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General discussion (archive)Site Update: Game Series Discounts, DLC Sorting & More!(260 posts)(260 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted August 05, 2013
GOG.com is getting an update today! Learn about the new features and improvements.

Today some new features and improvement are coming your way on GOG.com. Our web dev team did their best to improve your experience with our store and implement some of the requested changes. The update also facilitates a new kind of bundle deals, allowing you to save money when completing game series in your collection. All of the new features and improvements will be rolled out today. If you don't see something mentioned here working for you yet, just wait a bit and check again in a couple of hours. Let's go into some detail and sum up all the changes, shall we?

Let's start with the new sweet deals we've prepared for you. A while back we did a test run of game series bundles that allowed for purchase of full series of games at a reduced price. This will now be a permanent feature on GOG.com. We've prepared over 80 such offers, so those of you who like to see a complete set of your favorite games series in their virtual shelves, can achieve that goal up to 57.89% cheaper (that would be the case of Telltale's Sam & Max series). If you already have a game, or some games, featured in the bundle, you can always complete the collection and get the remaining ones with a discount.

Sam & Max game series discount

The gamecard pages are getting an overhaul. The new version brings more focus to the game's trailer, as we have those available in most cases nowadays. As they say, an image is worth a thousand words, and a trailer is a set of images displayed at ~29 frames per second. Then, we've altered the way that screenshot thumbnails are presented, just to make watching all the visual content for the game easier and more intuitive. All this doesn't mean we're giving up on text! The "what's cool about it" bullet points, as well as the description are still a prominent feature of the design, now displayed side-by-side with the frame informing you about other associated titles and deals.

Ever since we introduced DLCs to GOG.com, the most popular comment from you guys was: "make them display relative to their main game, not as a separate product". That was our intention from the start, but it took some time to whip-up such a system. Today, we're happy to say it's ready. The DLCs will no longer display as separate boxes in your collections. They'll be merged and folded out from the main game box. Similarly, in the catalog, if a game offers DLC it will be all linked together, and the downloadable content will be also enumerated in the appropriate gamecard. All downloadable content items will be listed with a "DLC:" prefix in GOG.com catalog, to avoid any confusion. Entering a game's title in the search engine will display all the available expansions as well. This mechanics doesn't only focus on DLCs, but will also allow us to support new types of gaming content, like episodic titles.

Sword of the Stars: The Pit + DLC in the catalog

We're almost there, just two more things we'd like to point out. The catalog search and sorting has been updated to work faster, so browsing our offer should go a lot more smoothly now for you. And finally, a new system of check-out notifications has been implemented, to inform you about the system requirements of the games in your order. It will also warn you, if you try to buy a DLC or an episode that requires a title you don't have in your collection.

We hope you'll find that our newest update improves your experience with GOG.com! Be on the lookout for a special contest we'll be launching very soon, that will involve you taking an in-depth tour of the new gamecard layout.
Post edited August 05, 2013 by G-Doc
Posted August 05, 2013
WHAT ABOUT THE GAMES GOG, YOU SAID THERE WOULD BE GAMES
Posted August 05, 2013
Some nice changes, especially the DLC integration is now really nicely done (though I don't know how it will look like on the shelf).

It's also nice to see that you finally added a language filter for your catalog, but the pricing filter is still kinda bad. Why do you only have "under 10$" and "under 20$" as options, even though there are games that are more expensive? And if I only want to view the 5.99$ games, there is no option anymore.
Can't you either include every price point that exists, or - what I would prefer - a slider were you can set a minimum and maximum price?
Posted August 05, 2013
So you will continue to not add screenshot descriptions for us to know from which game in the pack screenshots come from?

And well... I don't really like how the most important part of the gamecard is now like 1/4 of my screen.

Also, why you still not introduced forum signatures? They were here for a brief moment, and now I have to write Emperor: Rise of the middle kingdom in every post on my own.
Post edited August 05, 2013 by keeveek
Posted August 05, 2013
high rated
Kudos and thank you for the new DLC implementation and the bundle offers! :)

I have to agree with what others criticized about the gamecard design though. The left side of the screen is not a good place for the pictures, as the eye tends to wander to the right where the "Customers Who Bought This" widget is now featured much too prominently for my liking - I think the info and ads for the game itself should get the priority over further purchase options of other products, at least for a company that presents itself as caring about the games and their customer service more than about making a quick buck from shopping addicts. And I don't like that I now have to scroll down to see all the pics and read all the text because the screenshots are separating the blurbs from the more detailed information. The prior design was much clearer, easier on the eye and less confusing, therefor it made a much more professional impression on me. Why change a winning team? Did a majority express dislike of the old look?

Suggestion: Move the screenshots to the right and the recommendations for other games to the bottom. I don't mind scrolling down to find out what other customers bought, but before I buy anything else, I first want to see the game in question presented in the best way, with textual and visual info at the top of both columns, not squeezed into a long column on the left side of the screen.
Post edited August 05, 2013 by Leroux
Posted August 05, 2013
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Bloodygoodgames: Nice changes except the game card. Looks like crap. Sorry.

And no, I'd rather not 'take an indepth tour of the game card layout'. The cursory glance is more than enough :)

Love most of what you guys do, but nah, not the game card. The whole thing needs an overhaul, not just a few boxes moved around, a LOT more blank space and midget screen shots squashed into the description of the game.
Any suggestions on how it would look better?
Posted August 05, 2013
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Bloodygoodgames: Nice changes except the game card. Looks like crap. Sorry.

And no, I'd rather not 'take an indepth tour of the game card layout'. The cursory glance is more than enough :)

Love most of what you guys do, but nah, not the game card. The whole thing needs an overhaul, not just a few boxes moved around, a LOT more blank space and midget screen shots squashed into the description of the game.
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HypersomniacLive: Any suggestions on how it would look better?
Already did in another thread :)
Posted August 05, 2013
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Zoidberg: Uh, the video overlays above the screenshots to me (Firefox), what gives?
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litek: I've tried several gamecards on two different machines and can't see any problem in Firefox. Could you be a little bit more specific. Some information that can help us pinpoint the issue:
1. Firefox version and os.
2. What gamecard exactly does the issue occur? (screenshot if possible)
3. Any addons for Firefox you might have installed.
OK, here you go
1 22.0 Win 7 ultimate 64bits
2 Don't starve, tried with Undying and it doesn't do it there.
3 I'll give that if 2 doesn't answer it.
Posted August 05, 2013
I think a possible solution to the issue many people have with the game card redesign is that GOG should consider redesigning their site to assume that most users have a widescreen monitor. For the longest time, many sites have programming for the lowest common denominator (4:3 ratio monitors), and many still do, even huge sites such as . That said, others make full use of the widescreen ratio. Check out [url=http://Amazon.com]Amazon.com. If the full width of the screen could be used, we could have the same width that we previously had for the game cards and *still* have the game series listings immediately to the right. Just a thought (though one I know that would require a lot of work).
Posted August 05, 2013
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Bloodygoodgames: Nice changes except the game card. Looks like crap. Sorry.

And no, I'd rather not 'take an indepth tour of the game card layout'. The cursory glance is more than enough :)

Love most of what you guys do, but nah, not the game card. The whole thing needs an overhaul, not just a few boxes moved around, a LOT more blank space and midget screen shots squashed into the description of the game.
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HypersomniacLive: Any suggestions on how it would look better?
I have some... How about text on left like it was, trailer (if available) and thumbnails for all screenshots on right, notices about "DLC available" and "series discount available" under (or in) the add to cart/wishlist box, click to show details, then either reviews still on left and related games ("also bought") and mixes on right alongside, or maybe a full width flip thing, like it's done now for screenshots (the flip, not the width, I mean) for related, possibly for mixes too, and reviews also full width underneath.
Posted August 05, 2013
The new way gamecards display screenshots is shit. They take up a tiny part of the screen. Screenshots are like the first thing people look to.
Posted August 05, 2013
I don't like the new gamecards; perhaps it's just that "it's new, so it doesn't feel the same" and I'll get used to it, but right now it doesn't look right, specially the right column. Maybe I'd put the reviews there, as I'm more interested in the Most useful reviews than in the Other Users Have Bought thing, or the GOGmixes. Also, I'd put the DLC box right below the "Add to Cart or Wishlist" box. And finally, a direct link to the game forums in the upper section (Barefoot script had this link prior to the changes, I assume it's a matter of updating it).

Also the Browse Games menu seems to have problems with filtering. The list of Bestsellers is not accurate, and the Discounted filter shows "No matching games" message. edit: seems to have been fixed, thanks
Post edited August 05, 2013 by rodrolliv
Posted August 05, 2013
I like the way the screenshots were on the page before the change, with the six thumbnails displayed at once.

I haven't seen it yet, but I like the idea of consolidating the DLC.

The one feature I really want is one we used to have. I'd like to be able to put blank spots on my game shelf. If leaving a blank space can't work with the current game shelf, how about giving us an option of placing a blank game box on the shelf, multiple blank boxes of course.
Posted August 05, 2013
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yyahoo: I think a possible solution to the issue many people have with the game card redesign is that GOG should consider redesigning their site to assume that most users have a widescreen monitor. For the longest time, many sites have programming for the lowest common denominator (4:3 ratio monitors), and many still do, even huge sites such as . That said, others make full use of the widescreen ratio. Check out [url=http://Amazon.com]Amazon.com. If the full width of the screen could be used, we could have the same width that we previously had for the game cards and *still* have the game series listings immediately to the right. Just a thought (though one I know that would require a lot of work).
My big problem with GOG, since I started buying games here at the beginning of 2012, is how ugly the site is. Choices of grey or, yep, a darker grey.

If you look at many other digital download services, they're bright, they're colorful and their design is actually quite clean and simple -- because that's what people want nowadays.

Colors matter when someone arrives at a website, and a dark, depressing color like grey doesn't make people want to buy games, IMO. (And yes, I'm aware Steam is black and, yes, it's even uglier :) Nor does teeny teeny tiny box artwork on a game list. On the lists of games, you can hardly even tell what the darn game is the graphic is so small.

Look at GameStop and Amazon -- white, clean, and crisp with bright colorful graphics and big game boxes. Their games really POP on the screen.

Even GamersGate, blue that it is, is bright and colorful and makes the games look like candy instead of indistinct graphics on an incredibly ugly grey background.

While some here will disagree with me, studies have been done for years about the affect of color on people's purchasing decisions and it's a HUGE one.

I would lay bets that if GOG looked more inviting when people first arrived to it, and games looked like candy that you really, really, really wanted to buy -- sales would increase.
Posted August 05, 2013
After browsing some gamepages I got some ideas of improvements:
- In the series/similar games boxes there is a big freespace between the game titles and the price tag. I know there is also the wishlist-button (heart), but you can move that to the left or tight edge of the text and so just make the boxes for series in general smaller, which allows you to make the box for the game description bigger and maybe add another screenshot (but please still make them more centralized and don't use the full wide).
- Personally I don't use it Gog-Mixes and as far as I know they are'nt very popular in general, so maybe it's good idea to re-design or remove them completely.
- The user-reviews should maybe have a two-column-view to use the full wide of the screen.
- Youtube-videos could be in a smaller window below the price-tag and above the bonus line, so you get a more clean look for the game description. I don't know if that's possible, but on the youtube-page there is an option raise the video to use the full wide of a site, which you can use to extend the video to full-wide above the bonus content line.
Post edited August 05, 2013 by DukeNukemForever
Posted August 05, 2013
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Fred_DM: sensible and welcome changes, though things that other digital distributors have been doing for years now...
I don't recall seeing e.g. this one on Steam (or other sites for that matter):

If you already have a game, or some games, featured in the bundle, you can always complete the collection and get the remaining ones with a discount.
On other services buying a bundle usually means having to buy games you already have in the service all over again, in order to get the full bundle discount. At best you are able to get those overlapping games as gift codes you are allowed to give to others, sometimes not even that.

Anyways, I wonder if some people will still complain that if you want only certain game(s) from a series/bundle, you don't get the same bigger discount as if you bought them all? After all, some always complain about the same if GOG has an increasing bundle where the discount gets higher the more you buy (or already have on GOG)?
Post edited August 05, 2013 by timppu
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussion (archive)Site Update: Game Series Discounts, DLC Sorting & More!(260 posts)(260 posts)
(260 posts)