Linux is the greatest OS ever, that most people don't know about.

If WWIII broke out tomorrow and 95% of the computers got wiped off the face of the planet, it would be the OS most likely to survive that.

Its open and it can be found almost everywhere.

Fewer games, less consummer-grade software. More software overall though.

Depends on the distro and software.

Containers, which offer the best portability and backward compatibility I've seen so far (except for vms, but containers are a lot more lightweight and easy to operate) have first-class support in Linux.

Depends what you are trying to do.

It just proves that you are a part of the vocal minority.

If you'd asked me 18 months ago, then I probably would have agreed that GOG appeared to be failing, but now I am not so sure.

Anything can happen with a business, and when you are not in possession of all the facts, you are just guessing based on a bunch of things you think you know.

It seems pretty clear to me, that GOG are working to a plan. Whether that will succeed or not we just don't know at this stage. Neither do we know what the plan is or the overall goal.

I'm prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt at this stage, and believe the original owner's altruism is still relevant, just that they may have had to make some compromises to stay afloat.

Clearly they are not being very transparent, and in business there is often good reasons for that, but it sure is inflaming to certain groups of their customers.

DRM-Free was always going to be a hard task on the scale GOG have been attempting to succeed with. Many, no doubt most, DEVs and PUBs are not really in favor of DRM-Free, but don't want to ignore the additional financial benefit of taking advantage of it, and so are providing some games to GOG. But some on the other hand have been abusing the situation and reaping financial benefits that way. And others just blanket refuse to have anything to do with DRM-Free, except occasionally (for some) at their own site under their own terms.

Game selling seems to be all about deals, and some as we know are exclusives etc.

For GOG to survive, it seems to me, it will require ongoing good deals, with content that will keep their customers happy.

The old guard here (long term DRM-Free customers) are an emotional bunch for the most part, and are probably the smallest group amongst the customers. While I am sure GOG still care about them to some degree, it would be the bigger customer base and profits therefrom that would be mostly guiding decisions now at GOG.

Survival from GOG's perspective, is probably everything, and could mean even greater compromises in regard to DRM-Free.

There are many here, who like me, have quite a sizable library of games now with GOG. So I certainly want them to survive, as I've made quite an investment in them. I've also always backed up my games immediately, not trusting to all eggs in one basket. So I will ride the storm whatever happens.

I don't like it that GOG are compromising, but for me that is better than failing and no longer existing. I will continue to support them, to some degree anyway, if they be a good steward with my library, and especially continue to get DRM-Free games that I like. If they also start openly supporting DRM games, well I will just tolerate it, until I feel I am unable to. I won't be buying any DRM games here though.

As at least one other here has said though, they need to be honest with us, clearly mark what is totally DRM-Free and what isn't.

In the world of capitalism, GOG is behind against their competition.

I chatted with people that don't even know GOG even exists.

I've known people that bought Witcher 3 on Steam instead of GOG.

And the gaming landscape is far too in bed with DRM in such a way that the masses don't even care. Most people don't understand the true issue with DRM and the value they would have without it. You can thank Witcher 3's monumental success for that and paving the way for GOG to turn into a Public company.

We gave FAR too much money to this company then they need.

We should put a cap on how much profit a company can make in order to prevent them from selling out their initial values.

in retrospect, it was since the whole idea started. it was a stupid idea to invest in

and it will end in bankruptcy or takeover by microsoft, epic, ea, ubi or steam. maybe a takeover after bankruptcy

But at least it will not die out eventually, like Windows, Steam, you etc. will. It'll be here forever, with all its awfulness.

Yeap, it is like a cockroach.

You stomp one Linux distro with your shoe, and ten new distros appear out of nowhere, BAM!

You can ask IBM about that when they tried to kill CentOS 8.

I don't think Linux is bad, the only problem with Linux is that there is no standard Desktop Environment, that's a problem if you want to create an app that should work everywhere like you do for Windows or Mac (this last one is in the end a Unix like system like Linux with a proprietary DE).
That's why I use Linux a lot only as a command line environment (right now I'm using it in my windows pc as a subsystem). I also don't really like any DE on Linux except for Android (not 100% but still Unix like).
Most command line apps on Linux are amazing and works great, most UI apps on Linux really suck.
For games I think both wine and proton are amazing, most of the time they work great and for some old games even better then windows.
I still don't really know if you can say Linux will be forever alive, there are a lot of open source projects that are dead. Also I don't think Windows or Mac will die anytime soon.
Anyway the only thing that you should do is to learn to use at least Windows and Linux so that you will be free to use both when needed and be free...
If microsoft screw up I know that I can transfer on Linux the next day, that's the important thing.