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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 21, 2014
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RS1978: That sounds nice in theory, but a DRM-free game I can't buy as a German is of no avail for me. Steam has many games which are not available or only censored available for German market. What you describe is exactly such a situation for further releases.
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ReynardFox: The Witcher 2 was censored in my country, but I went into my profile, set my region to somewhere else and was able to purchase the proper version without issue.
yeah, I wish I had of done some reading on that aswell before buying Witcher 2
Posted February 21, 2014
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IAmSinistar: Wait, Judas is from Europe? When did Hell join the EU?
It never joined, rather founded it :)
Post edited February 21, 2014 by Novotnus
Posted February 21, 2014
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TheBitterness: However, it is important to remember that GOG is not introducing regional pricing across their entire catalogue but rather only in these cases where it is between getting a game DRM-free or not getting the game at all.
Until a publisher decides to convert its entire catalog to a new pricing just to improve earnings. Does that seem so unlikely? I alredy have a couple of names in my mind...
Posted February 21, 2014
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TheBitterness: I can sympathise with the frustrations of those who will ultimately have to pay a higher price due to regional pricing and GOG only accepting US currency. However, it is important to remember that GOG is not introducing regional pricing across their entire catalogue but rather only in these cases where it is between getting a game DRM-free or not getting the game at all. It's unfortunate that this has to happen for these titles to be available on GOG, but it seems to me that many of us would be willing to pay a bit more for having the ability to buy our games through our favourite shop.
The problem is that now regional pricing is a thing. What publisher in their right mind would NOT choose it since it makes them more money? Shareholders don't like being told "we could have made more money this year, but chose not to." It opens the door for a lot more pain for a lot more people down the line.
Posted February 21, 2014
I really don't get why companies need to charge more in different counties, when you are not dealing with a physical product.
Posted February 21, 2014
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RS1978: That sounds nice in theory, but a DRM-free game I can't buy as a German is of no avail for me. Steam has many games which are not available or only censored available for German market. What you describe is exactly such a situation for further releases.
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TheEnigmaticT: True enough. And I hope that will never happen, but if it does, then there's still a game that's DRM-free in 195 other countries in the world, which seems a lot better to me than a game which is DRM-free in 0 countries.
Will there be a possibilty for "gifting" from one country to another? I have ordered some censored Steam games from other countries and they work fine. I hope as well you will announce it clearly if a German game version is censored as Steam does it already.
Posted February 21, 2014
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macnbc: I feel like this is just yet another compromise that GOG's made over the years.

When GOG started it had some central tenets:
*Quality older games that have been otherwise out of legal distribution
*DRM-free
*Flat pricing worldwide

The first one has been put in the background for several years now. The focus is increasingly on newer games, and the quality control on what's added to the site has gone way down.

Now flat pricing is being given up on just because that's what their partners want.

So what happens when the partners want to offer DRM? How long before GOG lets go the last core value they claim to hold so dearly because otherwise it might cost them a title in the catalog?
The first one is still true!

They've released as many old games per week as they've done in the past - but in addition they've also released newer games.
Posted February 21, 2014
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RS1978: That sounds nice in theory, but a DRM-free game I can't buy as a German is of no avail for me. Steam has many games which are not available or only censored available for German market. What you describe is exactly such a situation for further releases.
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TheEnigmaticT: True enough. And I hope that will never happen, but if it does, then there's still a game that's DRM-free in 195 other countries in the world, which seems a lot better to me than a game which is DRM-free in 0 countries.
Does this mean that GOG will feature regional lockout as well? As in, there will be games that won't be available in certain regions or will only be available in certain regions in censored form?
Posted February 21, 2014
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Darvond: I don't believe in freedom from taxes, I believe in redirection of taxes. In that NASCAR and the NFL should be taxed. One of them is spending more money than NASA has a budget, and the other is a grand marathon of waste.
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vulchor: They're both grand marathons of waste if you ask me, but yeah it makes me sick that we have laws signed by congress to grant them NON-PROFIT status for tax purposes when they make enormous profit. Then, to build new stadiums, tax-payers have to pitch in too. Disgusting.
I'm a bit of a sadist. I would allow certain clauses such as, 'You may build this stadium only if you first deconstruct the stadium that is already in perfect working order. And the labor must be provided from within the NFL itself.'

But I think this is a bit of natter.
Posted February 21, 2014
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vulchor: You don't compromise on your core ideals and principles. That is called integrity.
True. But, then again, did they clearly state they are going full regional pricing? Like I said, I think it's more likely the current plan will stay in place for most games -- and by most I mean the really vast majority of them.

You're entitled to feel "betrayed" if worldwide pricing was that big of a deal to you, I guess. It's kind of important to me, don't get me wrong, but it's definitely not the main reason I buy my games here, that would have to be the fact they are DRM-free. 100% DRM-free. And, yes, if they compromise on this pricing core value, what guarantees do we have that they won't turn back on the DRM-free stance? None. I get this, I understand the sentiment, but so far they're not doing it, now, are they? Shouldn't we just wait and see, before we draw conclusions?

I'm all for integrity, trust me, I've had some bad periods in my life due to being truthful to my values and principles, and I sure as hell value that. Heck, I never bought a single game on Steam, I will never do so, I never bought a Bethesda game, because I hate the way they treat customers and lead them to believe their products are indispensable. But people change, they evolve, they... well, they grow up. I'm glad I lost some of my "core values" along the way (granted, they were pretty bad, but why should I ditch them, right? I "should have kept my integrity", according to you). We need to have some maneuverability in terms of ideals, just as long as it doesn't clash with what we ultimately are. And, the way I see it, GOG is just accommodating potential new customers and catering to the needs of existing ones that want to see some games released in here but can't, because publishers won't do worldwide pricing -- sometimes out of regional legal issues beyond their control. As long as they keep being 100% DRM-free, providing stellar customer support and dedication, being *mostly* worldwide pricing-friendly and getting all the great games and game related goodies as they can, I don't think their integrity is in check.

Obviously, that's just me. All of you in disagreement are more than entitled to feel bad for this, and it's your prerogative to stop using GOG altogether, I know I would if they stopped being fully DRM-free -- which, as of now, they still are.
Posted February 21, 2014
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RS1978: That sounds nice in theory, but a DRM-free game I can't buy as a German is of no avail for me. Steam has many games which are not available or only censored available for German market. What you describe is exactly such a situation for further releases.
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ReynardFox: The Witcher 2 was censored in my country, but I went into my profile, set my region to somewhere else and was able to purchase the proper version without issue.
Unfortunately it was stated in this thread before that this method doesn't longer work. :(
Posted February 21, 2014
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TheEnigmaticT: To my knowledge, there's no plans currently underweigh to change how gifting works.
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IAmSinistar: Thanks, I'm glad to hear that. Hope it remains the case, then.

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TheEnigmaticT: We're from Europe after all (well, everyone in the company but me. w0rma, and TurnipSlayer)
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IAmSinistar: Wait, Judas is from Europe? When did Hell join the EU?
I was born in Poland but lived in the US most of my life :)
Posted February 21, 2014
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IAmSinistar: As someone in the States I'm interested in how regional pricing will affect gifting. Will I have to restructure my giveaways in order to buy the right region version for the winner? And how the heck will gifting keys work, will they be tied to regions as well?
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TheEnigmaticT: To my knowledge, there's no plans currently underweigh to change how gifting works.
Now that I think of it, have you considered that people might just be tempted get their games through their russian buddies or whatever countries will have lower pricing, and pay them back with paypal or something?
Other stores counter key reselling with regional activation, but what about GOG that have DRM-free installers?
Posted February 21, 2014
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TheEnigmaticT: True enough. And I hope that will never happen, but if it does, then there's still a game that's DRM-free in 195 other countries in the world, which seems a lot better to me than a game which is DRM-free in 0 countries.
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Gandos: Does this mean that GOG will feature regional lockout as well? As in, there will be games that won't be available in certain regions or will only be available in certain regions in censored form?
Exactly this is the meaning of the "Good news" GOG was announcing today.
Posted February 21, 2014
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XYCat: Humble store went $=€/£
No, they do not do $=€ on all games.
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionAnnouncement: Big Preorders & Launch Day Releases Coming!(4041 posts)(4041 posts)
(4041 posts)