I think it wasn't like that. Just look for example at Doom. The digital release of Doom covers the last version v1.9. Other versions aren't available as a digital download.

https://doomwiki.org/wiki/Versions_of_Doom_and_Doom_II

This is what you see with almost all older games. I think the advantage of GOG is that you can keep the installers of the different versions of a game. With these everyone can create their own archive.

Yeah, it wasn't like that after a short while, unfortunately. As for the advantage of GoG, it would be true if they didn't remove patches that got replaced with newer ones, which happens quite often. So, if you didn't archive those versions yourself, for various reasons, you are out of luck and will either have to look somewhere else for them or ask around if someone happened to download the installers.

Now that we have FPGA's like MiSTeR there is no excuse GOG can't include those original copies as well since the cores replicate 386's, among many other older PC's of the late 80's and early 90's.

Don't forget the incident where they removed copies of The Elder Scrolls 1 & 2 from our libraries if they were received as purchase bonuses for other Bethesda games, and then forced us to reclaim them when the free versions came out. Sure, it wasn't that a big of a deal because you could just claim them again for free, but it still sets a bad precedent.

It might have been causing a problem or about to for GOG internally and we just never found out. Is there a difference between those versions?

I downloaded the original version of the game both with Galaxy and on the website, with the extras unsure as to whether the new one would replace the old one or be a new entry on the shelf. One of the benefits of buying games on GOG is that we can download the installers and have our own local backups. It would be nice however if they would leave the older files available for download for people who didn't download them previously though. Perhaps support will reconsider adding them back for people as they are likely present on the servers still anyway.

This does remind me though... it's a long time since I downloaded my entire library. If the servers get slow sometime soon everyone will know that it is me redownloading every single game I own. Sorry in advance! :)

Gearbox has nothing to do with it. You mean Nordic or thqnordic as they call themself. Nordic is now the owner of the Saints Row franchise after buying Koch Media (parent company of deep silver)

As for on steam, as long as you change automatic updates to that it only updates when you start the game and you going play it offline, then you still play the game of the century. It's a sad thing to see though. Another slap in the face for the once great saints row franchise, after the reboot rubbish.

Your probably right. It's been sometime since I played the 4th game.
Yes, my mistake I was think of something else. haha

I'm away from home for a few days, so don't have access to my gogcli.exe created manifest, so cannot check what now appears to be an update for Saint's Row IV in my GOG library ... certainly the game entry is now showing the update flag, which it didn't for just the name change.

I could open the library web page, and go off my memory, but then I lose the Update notification in my GUI records.

So anyway, it is likely now that the Offline Installers have been updated to the latest version of the game ... something has changed anyway, even if only just maybe a changelog entry about the renaming etc.

As usual, for the real changelog we need to visit Steam forums :s

In short: The previous GotC was replaced with a version called Re-Elected, which is a version that now is identical on all platforms. While for some reason at least two free DLCs are missing (and borderless fullscreen), it offers now Crossplay over all platforms, meaning we can play with Epic and Steam player (Also it won't crash anymore if you accidentaly activate one of the online functions)

But: In order to do so, a common network is required and for that they use the Epic Online Services and that's what everyone is complaining about.
For single player no EOS is needed.
If they readd the missing DLCs the game should be just the same as before.

The upload/replacement of the new offline installers happened several days ago, but they were not published until yesterday.

Actually it turns out I had my GOGcli GUI program backup and latest data on a portable SSD, so I was able to set that up on this new PC, and get and do all I needed.

So yes, the Offline Installer files are now updated to the Re-Elected version, and what seems to be an updated version of the previous files (GOTY) are now in the extras section in the library entry for the game.

The result is something like 12.9 GB (4 BIN files) for the new Re-Elected version, while the original files moved to Extras, is around 10.5 GB (3 BIN files), so increased somewhat.

What you find in the Extra section is the patch from the latest GotY to the current Re-Elected.
The "original" (third version after two bugfixes) files are not there.

As far as I know, the versions that were removed from everyone's libraries were the same as the free versions. If there was an internal GOG problem, the better solution would be to automatically add the new/free version to the libraries of existing owners instead of just removing the games from their accounts without warning.

I can't speak from personal experience, as I haven't played the game, but I believe there were some tricks for power grinding, which were patched out after the first version(s), so basically the later versions didn't allow that way of playing anymore.

Obviously in the case of Cyberpunk 2077 specifically it can be argued that it was released in a state that was never meant to be played. But be that as it may, some people actually preferred some aspects of the original release.

Not only fan patches, but games have been shown to use actually known pirate cracks!

Anyway, for those who have actually been studying what GOG is selling it has been obvious from the very first days that they aren't an archival project, more like a revival project for older games.

But you can actually search some statements that have been made by GOG people, and they have used phrases like "game preservation", which implies certain things.

Obviously it is some kind of preservation to keep even heavily patched versions of older games legally available, but if they want to be truly advancing game preservation, like they have claimed, then the easiest thing would be to offer unaltered original versions for download.
That's practically speaking free to do, as it only takes a little bit of storage space on the servers.