At least some of it is GOG's problem.

Here is a tentative list (updated once a week; may have some false positives) of games that are more up-to-date on galaxy than on the offline installers. Some have been in this state for months and years, despite this list having been reported to GOG multiple times. Since only GOG, never the developer/publisher, updates the offline installers, and since the update is already available on galaxy, this one is entirely on GOG's shoulders. https://airtable.com/shrldLsErlUf3eHqS

Furthermore, some games have known bugs introduced in the latest offline version (sometimes years ago). On galaxy you can access older versions, but GOG refuses to offer the same for such broken offline installers, nor to revert the offline installer to the earlier bug-free version. One example, off the top of my head, is Divinity: Original Sin (and in this case the developer, Larian, has said they have asked GOG to do that, to no avail).

the downfall of gog in a single post.
I'll just add another thing... the full package.
It was there when they where good old games (manual, ost, background, dlc), it's not there anymore (they ask for money for most of the extra now).
and another... client free. When the gog downloader was really optional and it only downloaded the offline installer... now there is a galaxy of bullshit.

Let's not forget that Galaxy was widely PR-ed as being the launcher to replace all other launchers and bring all of the shit together and instead we got a shitty version of Playnite without the cross-client chat, which... makes Galaxy, frankly, useless as all hell.

Also, does anyone remember GOG Connect? Pepperidge Farm sure does.

Widely touting features and silently canceling them afterwards is GOG's entire MO.

To show a pattern you need to show more than one. I'd like the list of features removed and if they even worked. Keep in mind "we tried this feature, we couldn't make it work so we shelved it," isn't the same as what Youtube does to it's features.

Also, -every- launcher says this, even steam. It's the new standards crap all over again. Someone thinks they can make the next new standard so good that no sane man can ever deny using it.....and they then realize why there are now 13 standards instead of 12 standards. Nothing new here

Here are a few examples. All of them were proudly highlighted by GOG, all of them worked for years (except the last one, thank god), all of them were later removed, usually with almost no acknowledgement (all well before you joined GOG, judging by your user info):

- flat worldwide price (GOG even made a well-known video ad about this one)
- only two price points ($5.99 and $9.99)
- GOGmixes ("temporarily" removed years ago (losing people lots of data) with a promise they will return; still waiting)
- lots of free goodies with every game (and none of them tied to galaxy)
- no geolocation (i.e. country was determined by user)
- installers bundled with galaxy (short-lived because of user outcry; nobody misses this one, I'm sure)

Now, you --- and many others, including me --- might think that it's good that they removed some of these features, but that doesn't invalidate KenGAllard's point. For example, I think it's wonderful that they removed GOG Connect.

Thank you, this is a good list. I think this also helps sell my point. This was ideolistic advertising. Either to sell hype or just because they honestly were that naïve. Skip the following paragraph if you don't want details.

If GoG was ever going to sell major games that weren't a decade+ old, that price point and extra offline goods was never going to be viable. I understand why they advertised it, but it was naive at best to think it would even be practice. The Geolocation and price point were also never going to happen. I'm sure GoG, along with everyone, would love to do that, but countries like New Zealand and several West European nations would have a fit, as would southeast asian trade agreements. It's a pipe dream.

I agree completely, with the exception of "never going to happen". Most of these were alive and kicking of GOG for years (2008-2015, more or less), so they clearly happened. But as you imply, the world changes.

The point one could make now is that DRM-free was also "idealistic advertising" and it's now time to say goodbye to it too. And 6 years from now, someone on this forum will also say matter-of-factly that DRM-free was "never going to happen" and explain why.

I could see it, but I think it's a jump to call it idealistic. I'd even advice it: "you may not have any part of your product locked behind an online subscription, including in future content" is a much more practice thing to moderate then "so long as it's only cosmetic and doesn't effect the game." I think this game proves how dirt easy it is to abuse this concept to go from "a cool reward to people subscribed to a newsletter" into, well, this game.

If GoG really wants to keep this stance, let the 1/5s stay, because they are about an abuse technical aspect of a game allowed in by a cheap loophole. The bare minimum I expect is neutral, and in a week if an official response isn't given I will ask suppose directly because there hasn't been a real answer to anything. If they try to defend it as "this isnt an acceptable crtiticism" then I will treat GoG like steam, a nameless storefront with no promises.

Remember when they announced official Linux support only to abandon it less than a month later? I certainly do.

One thing I will point out is that if you look through some of the ~1850 comments on the Devotion wishlist request, there are many from people saying they are never going to use GOG again, who haven't signed up on the boycott thread. I haven't counted them, but I would guess the number is comparable to those that have signed up.

And, bear in mind those are only people who chose to boycott/leave over Devotion. It doesn't include others who may have left because of the DRM betrayal. So, I don't have hard numbers, but I suspect there are many more effectively boycotting GOG than the (just over) 100 users who have signed on the list.

They stopped even trying to go through legal for the donated game goodies (manuals, quick reference cards, posters, etc) and even alt. versions of games after a while. There is so much that I turned over to GOG that will never see the light of day here that would of been the stuff of dreams as far as extras are concerned. Including some alt. versions that people have been requesting for so many years at this point, but nothing will come of it and that it is just sad. To me it was just a step they took, another sign of them not giving a damn anymore.

would have

Sorry to be "that guy", it's just a pet peeve of mine.

It probably shouldn't come as a surprise that the year 2015 coincided fairly closely (I believe) with CDPR going public and the launch of Galaxy. I don't believe many of these features were not viable for an honest business, but they were apparently not compatible with corporate greed. It seems DRM-free is now facing that same 'compatibility' problem.

I feel like I've been catfished on some gamers dating app.

Me: "But it says right here on your personal profile that you are drm-free!"

GOG: "Yeah, about that. I meant to say drm-lite."

Truth is I had my heart set on buying HITMAN when I first saw it on the store page. Hence my current frustration and disappointment. I'm not willing to compromise my principles for this "edition" of HITMAN. I even refuse to wishlist it. That said, I do hope it gets fixed. I proudly joined GOG's platform for a good reason. Remember your FCK DRM intiative?

I don't think you have been dating much lately. I myself have learned a lot of new dating terminology this past week, so I don't believe that would be GOG's answer.

I believe a more realistic GOG reply would be:
GOG: "Sure. I'm 100% percent DRM-free, all natural, but obviously with online content naturally being online only, because you know... it's online content, duh --- it's not DRM, k?".