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General discussionAnnouncement: Big Preorders & Launch Day Releases Coming!(4041 posts)(4041 posts)
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Posted February 21, 2014
The DRM-Free Revolution Continues with Big Pre-Orders and Launch Day Releases!

Good news! GOG.com is going to bring you more fantastic launch day releases, preorders, and other exciting new content from some of our favorite developers. We've lined up 3 big titles that we will be bringing to GOG.com in the next couple of months for sale or preorder that we think will be hits with all of our gamers; and we have more equally exciting games coming up soon.

If you've been a member of the site for a long time, you may recall that when we launched sales of The Witcher 2 on GOG.com, we had to add in regional pricing. The game cost different amounts in in the US, the UK, the European Union, and Australia. We're doing something like that once again in order to bring you new titles from fantastic bigger studios. Since we don't accept currencies other than USD on GOG.com right now, we'll be charging the equivalent of the local price in USD for these titles. We wish that we could offer these games at flat prices everywhere in the world, but the decision on pricing is always in our partners' hands, and regional pricing is becoming the standard around the globe. We're doing this because we believe that there's no better way to accomplish our overall goals for DRM-Free gaming and GOG.com. We need more games, devs, and publishers on board to make DRM-Free gaming something that's standard for all of the gaming world!

That brings with it more good news, though! As mentioned, we have three games we're launching soon with regional pricing--two RPGs and a strategy game--and while we can't tell you what they are yet because breaking an NDA has more severe penalties than just getting a noogie, we're confident that you'll be as excited about these games as we are. For a limited time, we will be offering anyone who pre-orders or buys one of them a free game from a selection as a gift from GOG.com, just like we did for The Witcher 2.

If you have any questions, hit us up in the comments below and we'll be happy to answer (to the best of our ability).

EDIT: Since we've answered a lot of the common questions already here (and lest you think that we've ignored you), it may be handy for you to check out the forum thread about this and search for staff answers by clicking this link here. (hat tip to user Eli who reminded us that the feature even exists. :)
Posted February 22, 2014
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NovusBogus: Hm, it didn't even occur to me that regional pricing was an issue until reading this. I think this is a good move--it's unfortunate that GOG has to choose the lesser of two evils but Steam's budding monopoly concerns me greatly and anything that leads to better DRM-free game availability can only be a good thing for consumers.

Region-priced games should be labeled as such, though.
Will it lead to better DRM-free game availability? I'm not sure. On first sight it looks like it, but there are pitfalls - they become more and more like Steam itself with only the DRM-free being the difference (or is there more, which I don't remember?)

To be fair one should maybe have a look at the worst regions. Will there be regions where those new games are not available or only for very high prices? If so then in this regions the DRM-free game availability wouldn't be increased.

Also for the labeling I hope they display all prices of all regions for each game meticulously. Otherwise the community will probably do it and it would shine a bad light. So I think they should just come up with how they charge worldwide upfront. But we'll see.
Posted February 22, 2014
Notice how in the video, the guy ripping off the EU citizen in front of the US citizen gets kicked out because he "doesn't work here anymore" for whatever reason? The guy kicking him out is wearing a GOG T-shirt so he obviously represents GOG. Would be great if GOG did the same in real life.
Posted February 22, 2014
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xyzzy007: "...and regional pricing is becoming the standard around the globe. "

This is not true, GOG. In Australia, the Commonwealth government has been calling in software companies to appear before the government and explain why prices for digitally delivered games are more expensive for Australian consumers that those in the USA, for example. The price of delivering the goods is the same anywhere around the world, i.e. no shipping costs, import duty, etc.

It appears that Australia will eventually pass laws against this type of pricing behaviour. By adopting it, you are doing nothing to help your customers.

You are greedy, and I hope your business suffers for it.
It would be nice, but you're dreaming - the government doesn't give a toss - Companies such as MS and Adobe have basically said at these inquiries "We do it because we can" and there's SFA the govt can do about it
Posted February 22, 2014
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xyzzy007: "...and regional pricing is becoming the standard around the globe. "

This is not true, GOG. In Australia, the Commonwealth government has been calling in software companies to appear before the government and explain why prices for digitally delivered games are more expensive for Australian consumers that those in the USA, for example. The price of delivering the goods is the same anywhere around the world, i.e. no shipping costs, import duty, etc.

It appears that Australia will eventually pass laws against this type of pricing behaviour. By adopting it, you are doing nothing to help your customers.

You are greedy, and I hope your business suffers for it.
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Bigs: It would be nice, but you're dreaming - the government doesn't give a toss - Companies such as MS and Adobe have basically said at these inquiries "We do it because we can" and there's SFA the govt can do about it
That's what happens when megacorporations boasting proprietary technology have you by the balls. :D
Posted February 22, 2014
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xyzzy007: "...and regional pricing is becoming the standard around the globe. "

This is not true, GOG. In Australia, the Commonwealth government has been calling in software companies to appear before the government and explain why prices for digitally delivered games are more expensive for Australian consumers that those in the USA, for example. The price of delivering the goods is the same anywhere around the world, i.e. no shipping costs, import duty, etc.

It appears that Australia will eventually pass laws against this type of pricing behaviour. By adopting it, you are doing nothing to help your customers.

You are greedy, and I hope your business suffers for it.
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Bigs: It would be nice, but you're dreaming - the government doesn't give a toss - Companies such as MS and Adobe have basically said at these inquiries "We do it because we can" and there's SFA the govt can do about it
Wrong. If the government didn't "give a toss" they never would have initiated this in the first place. It's only a matter of time before the government pushes this further. I can wait.
Post edited February 22, 2014 by xyzzy007
Posted February 22, 2014
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xyzzy007: "...and regional pricing is becoming the standard around the globe. "

This is not true, GOG. In Australia, the Commonwealth government has been calling in software companies to appear before the government and explain why prices for digitally delivered games are more expensive for Australian consumers that those in the USA, for example. The price of delivering the goods is the same anywhere around the world, i.e. no shipping costs, import duty, etc.

It appears that Australia will eventually pass laws against this type of pricing behaviour. By adopting it, you are doing nothing to help your customers.

You are greedy, and I hope your business suffers for it.
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Bigs: It would be nice, but you're dreaming - the government doesn't give a toss - Companies such as MS and Adobe have basically said at these inquiries "We do it because we can" and there's SFA the govt can do about it
Actually, the EU does things against situations like this. MS got fined *twice* for millions of Dollars (yes, I know, petty cash for MS) due to their bundling of IE in Windows and not providing an alternative.
Another thing achieved was that all smart phones (except those made by Apple) had to have one charging solution.
Micro-USB emerged as a standard for that. Prices for mobile phone calls and Internet access have been greatly reduced EU-wide due to pressure from the EU.
So at least in the EU, there is some chance (albeit a slim one) that these price level differences are going to be tackled one day. I do admit that if they still want to tackle that issue, they are rather late...
Posted February 22, 2014
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silentbob1138: ...
Watching that video makes the decision to allow regional pricing even more insane. Less than a year ago they explained why it is wrong and now they do it anyway. Have the guys in the video left Gog recently?
Several possibilities:

- They were wrong and Steam was right all along and they have seen now the mistakes of their ways?

- They were right, but the dark side had cookies and that's why they defected to the dark side?

- They acted more sure than they really were because of too much self confidence and now reality proved to be different?

- The mother companies share holders or just some boss told them to make a turnaround?

- They know it's wrong but for some reason they couldn't say no which either result in suicide later on (because they were right) or in successful returns later on (because they were wrong)?

...
Posted February 22, 2014
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MichiGen: I feel really sorry for GOG now, they are awesome fellas. I guess that choosing a lesser evil in this decision would be hard even for a master Geralt of Rivia.
You have called? ;-)

Actually, I have already answered that question.
Posted February 22, 2014
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jorlin: I managed to save the video at his link for posterity, video AND audio:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6P3yOTR2Vc&t=1194
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Future_Suture: What a joke this is now.
It's not a joke if they can manage to set fair regional prices. A lot of people are forgetting that this may yet play out in our favor. Besides, what they are talking about in the video is treating their customers like real people and so far they still do that.
Posted February 22, 2014
I just wondered what would have been the outcome if they made one their kind of yearly surveys and asking their customers what they think about regional pricing? Seriously. I'm so curious as to know how popular this concept is really among customers. I strongly feel negative about it but maybe that is rather rare.
Posted February 22, 2014
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jorlin: Actually, the EU does things against situations like this. MS got fined *twice* for millions of Dollars (yes, I know, petty cash for MS) due to their bundling of IE in Windows and not providing an alternative.
Another thing achieved was that all smart phones (except those made by Apple) had to have one charging solution.
Micro-USB emerged as a standard for that. Prices for mobile phone calls and Internet access have been greatly reduced EU-wide due to pressure from the EU.
So at least in the EU, there is some chance (albeit a slim one) that these price level differences are going to be tackled one day. I do admit that if they still want to tackle that issue, they are rather late...
Perhaps - but a) as you said fines are chump change to some of these companies and b) Australia is a tiny backwater market compared to the EU - more likely that if the govt decided to take action then the companies will just cut their losses, take their bat and ball and go home
Posted February 22, 2014
Ehh, I don't like this, but if it does allow for more high-profile games to be released DRM-free and at distributors that don't try and grind you for all your personal data then I can live with it. Then again, I live in North America, and I doubt it will effect me that much, so I might not be the best judge.
Posted February 22, 2014
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C17: So does this mean DRM is coming to GOG as well? Will all games in the catalog be regionally priced?
With all of the talk about enforcing regional pricing, an improved updating system, and GOG's willingness to compromise on its principles, here's what I'd predict will happen - GOG will release a semi-optional client akin to Steam, to replace the Downloader. That way they'd be able to manage downloads and updates, while ensuring that regional pricing will be enforced. They'd also be able to manage what kinds of extra "rewards", if any, users could have depending on their region.

At this point, I think DRM is going to eventually come to GOG, but it'll take the form of something like the Mac App Store, where you can download and install (and copy) your games at will to as many computers as you wish, provided that they're tied to an online account that requires a one-time-only online registration. That way GOG can spin the path they've taken with DRM as one that's progressive and "pro-consumer", much like how they've tried to do here with regional pricing.
Posted February 22, 2014
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Future_Suture: What a joke this is now.
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scampywiak: It's not a joke if they can manage to set fair regional prices. A lot of people are forgetting that this may yet play out in our favor. Besides, what they are talking about in the video is treating their customers like real people and so far they still do that.
Yeaaaaah...right...
No way this is for adding lower prices depending on regions. It's to add higher prices.
Posted February 22, 2014
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scampywiak: It's not a joke if they can manage to set fair regional prices. A lot of people are forgetting that this may yet play out in our favor.
Well, I am not sure what you think that fair regional prices are. One price for everyone seemed quite fair to me.
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Community
General discussionAnnouncement: Big Preorders & Launch Day Releases Coming!(4041 posts)(4041 posts)
(4041 posts)