if you're a pc "gamer" (especially if you enjoy modern multiplayer games) you pretty much HAVE to have a steam account.
Thanks for the reminder: I need to cancel my Steam account.
Posted March 13, 2014
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shmerl: Not to go into off-topic, but I don't find Windows required at all, unless we are talking about some very specific use cases like using Adobe inDesign (which can possibly work in Wine already anyway). I.e. there is no reason to dual boot even anymore. I'm not using Windows for several years already.
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Lodium: Well last time i tried Photoshop or Fl Studio in Linux it woudnt work properly
And im using those pretty often.
Migth be my distro/version though,
Have you checked out Gimpshop?
Posted March 13, 2014
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Messi_is_Messiah: Whether you like it or not, of course steam and GOG are big competitors! Steam being the biggest digital pc game distributor in the world, and GOG quickly emerging as one of the leading alternatives! In the end, they are both selling the same type of product, the same way VONS and Trader Joes are competitors (U.S. residents should understand this at least) They are both grocery stores with a different way of doing things.

Also, I have to disagree with your assertion that most gogers don't use steam. The simple fact is, if you're a pc "gamer" (especially if you enjoy modern multiplayer games) you pretty much HAVE to have a steam account. The vast majority of (non MMO) multiplayer games use steamworks.

They both cater to the same audience- PC Gamers, but gog also has a DRM free niche audience as well.
Please go back and read my post again - am I to assume that just because you quoted it you didn't actually fully read it?

If we're such a niche audience, I have to wonder why DRM-free is GOG's big flag and banner. GOG does primarily cater to this niche audience, by expanding the catalogue they're trying to introduce more people to DRM-free, not trying to be Steam without steam.

I don't HAVE to have anything - I'm part of the niche audience, remember? :-P
Posted March 13, 2014
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adamhm: Tried CrossOver? It's very easy to use
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vicklemos: Yep I know crossover for a long time and, personally, I thought their humble bundle ports were awesome
But what about GOG games?
Why not give it a try & find out? I use it regularly & while it doesn't work with everything it does work well with a lot of games (most GOG games I've tried so far have worked quite well- e.g. just going by what I have installed atm: the STALKER games, Fallout 1 & 2, Shadow Warrior 2013, ROTT2013, Magrunner, SS2, Deus Ex, XIII, Riddick, ArmA CWA). Plus, buying it supports development of Wine.
Posted March 13, 2014
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vicklemos: Yep I know crossover for a long time and, personally, I thought their humble bundle ports were awesome
But what about GOG games?
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adamhm: Why not give it a try & find out? I use it regularly & while it doesn't work with everything it does work well with a lot of games (most GOG games I've tried so far have worked quite well- e.g. just going by what I have installed atm: the STALKER games, Fallout 1 & 2, Shadow Warrior 2013, ROTT2013, Magrunner, SS2, Deus Ex, XIII, Riddick, ArmA CWA). Plus, buying it supports development of Wine.
Hum thanks adamhm, you surely got me more interested about crossover. :)
Yup I have lots and lots of curiosity but little time, so that's why I prefer not to use such tools.

Speaking about Crossover, I sent them an email once about some technical issues with their Limbo/Dear Esther ports and they provided me great and fast support. Their compatibility list is also very helpful:)

I'll give it a try as soon as I can since I bought games like 1954 Alcatraz, Red Faction and ROTT 2013 and I've been wanting to play them on linux.
Post edited March 13, 2014 by vicklemos
Posted March 13, 2014
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Messi_is_Messiah: Whether you like it or not, of course steam and GOG are big competitors! Steam being the biggest digital pc game distributor in the world, and GOG quickly emerging as one of the leading alternatives! In the end, they are both selling the same type of product, the same way VONS and Trader Joes are competitors (U.S. residents should understand this at least) They are both grocery stores with a different way of doing things.

Also, I have to disagree with your assertion that most gogers don't use steam. The simple fact is, if you're a pc "gamer" (especially if you enjoy modern multiplayer games) you pretty much HAVE to have a steam account. The vast majority of (non MMO) multiplayer games use steamworks.

They both cater to the same audience- PC Gamers, but gog also has a DRM free niche audience as well.
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HypersomniacLive: Please go back and read my post again - am I to assume that just because you quoted it you didn't actually fully read it?

If we're such a niche audience, I have to wonder why DRM-free is GOG's big flag and banner. GOG does primarily cater to this niche audience, by expanding the catalogue they're trying to introduce more people to DRM-free, not trying to be Steam without steam.

I don't HAVE to have anything - I'm part of the niche audience, remember? :-P
I did read your whole post, it wasn't that long :p I however missed where you said gog users (like yourself). So I suppose that right there implied GOGers like you, and not necessarily the entire GOG user base, so my bad.

I still argue that GOG's main target audience is ANY pc gamer, and they get the DRM free niche audience as a bonus. It would be interesting to take a poll and see what percent of GOGers also use a steam account.

For gamers like me who have both, you have to admit that they are direct competitors. Any time they carry the same game that I want, I have to choose which one to buy from. The difference between me and most other gamers though is I try to always buy from GOG, and I try to get all my steamworks keys from gamersgate, because the last thing I want is to support steam's monopoly!

oh and the "you HAVE to have steam" is mostly if you play modern MP games, like I said in my previous post.

Also, if you have any interest in AAA modern games, you probably need steam, but it seems like gog wants to change that when they tried to introduce regional pricing.
Post edited March 13, 2014 by Messi_is_Messiah
Posted March 13, 2014
Cool stuff guys.
Posted March 13, 2014
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Messi_is_Messiah: Also, I have to disagree with your assertion that most gogers don't use steam. The simple fact is, if you're a pc "gamer" (especially if you enjoy modern multiplayer games) you pretty much HAVE to have a steam account. The vast majority of (non MMO) multiplayer games use steamworks.

They both cater to the same audience- PC Gamers, but gog also has a DRM free niche audience as well.
This. Philosophically I'm anti-DRM but practically Steam has never gotten in the way of me playing a game while offering a multitude of benefits for both consumers and developers (steamworks). I honestly don't really care as long as I get to play games. At GoG they have given me easy access to the classics for years. I don't have to muck around with DosBox and emulators etc.. Supporting OS X is icing on the cake as now I don't even have to reboot for a lot of games. At steam they've given me easy access to new games and multiplayer services (friends list, etc...).

I have far too many games at both services.
Posted March 13, 2014
I don't know, potentially missing out on a lot of drm free games because we opted out of regional prices, still really sucks. Also GOG LOSING MONEY on every regional priced unit sold really sucks. It feels like GOG is going to bend over and break their back for us, but I never wanted that, I just wanted more GOG games.
Post edited March 13, 2014 by Messi_is_Messiah
Posted March 13, 2014
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Messi_is_Messiah: I don't know, potentially missing out on a lot of drm free games because we opted out of regional prices, still really sucks. Also GOG LOSING MONEY on every regional priced unit sold really sucks. It feels like GOG is going to bend over and break their back for us, but I never wanted that, I just wanted more GOG games.
It feels the same to me and I hope my feeling's wrong. Do you know for a fact that they lose money? Or do they just make minimum profit?
Posted March 13, 2014
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KILLA-CONNI: Do you know for a fact that they lose money? Or do they just make minimum profit?
TET's calculation was off, they simply earn less.
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionGetting back to our roots(1418 posts)(1418 posts)
(1418 posts)