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Cadaver747: Yes of course. But also a "no" in specific circumstances, for instance Codemasters removed Operation Flashpoint and we never saw the Red Hammer campaing due the licensing rights expiration.
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MarkoH01: The legal side here really interests me. What is it that you actually buy when you buy on digital stores like GOG or Steam? Are they even required to let you download the game after you have once downloaded it? With DRM'd games the question is rather simple because you won't be able to play the game anymore if they don't provide the constant option to reeinstall it in the client but with GOG things are different since you get your installer you can archive. So I am wondering if the seller is required to keep the option for another download. We all know that even backups are not safe and bad things do happen. I could not find much regarding such specific cases when searching the net. Some links or information would be interesting.
My understanding of how GOG should work was the same as yours and I haven't downloaded all my games yet - I will now. But your post motivated me to read the Terms of Service and here's what I see:

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9.1 Occasionally we may need to patch or update GOG services or GOG content (for example to add or remove features or to resolve software bugs). We need these rights in order to keep GOG running efficiently. Our Partners may use GOG services to roll out patches or updates for applicable GOG content.
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2.1 We give you and other GOG users the personal right (known legally as a 'licence') to use GOG services and to download, access and/or stream (depending on the content) and use GOG content. This licence is for your personal use. We can stop or suspend this licence in some situations, which are explained later on.
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1.3 Also, when we're talking about games, in-game content, virtual items or currency or GOG videos or other content or services which you can purchase or access via GOG services, we’ll just call them “GOG games” or “GOG videos” respectively and when we talk about them all together they are “GOG content”.
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I read this as users either purchase or are gifted the right to download content but GOG can remove features from the content before any download - but I am not a lawyer.

Should they have stood up to the publisher? We don't know what sort of contract they have with the publisher. I think until they have sufficient leverage, they should prioritize a good relationship with the publisher so that they can bring more games even if it means they can't act as cloud storage / virtual library. But they should also clarify this download / feature removal policy to the customers. For example, in the Terms of service there are two columns "Legally Binding" and plain language "English Version" and for section 9.1 dealing with removal they write:

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From time to time we may need to patch or update how GOG services or content work.
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I think the term "update" here is insufficient to convey the issue. They should emphasize the need to download content as soon as possible after purchase to prevent the possibility of losing currently advertised features.
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Crimson-X: Ok so I bought Wolf 3D and Spear of Destiny when they first released on GOG.

They both show as separate entries still in my library. I literally just downloaded Spear of Destiny fresh from my games library from the GOG website (not through Galaxy) and installed it. It has both bonus episodes 2 & 3.
Do not perform an account refresh then, or you will lose Spear of Destiny.
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Crimson-X: Ok so I bought Wolf 3D and Spear of Destiny when they first released on GOG.

They both show as separate entries still in my library. I literally just downloaded Spear of Destiny fresh from my games library from the GOG website (not through Galaxy) and installed it. It has both bonus episodes 2 & 3.
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Grargar: Do not perform an account refresh then, or you will lose Spear of Destiny.
Oh I definitely wont. I even took a screenshot of my computer screen showing date and time in case GOG tries some funny business after me having posted about this.
Post edited January 20, 2023 by Crimson-X
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Timboli: I have read where those extra mission packs are considered detrimental to the original game, such that they are not a good way to promote it, and despite collector's wanting every single related thing, Bethesda for instance, might consider the game is better off without them, that maybe they should never have been available in the first place, that they lessen the game experience overall.
But this isn't some brand new AAA game that cost Bethesda 200million+ to make for them to worry about promotion or what is detrimental and what isn't.
If someone doesn't like those missions, they're welcome to ignore them.

Blizzard has never approved of Hellfire for Diablo and it's considered non-canon, yet they still allowed it to be sold here for those that like it.
Post edited January 20, 2023 by SargonAelther
The mission packs are completely optional. When you load Spear of Destiny in the version that has them, you can choose not to run them.
Post edited January 20, 2023 by DoomSooth
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DoomSooth: The mission packs are completely optional. When you load Spear of Destiny in the version that has them, you can choose not to run them.
Spear of Destiny main game is completely optional. When you load Spear of Destiny in the version that has mission packs, you can choose not to run it.

What kind of logic is that and how it makes things *better*.

Anyway it seems to me that Re-Volt (with community patch 1.2), Operation Flashpoint Cold War Crisis GOTY (with Red Hammer campaign) and Spear of Destiny (with 2 additional missions from FormGen) are all the examples of IP rights expiration process hence the forthcoming versions were cut of content.

Re-Volt though in an interesting example since there were no rights for community patch 1.2 in the first place and according to user nowy the old version was replaced with the classic 1.1 which was officially distributed.

Then a question arises as to why owners of Death Gate, Scratches and some other games where publisher had no rights to offer the game in the first place, still have access to them in their libraries.

Double standarts, apathetic IP holders, or is there something completely different which I don't see?
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Cadaver747: Spear of Destiny main game is completely optional. When you load Spear of Destiny in the version that has mission packs, you can choose not to run it.

What kind of logic is that and how it makes things *better*.
I was responding to an earlier comment about someone having read that the extra mission packs aren't good and maybe shouldn't have been included.
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SargonAelther: But this isn't some brand new AAA game that cost Bethesda 200million+ to make for them to worry about promotion or what is detrimental and what isn't.
If someone doesn't like those missions, they're welcome to ignore them.
It is not about what you or I think.

If Bethesda think the classic is diminished by the extras, and they want the game to be perceived a certain way, who knows.

That said, I am not saying it is the case, or that it would be reasonable for them to think that way, only a possibility. Crazier things have happened in this world, many times. Personally, I think it more likely to be a permissions issue, but only relatively speaking.

To my mind there are not too many other possibilities for why this has occurred.
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DoomSooth: I was responding to an earlier comment about someone having read that the extra mission packs aren't good and maybe shouldn't have been included.
If you are referring to one of my earlier posts, then you would be wrong about me thinking they shouldn't have been included, even if they were included without permission. As a collector and fan, I would want them regardless of how good they are, even getting the extra mission packs from pirate sources if I had to.

And referring to an earlier post of yours. Yes, you can simply ignore the extras, and I don't have an issue myself with them being there.
Post edited January 20, 2023 by Timboli
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Timboli: If you are referring to one of my earlier posts, then you would be wrong about me thinking they shouldn't have been included, even if they were included without permission. As a collector and fan, I would want them regardless of how good they are, even getting the extra mission packs from pirate sources if I had to.

And referring to an earlier post of yours. Yes, you can simply ignore the extras, and I don't have an issue myself with them being there.
I said that you read it, not that you think it.
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DoomSooth: I was responding to an earlier comment about someone having read that the extra mission packs aren't good and maybe shouldn't have been included.
Spear of Destiny game is my favorite among any other game made on Wolfenstein 3D engine. Spear of Destiny Mission 2 and 3 is a disgrace to the Wolf3D world. Good or bad but Steam buyers still have access to that content, that is the main problem here and nothing can change the fact of unfair treatment for GOG customers. Thank you.

It would be fitting to reply directly or at least mention a user name to clear possible misunderstanding.
All those who bought the version before the changes should have the game in their library, under the name wolfenstein 3d and spear of destiny classic. As was the case when fallout 1, 2, tactics came back on sale years later. The name classic was added to the older version. And the new one is seen as unpurchased. It should be the same with Wolfenstein 3D and add-ons.
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Post edited January 20, 2023 by nowy
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nowy: All those who bought the version before the changes should have the game in their library, under the name wolfenstein 3d and spear of destiny classic. As was the case when fallout 1, 2, tactics came back on sale years later. The name classic was added to the older version. And the new one is seen as unpurchased. It should be the same with Wolfenstein 3D and add-ons.
Don't know what you talk about. I got it way before the change and that is not the case.
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binteon: Should they have stood up to the publisher? We don't know what sort of contract they have with the publisher. I think until they have sufficient leverage, they should prioritize a good relationship with the publisher so that they can bring more games ...
And this is where I see things different. I think bad publsihers should be kicked out - period! But I know that is just me. I won't buy anything from bad publishers like Bethesda anymore anyway but most people prefer having more games to principles. I do understand those people as well and I don't blame them - that is just the way it is, but it is a pity that the world is this way - we simply never have enough. I'd rather GOG have more good publishers that respect GOGers and are eager to make them happy (would solve the unupdated games as well). There are enough waiting outside to sell their games. This would be my ideal world which unfortunately does not exist in reality because people like AAA games from greedy publishers ... yay!
Post edited January 20, 2023 by MarkoH01
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Cadaver747: Spear of Destiny game is my favorite among any other game made on Wolfenstein 3D engine. Spear of Destiny Mission 2 and 3 is a disgrace to the Wolf3D world. Good or bad but Steam buyers still have access to that content, that is the main problem here and nothing can change the fact of unfair treatment for GOG customers. Thank you.

It would be fitting to reply directly or at least mention a user name to clear possible misunderstanding.
Problem is also that when a corporation wants to maintain a fair image, they tend to do things in an illogical, somewhat backward way - i.e. to make things fair in this case, they would more likely remove it from steam users than add it to gog users. That's fair in corporation sense. I certainly don't want that and wouldn't want that regardless of having the steam copy myself or not.

Exactly that happened with Baseball stars 2 by snk on consoles, chinese 10cent investors demanded a removal Taiwanese flag from the game with a patch... users cried out, so to make things fair, they subsequently removed all flags and geographical locations from the game, any mentions of them actually. That's an example of corporate fairness.
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Spectrum_Legacy: Problem is also that when a corporation wants to maintain a fair image, they tend to do things in an illogical, somewhat backward way - i.e. to make things fair in this case, they would more likely remove it from steam users than add it to gog users. That's fair in corporation sense. I certainly don't want that and wouldn't want that regardless of having the steam copy myself or not.
I paid for the Spear of Destiny game along with 2 additional missions on Steam (id Antology bundle) and later on GOG (Wolfenstein 3D pack) back when everyting was fine with licence rights. "Fair" would be to leave purchased copy intact on both platforms, not just one for whatever reason.

Removing those 2 additional missions from previously purchased copy of Spear of Destiny game from Steam and GOG altogether could be called *equal* if you prefer but that would NOT be fair in any way.

In some developed countries like US / UK / EU it may even be called "a crime".
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MarkoH01: ..........
Maybe we should use one of those Petition sites, or just do a Petition Wishlist here at GOG, for them to approach Bethesda with? Maybe even a voting thread as companion.
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DoomSooth: I said that you read it, not that you think it.
No worries, I mistook the last part of your prior sentence to likely mean me.
Post edited January 20, 2023 by Timboli