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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 25, 2014
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Senteria: I am very anxious to reading this letter.
dont expect anything good, just more excuses that they choose this road
Posted February 25, 2014
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CarrionCrow: Have to say, definitely interested in seeing what the gentleman has to say later on. Course, with the way the crowd's been, it'll probably be like throwing gasoline-soaked explosives in a fire unless they manage to say every single thing that every single person wants to hear, simultaneously.

It'll have to be one looooooooooooong letter.
Nope, could be a really short one. "We're very sorry, we won't do regional pricing. We did not realize it was so important to our customers (even though it was on our homepage and our signup page and our FAQ as point 2 of the definition of "What is GOG.com?"). We are forced to go through with it for these three titles because contracts have already been signed. We hope that together we can put this lapse behind us, move forward and continue to make GOG the best online game shop and community possible. Please accept our apologies."

I highly doubt they'll go this route, but hey, I can wish.
Posted February 25, 2014
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dirtyharry50: Wow. Over 3,200 posts so far. It looks like we might have a movement here. This kinda makes me want to break out the old guitar and start up a rousing chorus of the "Alice's Restaurant Massacree." We can all sing it in harmony, with feelin'. Arlo Guthrie would be so proud of us. :D
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Elenarie: Hey, you have some idea there. Lets all get fanatical and start the anti-regional prices revolution!
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Ichwillnichtmehr: 1. DRM-free
2. Extra Goodies
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Elenarie: Extra goodies. /laugh 5 seconds you Bing / Youtube and you'll have the same things.
GOG.com chose those "core values".
Posted February 25, 2014
Since they obviously won't "go back" on the decision, the only thing this "letter" can do is undo the PR spin of the announcement. But I'm thinking it'll be more of a half-assed "sorry if we've hurt anybody's feelings, but..." followed by a reiteration of why they indeed think this is all "good news" in the long run. Got 10 bucks on that :popcorn:
Post edited February 25, 2014 by MoP
Posted February 25, 2014
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Melhelix: Nope, could be a really short one. (...)
If it's like my what my employer did, they started with a soothing message

"We have heard your reaction" blah blah, "we thrive to give you the best value" blah blah " We will introduce great changes in the coming months" blah blah "that we are sure will answer what our public wants" blah blah. "Our intention is not to introduce a generalized regional pricing" blah blah" we are sure the long term benefits will outweight the short term necessary adjustments"

Then when they kept being questionned

"It is necessary, take it or leave it"
Posted February 25, 2014
there is no difference between steam, origin, uplay, gog and humble bundle anymore - all have the same higher price. easy for me, because now i'm able to buy all gams via steam.
Posted February 25, 2014
*waiting*
Posted February 25, 2014
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amok: ... What is a bit funny, is that on Steam you at least get trading cards from for example Risk Of Rain, were the artwork of each card can be used as wallpapers...
I don't care about the trading cards, but maybe the devs of Risk Of Rain could make these artworks available as standalone graphics for everyone. Would be nice, although I myself will not play this game.
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GabiMoro: You are right, but somebody has to cut it's share to pay that VAT.
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Novotnus: EU can expect a nice love letter from me during this year's election :) I'll send them someone who really 'loves' them :)
This will surely change a lot. Send some destructive nationalist (just an example) and the EU will work much better in the next years.

Actually I don't think that VAT is at the centre of the problem. If it was then the simple and most clean solution would be to have worldwide equal prices ex taxes. So a game is $8 everywhere plus VAT which are listed for each country. Simple and effective. VAT doesn't require regional pricing or to say it more precise: VAT only requires a very specific regional pricing which is not the same as $1=1€.
Post edited February 25, 2014 by Trilarion
Posted February 25, 2014
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Trilarion: Actually I don't think that VAT is at the centre of the problem. If it was then the simple and most clean solution would be to have worldwide equal prices ex taxes. So a game is $8 everywhere plus VAT which are listed for each country. Simple and effective. VAT doesn't require regional pricing or to say it more precise: VAT only requires a very specific regional pricing which is not the same as $1=1€.
Of course it's not, that has nothing to do with regional pricing.
Posted February 25, 2014
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Melhelix: Nope, could be a really short one. (...)
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Phc7006: If it's like my what my employer did, they started with a soothing message

"We have heard your reaction" blah blah, "we thrive to give you the best value" blah blah " We will introduce great changes in the coming months" blah blah "that we are sure will answer what our public wants" blah blah. "Our intention is not to introduce a generalized regional pricing" blah blah" we are sure the long term benefits will outweight the short term necessary adjustments"

Then when they kept being questionned

"It is necessary, take it or leave it"
Sure, but if it goes wrong we don't want them to say that their fans didn't warn them. The best decisions are informed decisions. They should just know what their customers think. I write here not to change the world but to give valuable feedback and enable them to make the best possible decisions.
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Senteria: I am very anxious to reading this letter.
I think the games and the prices of them will decide if it was worth it. I hope this will be announced soon.
Post edited February 25, 2014 by Trilarion
Posted February 25, 2014
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Trilarion: Actually I don't think that VAT is at the centre of the problem. If it was then the simple and most clean solution would be to have worldwide equal prices ex taxes. So a game is $8 everywhere plus VAT which are listed for each country. Simple and effective. VAT doesn't require regional pricing or to say it more precise: VAT only requires a very specific regional pricing which is not the same as $1=1€.
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Cavalary: Of course it's not, that has nothing to do with regional pricing.
yes, because i'm paying "vat" when i exchange my euro to dollar.
Posted February 25, 2014
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Trilarion: Actually I don't think that VAT is at the centre of the problem. If it was then the simple and most clean solution would be to have worldwide equal prices ex taxes. So a game is $8 everywhere plus VAT which are listed for each country. Simple and effective. VAT doesn't require regional pricing or to say it more precise: VAT only requires a very specific regional pricing which is not the same as $1=1€.
I don't think either. If it was only about VAT, there wouldn't be such variations in regional pricing. Because the publishers sometimes go for 1$ : 1.25€, or for 1: 1.33. Once upon a time, when games were only sold in boxes and came on 5.25 inches floppies (oups, cd's ) , it was probably the case , as one had to factor in transport and custom duties Nowadays, it's simply because gamers buy on "impulse", sometimes like junkies, so publishers can get away with a certain amount of abuse. Why be fair when you can make money out of it ?
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Cavalary: Of course it's not, that has nothing to do with regional pricing.
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Cdr.Keen: yes, because i'm paying "vat" when i exchange my euro to dollar.
What do you mean exactly ? there is no vat on exchange rates. just bank fees, transaction fees and whatever charge banks see fit to apply to ensure they can both distribute large bonusses to their top executives and fire sizeable parts of their staff ...
Post edited February 25, 2014 by Phc7006
Posted February 25, 2014
high rated
Heh, this is quite an epic thread! Good to see so many voice their opinions and hope GOG gives this issue the consideration it deserves.
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TheEnigmaticT: Well, for these initial games we're talking about we have a plan to offer free games from a selected list. Beyond that, it's going to be on a case-by-case basis for a while I imagine. We certainly intend to try and offer something for every game that we sell we regional pricing. We know that 1 euro isn't 1 dollar, and we want to try to offset that.
If GOG is to submit to a publisher's demand for regional pricing, then it should push for the following:
* publisher must make their older games available (if applicable) on GOG;
* codes for those games should be included for anyone paying a higher regional price, to match as closely as possible the price hike;
* customers who already own those older games get a GOG voucher (not just an option to gift the games) to buy something else (cost to be borne by publisher).

This would then (a) offer some compensation for those affected; (b) provide a disincentive for publishers to push regional pricing and (c) give older games more visibility.

Essentially, do what was done with Witcher 2 pre-release but without any time limits (though the extras can be excluded during sales).
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Novotnus: Even Steam didn't go that far yet. [blocking inter-regional-gifting.]
Actually they have - and now allow publishers to block gifting also.
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Leroux: It's unclear how actively they are pursueing this. There was some news a while back about Valve trying to dissuade people from circumventing the regional prices...
It is now explicitly forbidden in the Steam Subscriber Agreement (at the end of section 3A):

"You agree that you will not use IP proxying or other methods to disguise the place of your residence, whether to circumvent geographical restrictions on game content, to purchase at pricing not applicable to your geography, or for any other purpose. If you do this, we may terminate your access to your Account."

This is being enforced (example - and that thread makes this look puny...) along with region locking generally (example [url=http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3219371]here). Whether GOG will (now or in future) take similar measures is one aspect of this policy that concerns many here.
Posted February 25, 2014
Edit: Nevermind, covered recently by folk more knowledgeable than I.
Post edited February 25, 2014 by Melhelix
Posted February 25, 2014
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Trilarion: This will surely change a lot. Send some destructive nationalist (just an example) and the EU will work much better in the next years.
Nah, far away from hotheaded right-wingers.
I would love to send some rational libertarians who would simply laugh at the idea of baning smoked meat... but such party is too good to exist :)
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Community
General discussionAnnouncement: Big Preorders & Launch Day Releases Coming!(4041 posts)(4041 posts)
(4041 posts)