Just received an e-mail speaking about the new GOG Patrons program. It is a subscription (5 dollars/month) for a few optional perks, like voting on game preservation priorities, exclusive Discord community, getting credited on the game's page with the message "this game is backed by our GOG patrons", and a few behind-the-scenes content, like videos about game restoration/preservation and Q&As. One of the most important parts of the idea is being talked about below the page:
"Is this a subscription? Am I paying to access my game?
Don't worry, GOG Patrons is not a subscription for your games. Everything you've bought on GOG stays yours, DRM-free, forever. Nothing about how the platform works is changing. Patrons is a separate monthly membership that lets you support GOG directly and enjoy a few extra perks and recognition along the way. It's completely optional and has no effect on your library."
What are your thoughts about this? I personally think that is a better idea than asking for donations on the check-out page, but they could develop this program with a few additional (and of course truly optional) perks.

Both are good. Asking for donation at checkout and the patron program.

It is no secret that I am supporting the idea for many months already and I could not be happier about the first impression I got.

It is exactly what I want: an active program which helps preserving games.

Now if I only get lucky and the games I love to see preserved gets preserved too, that would be wonderful - but also still wishful thinking, considering the licenses holders.

There have been plenty of trendy internet discussions about how games are onject of culture and should be freed from the clutches of "game graves due to licenses". Bringing games DRM free, compatible with modern hard- and software, and as offline installers is one of the best way to do it. GOG.com as heading figure in doing so is promising considering its philosophy since the founding of the platform.

We asked for such all along. Now we got the chance to support. Let us show the global gaming industry how important games are to us over the many years we have experienced great times thanks to games.

In the past, present and hopefully forever into the future.

As long as they never paywall important features on the store, I'm fully behind this as well.

GOG does a great job, I'm glad they exist.

Just keep it up.

Have my full support with Patrons.

Say that again slowly.

It is their promise not to do so.

GOG.com has built up trust and asked us very long, while checking at the same time what is possible and viable to do so.

Based on that experience with the GOG.com staff and how it turned out, they have gotten my trust in that regards.

And trust is much more expensive than 5 EUD per month.

Before anything bad happens, like a paywall of existing things which goes against their promise, it is more likely for that program to fall apart.

And I also doubt for any future obligatory features where you need to pay for.

Keep in mind: GOG.com exist thanks to the game sales and what they do to make it happen.
This patron program is like an optional addon. They will still do the work which they have done before. This is like a booster.

Like for a discord channel, I guess as "modern comparison". The discord channel works without boosters. But you can boost a channel for features like animated emojis. Necessary? No. But if it helps with the preservation program, that is a goal worth helping, if one shares the same passion and beliefs in such a program.

It certainly is not for everyone, and by the way it is published/marketed you can also tell that. It is for gaming enthusiasts who want and can afford to help a goal. No pressure in becoming a patron. Even the "rewards" for being a patron is entirely neglible. So you do not even have any FOMO.

GOG.com stays true to its philosophy, and I would say you can see it best exactly because of how the patron program is presented. Independently from the existing website and structures which will remain as they are, while the support helps with the preservation program.

The only goodie I am looking for are some behind the scenes peeks. Like more pets photos of the staff. ;D

CD Projekt is a publicly traded company and not a charity.

For that reason, using a donation platform like this is a little tasteless, in my opinion. If GOG is having to resort to asking for handouts in order to survive, then they have a serious problem with the financial side of their business model. GOG should be negotiating their Preservation Program service expenses with the game publishers in order to offset the cost. (Either via a cut or upfront fee.) Sure, some of those costs may get passed on to the customers, but that's just how business works.

Now, if this grows into some sort of monthly subscription that starts locking key GOG features behind a paywall, then you'll definitely lose a customer. The moment that I see something like, "Offline installers are only available to Patrons" or "This game only available for purchase to Patrons" then I'm GONE.

GOG, please be very, very careful with where you go with this because it's a very slippery slope.

So basically like if GOG had a Patreon page except we don't go through a middleman. Our monthly donations go directly to GOG.

I dont think anything like that would happen. It would definitly be a bad thing, I would always give an estra 2$ or so when buying games toward the preservation program, so i thought I would give a go at this patron thingy to see what it really is. But as good as GoG been, I highly doubt that they would lock key features behind patron.

"exclusive Discord community" - in other words "the only place we'll listen from now on!". :/

The fact of the matter is that these donations will undoubtedly "make the line go up" for the investors. If the investors start demanding that the line go up even more, then squeezing customers via the Patron program will definitely be an option on the table for CD Projekt. If GOG was a privately-owned company, I would probably have a different take, but I don't like the idea of donating money just to line some investor's pockets even more.

Take what GOG promise with a grain of salt.

Would this Patron thing become something like a “Newsletter” Level 2”? I mean one of the perks to be for its members to have even bigger percentage of discount in certain games? (Than the discounts the “normal” newsletter subscribers are sent via e-mail)