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General discussionAnnouncement: Big Preorders & Launch Day Releases Coming!(4041 posts)(4041 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
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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jackster79: Lastly, those unhappy with the regional pricing scheme need to be motivated enough to take political action within their country, by supporting those politicians who will advance the cause and deal with the legalities involved.

Unfortunately here in the USA I have a better chance of climbing the face of Mount Rushmore.
Unfortunately for as long as I can now remember the major Australian political parties are not receptive to much community imput, even when they pretend they are. There are a couple of independents who have some sway, that already brought up region pricing in Australia but all that resulted in was a report. The Australian government is too concerned about free trade, that they tie us to US laws and do not want to offend over seas business interests.

New Zealand seems to be a little more receptive to good ideas, recently they tried to make their patent system fairer. Australia will just do whatever the US wants us to in these sort of matters, or China as the case may be.

- edited to clarify I was talking about Australia
Post edited February 22, 2014 by deonast
Posted February 22, 2014
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groze: and it's so annoying that GOG may as well lose more community members out of this fruitless discussion than customers out of the whole change in policy.
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OldFatGuy: Oh, I didn't know this. Do you mean bannings or folks just leaving the forums in anger??? I never knew them to ban anyone before, but I'm sure they can. I didn't think of that.
I mean people getting tired of all this bullcrap. Oh, and, by the way:

</span>. See what you're incurring in? <span class="bold">[url=https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/slippery-slope]THIS. Nothing but spreading fear through conjecture and paranoia. "GOG will end up being pro DRM because they are no longer worldwide price-only".

No one's happy with this measure. But that's the only thing we know it's happening, right now, nothing more, nothing less. It can mean both disaster or good things coming our way. Hence my urge to

wait

and

see.
Posted February 22, 2014
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OldFatGuy: I'm not going to tell you that you that they don't have that right, because obviously they do. But IMO no man is an island, and we all have theoretical responsibilities to others. And in cases like these, where a policy change results in real hardship for some people, that others involved have some theoretical responsibility to help them and support them, as well as they having the same theoretical responsibility back if I were the one affected.

This everyone can do their own thing is exactly what corporations (and governments) want, because a divided consumer base/population, is much easier to take advantage of than a united one.

But I have no illusion of reality ever catching up with that theory, most especially with Americans, because most really don't care about anyone other than themselves. If that one dynamic were to change, this world would be so much better it would be unrecognizable.
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Russonc: I agree with your theory, I really, really do (so no hate my way please); but we are talking about computer games ...
If we were talking about some moral issues, standing up for others rights, etc I would be marching with you.... but we are talking about ... non-necessity, PC games... I just don't get it... :)
That's the mindset that has helped video games become one of the most heavily corporate-controlled consumer markets in existence. The companies themselves have no problems taking games seriously, and it shows in what rights we as customers have: buy or don't. If you buy, you don't own it enough to sell it.

That is to say, "they're just games" is a fallacy that plays in the pockets of those that would have your money, and as much of it as possible to boot.
Posted February 22, 2014
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jackster79: Lastly, those unhappy with the regional pricing scheme need to be motivated enough to take political action within their country, by supporting those politicians who will advance the cause and deal with the legalities involved.

Unfortunately here in the USA I have a better chance of climbing the face of Mount Rushmore.
avatar
deonast: Unfortunately for as long as I can now remember the major Australian political parties are not receptive to much community imput, even when they pretend they are. There are a couple of independents who have some sway, that already brought up region pricing in Australia but all that resulted in was a report. The Australian government is too concerned about free trade, that they tie us to US laws and do not want to offend over seas business interests.

New Zealand seems to be a little more receptive to good ideas, recently they tried to make their patent system fairer. Australia will just do whatever the US wants us to in these sort of matters, or China as the case may be.

- edited to clarify I was talking about Australia
Did not realize that part of the world was so tied to us. I always thought Australia was at least a regional economic power, but I guess that is all relative. Shame there is no entity there (political, business, or otherwise) that would have the clout to act without concern of pissing off interests in the US, China, or anywhere else.
Posted February 22, 2014
1) i have seen people from usa seem to support this decision well , well they are not used any kind rip off or regional blocking that we rest of the world have to face everyday on every digital store. So it is fair to assume the maximum gain from this will be them able to get hands on more drm free games at the same price since $=$ in us.

2) The only post that bothers me is that TET saying people would be compensated by gog from their own pockets if they bought something that was regionally priced higher. Really?? do you think any longtime , self respecting member of gog would want a compensation on something they bought on their favourite site drm free ?
i would frankly be hurt if gog has to do that , witcher 2 compensation was already something i felt gog was overdoing as compensation to its customers, considering how the drm version with region locking sold even more on steam.
Post edited February 22, 2014 by liquidsnakehpks
Posted February 22, 2014
high rated
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groze: I mean people getting tired of all this bullcrap. Oh, and, by the way:

</span>. See what you're incurring in? <span class="bold">[url=https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/slippery-slope]THIS. Nothing but spreading fear through conjecture and paranoia. "GOG will end up being pro DRM because they are no longer worldwide price-only".

No one's happy with this measure. But that's the only thing we know it's happening, right now, nothing more, nothing less. It can mean both disaster or good things coming our way. Hence my urge to

wait

and

see.
It is absolutely valid, if, you listened to their own words to suggest that by compromising on this, they're more likely to compromise on their other "core-values." If you don't understand that concept, then so be it. But there's a youtube a few pages ago where GoG spokesmen talk about how they had opportunities in the past to break their core values over one world one price or a little DRM and they didn't do it (one speaker even said No Compromises). Now we have an example of a compromise. Therefore, it most certainly is not a fallacy to suggest more compromises in the future. It's a fallacy to say they're inevitable, but it's not to say they're more likely. Using past behavior to predict future behavior is not a fallacy, or we wouldn't lock up murderers.

If you don't like the thread, leave it. Don't read it. And hide my posts.

EDIT: Changed caps to italics, sometimes like to emphasize words but I'm told all caps is shouting. Sorry.
Post edited February 22, 2014 by OldFatGuy
Posted February 22, 2014
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liquidsnakehpks: 1) i have seen people from usa seem to support this decision well , well they are not used any kind rip off or regional blocking that we rest of the world have to face everyday on every digital store. So it is fair to assume the maximum gain from this will be them able to get hands on more drm free games at the same price since $=$ in us.
Correction: Support but with trepidation. Likely naive of me to think so, but if this move will get GOG on a path to expand their catalog and hopefully by extension their clout to the point where they can push back harder and more successfully against publishers and developers when it comes to regional pricing, then a short-term sacrifice for a long-term gain will be worth it.

Granted GOG still has a long way to go, but this may be just what is needed to get them there.
Posted February 22, 2014
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liquidsnakehpks: i would frankly be hurt if gog has to do that , witcher 2 compensation was already something i felt gog was overdoing as compensation to its customers, considering how the drm version with region locking sold even more on steam.
They could do that for the Witcher 2 as GOG's parent company CDProjekt made the game and the extra money gathered via GOG for the regions ultimately went to them anyway. So I guess they sacrificed a bit of the extra profit to try and make things right. CDProjek didn't initially want to charge the different rates but were forced to by their "partner" Namco Bandi who didn't like the competition for their distribution of physical boxed versions in store.
-----
That said I don't know how they would fund extra games for titles that are not their own. I a can only see that as viable for the Witcher 3 which I anticipate will have the same Namco Bandi requirements as before.
Post edited February 22, 2014 by deonast
Posted February 22, 2014
avatar
liquidsnakehpks: 1) i have seen people from usa seem to support this decision well , well they are not used any kind rip off or regional blocking that we rest of the world have to face everyday on every digital store. So it is fair to assume the maximum gain from this will be them able to get hands on more drm free games at the same price since $=$ in us.

2) The only post that bothers me is that TET saying people would be compensated by gog from their own pockets if they bought something that was regionally priced higher. Really?? do you think any longtime , self respecting member of gog would want a compensation on something they bought on their favourite site drm free ?
i would frankly be hurt if gog has to do that , witcher 2 compensation was already something i felt gog was overdoing as compensation to its customers, considering how the drm version with region locking sold even more on steam.
I'm american and I dont agree with it:-)
Posted February 22, 2014
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liquidsnakehpks: 1) i have seen people from usa seem to support this decision well , well they are not used any kind rip off or regional blocking that we rest of the world have to face everyday on every digital store. So it is fair to assume the maximum gain from this will be them able to get hands on more drm free games at the same price since $=$ in us.
avatar
jackster79: Correction: Support but with trepidation. Likely naive of me to think so, but if this move will get GOG on a path to expand their catalog and hopefully by extension their clout to the point where they can push back harder and more successfully against publishers and developers when it comes to regional pricing, then a short-term sacrifice for a long-term gain will be worth it.

Granted GOG still has a long way to go, but this may be just what is needed to get them there.
If anything, this little precedent may incentivize current GOG publishers to rethink their flat pricing policy and threaten to pull out their catalog if their new terms are not met.
Posted February 22, 2014
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jackster79: Correction: Support but with trepidation. Likely naive of me to think so, but if this move will get GOG on a path to expand their catalog and hopefully by extension their clout to the point where they can push back harder and more successfully against publishers and developers when it comes to regional pricing, then a short-term sacrifice for a long-term gain will be worth it.

Granted GOG still has a long way to go, but this may be just what is needed to get them there.
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Selderij: If anything, this little precedent may incentivize current GOG publishers to rethink their flat pricing policy and threaten to pull out their catalog if their new terms are not met.
I will not deny that is a risk; will even say it is very likely.

What I am hoping will come out of all of this is that GOG will have a way to achieve a critical mass that it could not have otherwise done so, and by doing so will tip the bargaining power back in their favor. I would like to believe (again, likely naively) that once a publisher goes to region-specific pricing, there is no reason to think they would never go back to flat rate pricing. Situation and circumstances change, and my hope is that GOG growing its catalog is one of those changes that will cause the publishers to rethink such a stance.

Edited for spelling
Post edited February 22, 2014 by jackster79
Posted February 22, 2014
Bad news! I'm not buying them because i don't like you turning your backs on your own policies. Have a nice day.
Post edited February 22, 2014 by Shendue
Posted February 22, 2014
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deonast: Unfortunately for as long as I can now remember the major Australian political parties are not receptive to much community imput, even when they pretend they are.
Wrong. The fact we have mandatory voting ensures that the political parties have to listen to all people, unlike some countries where the non-rich are ignored or worse.
Posted February 22, 2014
high rated
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damien: All I see is GOG getting away from its founding principles that made it great. My two cents...
I'm sorry but based on where you live that will actually be six cents.
Posted February 22, 2014
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OldFatGuy: It is absolutely valid, if you LISTENED TO THEIR OWN WORDS, to suggest that by compromising on this, they're more likely to compromise on their other "core-values." If you don't understand that concept, then so be it. But there's a youtube a few pages ago where GoG spokesmen talk about how they had opportunities in the past to break their core values over one world one price or a little DRM and they didn't do it (one speaker even said NO COMPROMISE). Now we have an example of a compromise. Therefore, it most certainly is not a fallacy to suggest more compromises in the future. It's a fallacy to say they're inevitable, but it's not to say they're more likely. Using past behavior to predict future behavior is not a fallacy, or we wouldn't lock up murderers.

If you don't like the thread, leave it. Don't read it. And hide my posts.
First of all, that last argument you used could be applied to all the people being overly angry about all this. They're mad at GOG? They want to leave and never buy a game in here again? Then, by all means, do it.

Secondly, I'm not hiding your posts, because I would have to downrep you to do so, and I see no reason for that, as you're more than entitled to your opinion and I don't think I should be punishing someone for speaking their mind, even if it is only on my end.

That being said, I don't agree with everything you're saying, and I don't particularly enjoy your persecution of my posts. I've read a huge chunk of this thread and my impression is that the vast majority of people are, in fact, turning what is likely into inevitable, and basing their arguments in spreading fear through hypothetical -- albeit likely, they're still hypothetical -- scenarios of impending doom. If they're so unhappy, a simple "GOG, I'm not happy about this" should suffice. Instead, people are going on a witch hunt and, no, they haven't been sensible and civil in the least, if you think so, we haven't been reading the same thread.

This is the last time I'll bother answering one of your passive-aggressive, patronizing replies to my posts in this thread. Feel free to respond in a very witty way, and have "the last word", I couldn't care less.

And if anyone out there still feels like taking a more sensible, thought-out, trusting approach: let's wait and see how it all pans out and draw conclusions when there's actually something to conclude.
Post edited February 22, 2014 by groze
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionAnnouncement: Big Preorders & Launch Day Releases Coming!(4041 posts)(4041 posts)
(4041 posts)