I don't think the messenger deserves so much hate, imo the anger should be directed at the real decision-makers at GOG. (I didn't downvote tho :p)

I don't think it took Sony that long to remove CDPR's broken game from their store. Maybe GOG could learn something from them :D

The messenger deserves no hate whatsover. The message itself, on the other hand, is a deeply unsatisfying, once could almost say insulting, PR statement that deserves little but mockery. They blatantly break their supposed core principle, sell a DRMed game with ill-described online only features and the response is a vague promise of "updates" weeks later and the only definite action promised is removal of (some) negative reviews :D I'm sorry, but that's a joke, not a message.

Yea I wouldn't call it review bombing.
Even though I think low rated reviews based on technical difficulties are not fair, this case is more heinous.
Obviously all IMO.

Also I read many reviews, basically all say the same thing "this game got drm, don't buy it, gog and/or IOI should not release this game here like that"
I don't think there is any review to remove if what you said is true.
But since you said "review bombing" I think you actually want to remove review.

Why don't you remove the game istead? It's easier and it can go back when it's ready (drm-free).

I apologize for interjecting but I think you misunderstand what "review bombing" means. "Review bombing" means posting reviews with a score that is a lot worse (or in rare cases better) than the game actually deserves to punish (or reward) the developer for some action that is not related to the game itself. For example, if a developer makes something with another game, or one of the people from the development team says something on social media.

So, again if players post reviews with an undeserving score because of the developer's actions that aren't related to the game - that's "review bombing". If players post bad reviews of the game because they have a problem with a certain feature of that exact game - that's not bombing, that's actual reviewing. You can argue if this reviewing is objective or not, or if the feature in question is important, but it's not a "review bomb".

@Gog/ioi:

If you would have followed your guidelines regarding drm- free before release, you would not have to deal with guidelines for reviews.

Even if you manage to get a drm-free release, or give this game away for free. At this point, i am not willing to buy or claim this game anymore.

It's all about trust in relations. Hope, you will understand this in your internal.......review.

Fair.

I've had conversations with her behind the scenes and offered advice that wasn't taken that could of helped the community and GOG be on better terms. However she did nothing at all. I feel that I am justified in my response. None of you know the amount of legwork that I have done behind the scenes for a great many years to help with community issues.

I really hope, you guys can bring IOI to release a truly DRM-free SP-version of Hitman GOTY.
I don't mind MP content "locked" behind online access, but the SP content in this game is severely restricted, if you can't access the majority of weapons, gadgets, disguises, etc, due to that online-only requirement.

I own the game on Steam already, and I was deliberately waiting for a massive price drop there before buying, because I knew that a lot of the content would be accessible only via online play.
However, it turned out that, in this case I didn't do my homework properly, because: surely, I get shown guns, gadgets, etc which I would love to use...but which I cannot access, if I don't play online. It's like permanently dangling a carrot in front of a donkey.

I was so disappointed by that, that I stopped playing the Steam version altogether a short time into the game.

So, if you manage to give me the opportunity to buy a truly DRM-free version (even if it's just the SP content alone - BUT with all available weapons, gadgets, etc.), I will gladly throw my money at the screen (well, honestly, maybe not the full €18,- that you ask for now).

I don't envy your job. Having to maintain an untenable position against justly enraged customers must be uncomfortable.

However, please pass our suggestions to your superiors: if it really takes you weeks to 'look into the situation' to find out that, yes, the game has always online DRM, GOG obviously hasn't done any curation beforehand. Therefore the game shouldn't be here. I strongly suggest you remove it from the store for those weeks that you need to assess the situation. Once the game is stripped of all DRM, so that it can pass an honest curation, we will be happy if it will be re-released here.

As for your accusation of review bombing: that's not happening here. The one-star reviews are valid reviews of the game's quality. You released a defective product where a major part of the game is inaccessible to offline users. That is a flaw in the game and therefore a valid critique of the game. If you start removing reviews for pointing out that the game has DRM, you only prove that you willingly and knowingly want to hide the fact that GOG now sells DRMed games.

About review bombing discussion here.

Review bombing is bad. To fool your customers is bad (yep, I'm those who believed in DRM-free promises). But this case is not that simple.

I'm buying games without intention to play them immediately because of my schedule. And there was more than real possibility, that I won't know the problem before those 30 days of moneyback gone. An only thing is stopped me from trowing my money away for this, let's say, 'displaced' release was extremely low rating of the game. Review bombers just warned me. And I like to thank them.

They warned me when GOG tried to fool me. And and now, all GOG have to say - they maybe broke the rules while preventing GOG from fooling me.

Am I missing something?

A resolution wouldn't necessarily solve the situation. It depends on the details.

Either the "resolution" will be to remove 100% of the DRM, or it will remove less than 100% of the DRM, and leave some DRM intact.

And what if it doesn't remove 100% of the DRM? Then in that case, are GOG customers going to accept the fudge, and concede to accepting the still-DRM'ed product, now that it will have been a little-less-DRM'ed?

These are the kind of issues that GOG customers should be speaking out against now, before any potential sort of fudge is implemented.

I don't think they really get the ideals of review bombing. The users feel utterly ignored here, they know leaving negative reviews for a title that betrays the fundamental principles of the store is a way to get their message across. To mention it is to admit as much.

This is bananas lol

If you don't listen/give users a place to have their say, then they will review the bomb as it is proven to get results. This isn't a new method and I'm stunned they would mention it as it confirms the practices as effective for future issues.


At the core of this is the failure to communicate with users.

You mean...like in this thread?