It's almost like online games with microtransactions aren't a thing DRM applies to one way or another, by their very design.

galaxy wont be a requirement ever since that is the only thing separating itself from steam.

There are a lot of gamers these days who grew up using a client to download and install games and prefer that simplicity and convenience over doing everything manually. Many of them probably don't even think one bit about DRM being an issue since they are so used to being online all the time. Those types of gamers is becoming a growing market so online retailers like GOG need to provide a type of service that will bring them over to the site as not having a client to give that ease and simplicity could be a huge barrier to not use the store.

The larger and larger that market and usage gets, the more a company needs to look at what is and isn't being used, and if other services they are offering are not being used much, or is causing issues with the more popular service they offer, they have to decide if it's worth the financial investment and work hours to keep it running.

But old gog (ogog?) used to be beloved because it was founded around sub-optimal choices based on ideology and sensitivity. Going against the dominant culture that was being set up by Steam.

Now all its decisions are taken solely by financial maximisation calculation. The "idea" (or the idea of having an "idea") beneath is gone.

All life and even all commerce isn't reductible to such calculations (many commerces, driven by humans, are also driven by values and opinions, in a perpetual negociation with the feasible). This is a choice by itself. The choice of becoming soul-less.

But here is the thing, were the original choices financially sustainable?

To get more of the classic games they need to show the IP owners that they can make them sell, but if they were unable to grow there brand to something those owners feel acceptable. To grow they needed to change (such as allowing newer games, making it easier for games with multi player, etc)

Another thing of note is that no company has been successful by staying the same and not changing to fit the market.

The one consistent that GOG has stated is that they will remain DRM free, despite people not believing this they have stated it over and over again even opening the fck DRM website. However many publishers will not put there games on GOG because they believe DRM free doesn't work, GOG could have grabbed a lot of great games over the years by simply dropping DRM free and making Galaxy mandatory but they have always stuck to the DRM free notion. Despite the more games and sales they could have gotten they have stuck to DRM free.

And what did they do with it after opening it? How did they use it, and what did come out of it?

It brought attention to what DRM can do so people who are not really aware of it can be more informed.

It features quotes from people that shows DRM that it is not beneficial to the consumer

It gives people options for buying digital goods at stores that offer DRM free services.

They give links to other sites that promote DRM free stances.

It's a nice base to start with and gives access to other areas to expand on the initiative.

There is a serious lack of modern multiplayer games on gog right now. The way they are going will make it easier to get more of them on here which would be a huge plus.

We just keep getting responses here from negative people who despite not caring about the GOG Downloader, just have to have their useless pointless say. Don't waste your time, stop being Trolls, your drivel is meaningless. If you don't think we haven't already considered all the things you bring up and more, and then rationally discarded them, then you are delusional. I for one, are tired of having to explain the same points over and over. Go away.

LET GOG KNOW HOW YOU FEEL BY VOTING
https://www.gog.com/wishlist/site/keep_the_gog_downloader_and_keep_it_up_to_date

I see the number is now 440. Keep it up good folk.

FOR THOSE WHO WANT SOME KIND OF SOLUTION TO OUR DILEMMA
See my post above - https://www.gog.com/forum/general/we_do_not_want_say_goodbye_to_gog_downloader/post155

For those who are interested, here are some screenshots of my program. Just a simple look focused on the practical.

GOGDownload Checker Screenshots

The program is now finished, and works for EXE (and BIN) and ZIP files, and I will upload soon.
I will investigate SH (Linux) files later.

for wut its worth, agreed Norglics is an alt

Oh come on, the GOG Downloader, PRECISELY BECAUSE it's tiny and with the bare minimum of features, isn't a significant hassle to maintain.
In fact, it wasn't supported for six years and STILL worked perfectly. How much "financially viable" is that ?

Let's not make absurd argument. A large client requiring lots of update and features IS something that requires man-hour and must be financially assessed to measure if it's worth it.
But by definition, a minimalist application that does nearly nothing is not.

Sticking to DRM free at this point is probably a mere financial calculation too. It's the only thing that sets GOG apart from Steam, and gives some customers a reason to buy elsewhere than Steam. Forumers still seem to care a bit about that criterion (all those who cared about the others have left or are leaving), and once the quantity of people caring for DRM issues will have waded aswell (because "live with your time", because "it's not feasible", "it hinders growth and you gotta grow", because "stop nitpicking") I don't see GOG burdening itself with that anymore.

In fact, according to this rationalisation for general commecial assholery, any thing that doesn't maximise growth is an absurd burden to be removed - be it a downloader or a DRM policy. Either it helps financially, or it must go. Simple as that, as simple as the fallacy according to which any shop must aim at becoming a supergeant or just shutdown. If your drugstore isn't a plan to become a multinational brand of shopping malls then don't bother. The only point in existing is being Amazon, Nestlé or Monsanto - or aiming to be that. But early GOG customers weren't there for the cute burgeoning new Steam. They wre supporting this shop for being an alternative, for making decisions that appealed to a minority, for daring to put sometimes coolness above maximum profit. For having a personality and values, a thing that is "irrational" (if not straightforward inexistant) to economists.

Humans who run a project based on an idea, a vision, that isn't a pure financial calculation, accept that infinite growth is neither a target nor a necessity, and accept that economically sub-optimal decisions (may be ecological, esthetic, moral, social) are worth it for their own sake, for the sake of who they are. Not every human is a robot pretending to hold values merely as a marketing facade, "goodnewsing" them away as soon as financially convenient.

And yes, the mini-downloader (again, the equivalent of 2000 lines of code made by third-party hobbyists) is a test of this. A test of affordable decisions showing the space between GOG's professed values and actual drives. It's not the first one, disgruntled people are not reacting to the gogdownloader itself but to the history it tops, dispelling at each step the reassuring "good will" narrative of GOG, and revealing the soulless machinery it became.

When your only values are marketing and maximised profit, the gap between "the letter" and "the spirit" of your proclamations end up showing. And the rationalisations between them start to wear thin.

My program is now available. I will do a separate thread later, but for now .....

LET GOG KNOW HOW YOU FEEL BY VOTING
https://www.gog.com/wishlist/site/keep_the_gog_downloader_and_keep_it_up_to_date

I see the number is now 444. Keep it up good folk.

FOR THOSE WHO WANT SOME KIND OF SOLUTION TO OUR DILEMMA
See my post above - https://www.gog.com/forum/general/we_do_not_want_say_goodbye_to_gog_downloader/post155

For those who are interested, here are some screenshots of my program. Just a simple look focused on the practical.

GOGDownload Checker Screenshots

The program works for EXE (and BIN) and ZIP files..
SH (Linux) files are now supported to some degree. 7Z and RAR files are now supported.

I've not used GitHub for my files before (recommended by my good buddy TheDcoder), so I am new to that.
Hopefully the links work fine for you. Please let me know if not.

GOGDownload Checker Project

GOGDownload Checker Download --- (updated to v1.1)

Please read the Notes.txt file in the zip first, especially as it has my DISCLAIMER, but also some instructions & links for both InnoExtract and 7-Zip.

Feedback appreciated, especially as my testing has mostly focused on the main use, and I thought that some might like the program sooner rather than later.

Please check the GOGDownload Checker Download link as it gives 404 error (due to space in file name i presume).

That was quick, thanks.

I wondered about the %20 for the space. It was in the link as provided by GitHub, but does not show when posted here. I just replaced that with a space, so hopefully it will now work.

EDIT
Gawd, I hate the way links work here.
I added quotes because of the space, but that was no good, so I added %20 back in as well.

EDIT 2
Sorry folk, it seems GitHub and I have a different interpretation of Private and Public. I am getting some guidance right now from my buddy TheDcoder, who finally at long last, became available. I wanted this to be simple, but seems I have unreal expectations where nerds are concerned. I'm only half a nerd ... and hang onto the normal half very dearly. :)