Even having to connect to your GOG account via GOG GALAXY just once is still in direct violation of the
"DRM FREE. No activation or online connection required to play." claim the Interactive Map is also advertised with.

So in order to stay true to said claim you'd either have to remove the claim entirely from both Cyberpunk 2077's as well as the Interactive Map's store pages:
https://www.gog.com/game/cyberpunk_2077
https://www.gog.com/game/cyberpunk2077_piggyback_interactive_map

Or rephrase the general claim specifically for Cyberpunk 2077's and the Interactive Map's store page to say something more accurate, like:

"DRM FREE. Optional cosmetic content requires a one-time activation/online connection via GOG GALAXY."
and
"Permanent online connection required to access.", respectively.

While the cosmetic items are per definition a DLC and is DRMed, let's turn the coin here for a second:

True, this isn't a DLC as you can't download it, since it's a server-side content/application. But is it really DRM...? If so, then you could say the same about Discord or Facebook - you need an internet connection to access that kind of "interactive" dynamic content. Same goes for most sites out there on the www...

Sure, they could have offered it in an another way (and another thing that's pretty bad here but I'll continue that in a moment), but how? Any static file format will not do as they are not made for that kind, other than a simple map and some text. What about a downloadable application? This would require more money, time and resources to keep testing, fixing and releasing, than a simple webapp. In short, I understand why they went with this, but...

Anyway, personally it's pretty lazy for a huge company like that to rely on another company to provide such a server-side application, a rather minor thing that is basically just a "nice-to-have-feature" alongside the game. Didn't they get 15-20M++ from CP2077 alone + whatever they get from the others? I don't get it - do they lack knowledgeable/experienced people in-house for it? Though, I understand the decision to have another company to take care of physical releases, like the guide book, but still (and why not have one company make guidebook for every game CDPR have made in the first place? "Press X to scatter").

Oh, and we already have fan made interactive maps, just like those we have for Satisfactory and many others, including free wikis and what not. Why on Earth are you trying to milk gamers even more for such a small thing?

CDPR - for all the mistakes and feckups you made in the game to an overpriced low-beta version of the game that certainty didn't deliver on your promises back in 2012+, the least you could do is to release it for free - BY YOURSELF in-house!

The image CDP group have been sending out the last couple of years keeps getting more and more unprofessional, while the CEO's/shareholders are stuffing themselves. :D

Look, there's really nothing to wonder or argue about here. GOG's own definition of what "DRM-free" means is right there on the page of this very product (and any other). And this product does not fit that definition. That's it, case closed.

No need to worry, I just took my thoughts out for a spin today. ;)

My point overall is the serious lack of understanding and mismanagement that has come out of CDP the past years, including putting up a silence-wall between them and gamers/fans (even though some mods are trying, apparently).

Shame on you, CDPR!

Yeah, this is the way to redeem yourself from the disastrous game launch. More online tied content. The "My Rewards" wasn't enough.

Last strength of a dyeing person mostly is the strongest.

like this game it should already have been burred and forgotten like most of us are.

No. This product, which you are selling on your store for $5 as an add-on for your game is a DRMed product. It is clearly DRMed, since it requires an online connection to use it. You are selling keys for it and presumably taking a cut of the sales, therefore you are selling it on your store.

No again. If it requires online activation, then it is DRM. The fact it is cosmetic content is irrelevant. Game content is game content and game content that requires online activation is DRMed. Whatever happened to GOG being 'the good guys' and 'by gamers, for gamers'?

Honestly, I find the mental gymnastics you and the GOG team are going through to try to convince us that DRM is not DRM to be quite astonishing.

Having said all though, I appreciate the fact that you are at least engaging with us in this thread, even if we have some fundamental disagreements. Customer engagement is another area that GOG badly needs to improve on.

I have no idea why this is a thing that's on here while the branding is still very much DRM-free?

Hope this is not a sign of things to come


Though, it is worth mentioning not to pile in on mods and keep calm on the topic, they'll listen then! *hides back in robe*

Oh, great! More ammunition for the torch and pitchfork crowd. *le sigh*

So it's little more than an external tool that also acts as a cheat sheet/guide? Totally something to become exasperated about... Its listing in the GOG catalog seems to be more about letting people know it exists than anything else. It certainly isn't an integral part of the game one way or another. *shrug*

That statement is a non-sequitur.

The items have the potential to affect the amount of pleasure that a player experiences from playing the game.

Therefore, they do indeed "affect the single player experience of the game."

GOG should not be putting any DRM'ed items into its games, whether they be maps, cosmetics, or anything else, period.

The excuses that GOG gives for this horrible practice of allowing DRM-creep onto GOG are just semantic word games.

The proper thing to do would be to instead of playing semantics to 'justify' these things, actually fix these problems, and remove all the DRM-gates off of the content of Cyperpunk 2077, and also any other games that have DRM-gated content on GOG. And likewise, cancel GOG's deal with EGS to sell EGS-DRM'ed games on GOG.

Yeah, that terrible, conspiracy theory fueled mob that keeps being proven right time and time again. It's really amazing how we've reached a point where GOG is outright selling DRMed products, and yet people like you still somehow conclude that users upset about it are an irrational mob. It's like calling Mulder a conspiracy nutjob while being probed by aliens.

What it is is entirely irrelevant. It's a DRMed product being sold on GOG. Whether it's a game, a cosmetic or an external tool that also acts as a cheat sheet/guide is of no. Consequence. What. So. Fucking. Ever.

Wow. Congratulations on coming up with an excuse for selling a DRMed product so stupid even GOG didn't think of it.

I guess they can now sell anything with DRM as long as it's just to "let us know it exists". It's a public service, really. And there is no other way to do that, obviously.

No, it's a separate item. DRMed. So, again, what it might be integral to or not is irrelevant.

I mean the problem is when you build your foundations on DRM and trash-talking DRM, only to include DRM (in any form) then you can't expect anything other than some level of backlash

Animal Farm Commandments

Before:
#5. No animal shall use DRM
After:
#5. No animal shall use DRM, unless Piggy says so

"All GOG games are DRM-free, but some GOG games are more DRM-free than others"

I wonder who is playing with dim bulbs rep given it's going from low rated to normal and back again,