It seems that you're using an outdated browser. Some things may not work as they should (or don't work at all).
We suggest you upgrade newer and better browser like: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Opera

×
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
avatar
Mr.Caine: One month tops before someone complains that GoG only releases indies as far as new games go.
You mean without a lousy $10 GOG compensation gift code (the difference to the offer before) there would be tons of AAAs coming more? I don't really believe it.
Well done, GOG.

Major kudos.
avatar
jforte: Sorry, try again.

Complaining about a company's actions and branding said company with all kinds of labels in a fit of rage are two separate things. My post addressed the latter.

Was GOG in the wrong? I'm not going to get into an argument over that. I'm strictly talking about those who were pretty much saying GOG was turning evil, those who went far beyond simply voicing their disdain for GOG's actions. It seems to me that GOG is showing tremendous goodwill toward the consumers in the aftermath of all this, which to me is the opposite of greedy.
avatar
Mr_GeO: And on what basis (apart from your own arrogance and self-righteousness) you so easily assumed that change in GOG pricing politics was made solely because "those who went far beyond simply voicing their disdain for GOG's actions"? Somehow I doubt you have a psychic powers that provide you with ability to read GOGs' board minds.
But on the other hand, maybe I don't want to know. Because, you know, "I really could not care less about what a stranger on the Internet thinks of me.

Have a nice day.
All these well-thought-out ad hominem attacks are really speaking to me. I'm going to change my opinion.
avatar
-Wolfschmiddy-: This is the best example for listening and understanding customer needs.
avatar
Trilarion: Well, it shows some understanding and for listening: there were a lot of posts about it. Hard to not listen.

I'm really so curious about pre-order numbers from the high priced regions. I guess they have been really low. I just hope they will be better now to show GOG that going in the right direction is kind of the right thing to do.

Damn now I feel almost obliged to spent the money to encourage them further...
Well.....we know a lot of other companys who are not listening to their customer needs even if they get a shitstorm .

EA for an example.

So i am more than glad that Gog.com is not one of these "not listening companys".

And a big thanks to all the people ,who wrote so many post, without your postings....this all would not happening.
high rated
avatar
carlosjuero: Tired of this whole painting of entire nations/regions/etc under single brushes.
avatar
OldFatGuy: Yeah, I imagine you are when it's the US being painted.
...

Right. You are so right. You nailed me. Oops. My nefarious plans have been revealed.

Ok.. stupid sarcasm is done now.

I am sick when any country is painted with a single brush (or any demographic group - like calling all Muslims terrorists, or all French people rude). Thank you for using that brush on me by the way - if my 'from' country was different would my opinion matter more?

Whatever. Stated my opinion and done with it. Have a nice day/night/whatever.
avatar
RabiatorG0G: Wow, sounds fantastic. Hope you guys get as much love for this as you got criticism for your last announcement. Keep fighting the good fight, and cheers!
Probably not gonna happen (definitely not at the same scale) because the internet, including most GOGers, is one big asshole that rocks at bitching but sucks at expressing gratitude.
Post edited March 11, 2014 by F4LL0UT
I'm flabbergasted. I never imagined you would do this move. Thank you GOG, I will continue to recommend you to friends and family again! Just amazing news. Thank you so much for this and listening to the community. I hope you get a lof revenue from this and one last thing...

Marcin Iwinski came over to deal with the mess? Did he come in the GOG office raging? "How dare you betray what I have started to build up! Now I look like an idiot in that presentation where I talk about not betraying the customer and listening to them!"

You have guts GOG and I think this move will definately stir up a lot of things in the gaming industry. We will fight with you against regional pricing and DRM Free.
low rated
avatar
Trilarion: Well, it shows some understanding and for listening: there were a lot of posts about it. Hard to not listen.

I'm really so curious about pre-order numbers from the high priced regions. I guess they have been really low. I just hope they will be better now to show GOG that going in the right direction is kind of the right thing to do.

Damn now I feel almost obliged to spent the money to encourage them further...
avatar
-Wolfschmiddy-: Well.....we know a lot of other companys who are not listening to their customer needs even if they get a shitstorm .

EA for an example.

So i am more than glad that Gog.com is not one of these "not listening companys".

And a big thanks to all the people ,who wrote so many post, without your postings....this all would not happening.
Ea have bigger problems at the moment and a lot of their eggs are in the xbone basket...will it fall or will it be picked up.... shareholders are not so confident.

GOG have bigger issues internally than regional pricing
Keeping this simple...

Thank you.
avatar
Strijkbout: ...though the worst thing is that credibility damage has been done and I'm not sure what to expect next anymore.
There is the saying that hindsight is easier than foresight. I guess it applies here. But still I prefer a company who admits to their mistakes and corrects them to a company just following one path blindly.
So taking into account the compensation, I'm curious how that works out for GOG.

So let's assume a $50/50€ game.

US pays $50
EU pays ~$69.25

difference = $19.25

GOG's cut of regional price difference = 30% of $19.25 = $5.78

Regional Compensation cost to GOG = 70% of $19.25 = $13.48

Cost to swallow for GOG = $13.48 - $5.78 = $7.70

GOG's cut from the rest of the sale = 30% from $50 = $15

GOG's profit cut - remaining compensation cost = $15 - $7.70 = $7.30


So basically GOG will be giving up a fair chunk of their profit on regional sales for unfair priced games, but still be making a little profit off it. On top of that they still get the normal 30% for any sales of that game when sold in $'s. Beats not being able to offer it at all I imagine.
After all the drama of the past two weeks, it is great to see that you really do listen to us.

As I said, I was willing to accept that the idea of "fair pricing" is a failed experiment, and I can always avoid the games with such "fair pricing" - not only because I disagree with it, but with the codes you are giving out to compensate, I am really running out of games to pick up instead! This is a major factor why I didn't pick up AoW 3 - I owned all the games you were giving away to compensate for regional pricing!

As long as you keep flat pricing for your classic games, people will see that you actually sell more of your "flat priced" games than your "regionally priced" ones, and that should help to convince them to make the change.

It is nice to know that I can actually go back to buying your games, safe in the knowledge that you continue to share the same principles as I do.
I wasn´t one of the angry guys but I was certainly afraid GOG could progressively abandon their principles. I´ll be benefited with this change anyway, so thanks to GOG for listening to its customers and thanks to all the GOGers which fought for this change!!
avatar
hedwards: No, but the messages were presumably his doing. Except the letter from the French Monk, the other announcements were his doing and he really should have known better than to be so dishonest about it. I got the definite feeling that I wasn't the only person that was more upset by them insulting my intelligence than the actual change.
avatar
Novotnus: Yeah, true, dressing it as something good we should be happy about was kind of stupid... On the other hand, I can't imagine any good way to make such announcement to this community. We're pretty strict about what we want :)
Sometimes you just have to own up to it, admit that it sucks and try not to give too much ammo to people that are unhappy with the decision. The worst thing you can do is try and trick people into thinking that they should be in favor of it, because if it doesn't work, now you've given them bad news and insulted them. And with this community, there's plenty of rabblerousers and folks that are smart enough to see through it to get things started.
I hope this new policy doesn't dip into gog's pockets too much.