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How is GoGs relationship with the developers compared to Steam? What kind of cut do the developers get? How does that compare to Steam? How about control of product and what not?
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myconv: How is GoGs relationship with the developers compared to Steam? What kind of cut do the developers get? How does that compare to Steam? How about control of product and what not?
Speaking from a position of (almost) total ignorance of the specifics, I would answer confidently that: It depends.

What you are asking is exactly the details that each contract negotiation will undertake. Some IP products will have more weight, and their developers will have an advantage when setting terms and conditions; others might be purely speculative, and necessarily give more equity for the risk involved.

Why do you ask? Are you thinking of developing a game? Or perhaps you have one ready?
Not even remotely close. I have a choice of buying from GoG, buying from Steam, buying a box with disks or downloading some pirate version. Some of what informs my decision is whether developers are getting a fair amount for their work to reward them for a job well done and encourage future good games. GoG verses Steam especially since their prices are so similar (though GoG has less selection, like doesn't have Civ5 or Civ6)

When I buy Organic food, Organic clothing or donate to a charity, it isn't about (or only about) what I am getting.
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myconv: Not even remotely close. I have a choice of buying from GoG, buying from Steam, buying a box with disks or downloading some pirate version. Some of what informs my decision is whether developers are getting a fair amount for their work to reward them for a job well done and encourage future good games. GoG verses Steam especially since their prices are so similar (though GoG has less selection, like doesn't have Civ5 or Civ6)

When I buy Organic food, Organic clothing or donate to a charity, it isn't about (or only about) what I am getting.
https://sputniknews.com/environment/201812141070679186-organic-food-harmful/

Just for you.
GoG currently takes 30% cut.

As well as hosting the files and handling money

IIRC
For that cut GoG will ensure that game has at least a week on the front page of the GoG store
They will advertise that game via its social media
GoG will also support the dev with technical issues relating to GoG's API's


Steam on the other
Hosts the files and supplies and algorithm that might make your game show up.


Example

"Not tonight" developer made no effort to announce or advertise the GoG version, yet still made and extra 2% income from gog sales. I don't know what that is in numbers of copies sold, but "Not ~Tonight" was a very popular game
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myconv: Not even remotely close. I have a choice of buying from GoG, buying from Steam, buying a box with disks or downloading some pirate version. Some of what informs my decision is whether developers are getting a fair amount for their work to reward them for a job well done and encourage future good games.
It's a good thing you have that pirate option there, that is going to reward and encourage developers for sure!
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mechmouse: They will advertise that game via its social media
GoG will also support the dev with technical issues relating to GoG's API's
I think you're going to have to be a bit more specific if you're going to claim advertising on Social media as a GOG exclusive feature between the two somehow? I'd also be very surprised if Steam doesn't work with developers if they have issues with the Steam API
Post edited December 17, 2018 by Pheace
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mechmouse: They will advertise that game via its social media
GoG will also support the dev with technical issues relating to GoG's API's
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Pheace: I think you're going to have to be a bit more specific if you're going to claim advertising on Social media as a GOG exclusive feature between the two somehow? I'd also be very surprised if Steam doesn't work with developers if they have issues with the Steam API
I'm not saying its a gog exclusive, but as far as I know Steam doesn't for every game it takes send out Tweets saying "hey look at this great new game".

As for support for their API, I find it unlikely that Valve would have a hands on approach. Their enter platform is now based on getting the community to do a lot of the work. Not saying they wouldn't help, but it wouldn't be the first option available.
In the defense of Steam, more than 7000 games were released on Steam in 2017. That's what, triple the entire GOG library? Something to the effect of 20 games a day. How can you even hope to advertise each game properly with those kinds of numbers?
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mechmouse: I'm not saying its a gog exclusive, but as far as I know Steam doesn't for every game it takes send out Tweets saying "hey look at this great new game".

As for support for their API, I find it unlikely that Valve would have a hands on approach. Their enter platform is now based on getting the community to do a lot of the work. Not saying they wouldn't help, but it wouldn't be the first option available.
Not sure about every game either, though they do advertise sales and some new games at least. Can't be bothered looking at more than the main page of Facebook/Twitter, I never use it xD

Can you give an example of the community working out API stuff over developers/Steam? Maybe I'm thinking of something else but I find it hard to imagine the community working on the development of a game's api rather than Steam, especially pre-release
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colorfuldescent: In the defense of Steam, more than 7000 games were released on Steam in 2017. That's what, triple the entire GOG library? Something to the effect of 20 games a day. How can you even hope to advertise each game properly with those kinds of numbers?
You cannot advertise each game, nor should you. However, they could advertise some games which is what curation actually means, i.e. special care for some and let the rest fight for themselves. Or algorithms a la Facebook could just propose you those 300 from the 7000 that might be of special interest to you.

I don't use Steam much, but if they have the money to pay the fixed costs of offering 7000 new games each year where probably 90% of them aren't bought in significant numbers, then it's fully okay with me. It means more choice for me.
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myconv: How is GoGs relationship with the developers compared to Steam? What kind of cut do the developers get? How does that compare to Steam? How about control of product and what not?
Relationship and cut with publishers/developers will be about the same from all I've heard.

Control of the product is somewhat different. GOG offers DRM free standalone installers, Steam offers not. Pirating GOG games might be a bit easier therefore, if you mean by control of product the ability to prevent illegal access. Keeping on running on your computer under all circumstances might be easier too.

The rest is mostly the same with small differences in policies like the money-back policies or differences in prices and available games.

Any aspect you are especially interested in comparing GOG and Steam?
Post edited December 17, 2018 by Trilarion
Shop takes 30%, publisher 50% and the bank the rest and some more, like your house and car.
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zeroxxx that link is BS that some reporter cooked up citing the usual nebulous "studies" so readers who think Organic etc is a absurd waste of money that snobs only use to look down on it, well thanks to "studies" they can look down on the people they assumed were looking down on them. Really lazy reporting.

If you want to reduce the amount of farm space and related pollution, cut down on your meat consumption. For every unit of meat, many units of grain and water are used (varies according to the study, the animal in question, even the farm in question, but a significant amount regardless) Also consider the manure, slaugher remains, housing etc involved in meat. So reducing meat, eggs, dairy will more than make up for a small amount of extra land used from organic farming.

Plus think of the resources used to make the chemicals put onto nonrganic crops.

So do developers come to Gog, using it as a marketplace to sell through, like Ebay?

Who pays for game give aways/how does that work?

What about really old games where the developers have gone under and there really isn't owners anymore? Those never appear on GoG, or at least not charged for?
Post edited December 17, 2018 by myconv
All the money goes to the gamingaddiction prevention fund.
am i the only one who doesn't care about the dev/market place revenue split? seems after epic announced their launcher that's most of what i hear about in terms of gaming news. this issue is more complex than a percentage