I actually use GOG Galaxy for the games I have installed and I don't really mind it. It's not intrusive, I can close it from the system tray and when it's running, I still have access to GOG and the forums (there is something missing I can't quite put my finger on yet), and I like the cloud saves and auto updates (which seem to be faster than the Web-download and patch process).

It's not an operating system, it's a tool and it works rather well since its first incarnation.

The Willy Wonka thing makes me curious.

If I just showed up at the GOG HQ one day would they even let me in, or would they tell me to fuck off? Was this tour some super special, once every ten years we let six in, type of thing?

From the original post, it sounded like more people were invited, only six accepted the invitation. It also had the tone that they invited the most outspoken and critical of persons for some particular topic.

So, the real question is, did more enter and only six leave?

I get that, and I doubt that's going to change anytime soon. However, in the meantime enticements to use Galaxy will likely keep growing, including certain features exclusive to it. Basically, over time more people will have more reasons to use it.

Of course, a hardcore group will always refuse to use it and as long as their basic needs are covered I assume they'll be fine with that. I'm just saying that group will become smaller and smaller as time goes by. Particularly important will probably be when social integration gets to a critical mass where you're likely to have other friends using Galaxy on a regular basis making it more likely to use it for not just playing your game but also as a means of communication with friends.

Galaxy has recently become an issue for me. The lack of a Linux client means that we're missing out on Linux games, and that sucks.

I don't think not having a client means you're missing out on Linux games, it just means you're missing out on the extras that the Galaxy client offers others to different platforms. (I'm surprised they didn't use Unity as a base for it.)

Afaik the problem for Linux users was that sometimes making the game Galaxy compatible at the same time breaks functionality with Linux. I am not sure about that though.

That sounds kind of weird. It almost sounds as if the Galaxy client were made with a particular platform in mind at first and then retro-fitting is difficult. However, refactoring is an option.

Unfortunately not true.

A dev of "Descent: Underground" said, that the lack of Linux compatibility of Galaxy is the reason why the Linux port won't arrive here and so did others ("Gremlins Inc." comes to mind).

My apologies, I didn't mean to tell an untruth, but I was under the impressions that Galaxy integration into the games was not the determining factor for releasing a game on the Linux platform.

I'll have to do some further research.

Some years ago awalterj visited Warsaw (as far as I remember he was on vacation) and Judas showed him the GOG HQ:

https://www.gog.com/forum/general/gog_headquarters_warsaw/post26

In theory you are right, but when the multi-player aspect of the game is the key selling point of a game that needs Galaxy for it, they don't release it here on Linux at all.

First off ... I had a more elaborate answer (with more quotes) but the fucking forum software got stuck at "processing", so I'll just post the answers...

Thanks for the answers GR00T, JMich and MarkoH01.

Regarding censorship and Germany:

Someone in the german forum (or it was here) asked the BPjM or jugendschutz.net and they said what I said above. Polen is not Germany and the worst that could happen is that a CEO (or whoever is "the boss") they could (not WILL!) get arrested when they travel to Germany but a) there must have been an incident and b) to my knowledge this never happened to anyone anywhere. Can you tell me why I can buy Wolfenstein 3D (just the first game that came to my mind) from amazon.fr, even so there is a german Amazon company??? Why don't they get problems? Because there are no laws broken.

Regarding opt-out option of Galaxy DRM infested installer:

This is where I don't believe in GOG anymore. Changes over the last 2-3 years where only negative (form my point of view). Many might see this different, but for me the regional rippoff and ceonsorship is not worth a game or two more. PRINCIPLES! That is what is important to me.

Regarding "DRM free is only for singleplayer":

If this is the case why did they forget to mention it? Where can I read it today on the GOG page that DRM free is only singleplayer related? Maybe I'm missing something, besides the fact that in "good old times" say never mentioned this.

Regarding Gwent and single player mode:

Maybe this is the same promise as made here ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRdfYwvGTos and we all know how this ended. Until this supposedly single player campaign is here, I can't play GWENT because of DRM. Simple as that for me.

Regarding regional ripoff:

This is what I never liked in any way. We had to do this or else ... that is no way to discuss.

I'll come back to that beer. Hope you will keep it cold. :-)

You are not the one to tell anyone what might happen in 2 months. This is GOGs job, but they just leave the customers in the dark and the come up with new implementations of things no one ever asked for, like the overview of your games where you can't sort manually and once in a while some poor basrad comes along and complains about this and all he/she gets it the forum "police" to show up and tells him/her how stupid he/she is and this changed a long time abo and the current situation is good.
And no officials will be there to maybe just say "we fucked this feature up and will probably never change this". This would be at least a true statement, but why not just ignore this guy.

I didn't think of the multi-player aspect, and to be honest, I am really not a fan of multiplayer games so that explains my shortsightedness.