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General discussionHerzlich Willkommen! GOG.com goes German(641 posts)(641 posts)
(641 posts)
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Posted February 26, 2015
Herzlich Willkommen!




GOG.com goes German. Not completely, mind you, but starting today we'll be spreading our DRM-free love in one more language. Whether you're here because of the news, or you've been with us for a while, here is what we're doing to make our German speaking friends feel a little more welcome on GOG.com:




-A German version of our website. You can change your language using the drop-down menu towards the bottom of every page.
-A German corner of our forums. Your home away from home.
-German customer support. If you're more comfortable talking to us in your native language.
-More games in German. We're rolling out 25+ German localisations for our games today, bringing the total up to 350+.




No big announcement would be complete without a huge sale! This weekend we're holding the German-riffic <span class="bold">Herzlich Willkommen!</span> promo. The highlight is a ridiculous 97% off Deponia, but there are over 25 other German gaming hits available as well. There is adventuring with the remaining Deponia games, the cult strategy of The Settlers, the tough and turn-based tactics in Blackguards 1 and 2, and many, many more feats of German game design.


Check out <span class="bold">the weekend promo page</span> to see the full lineup. The promo will last until Tuesday, March 3, at 4:59 AM GMT.




Update:
Two games from our catalog had to be made unavailable in Germany: Commandos Ammo Pack and Commandos 2+3. Offering or promoting these games is considered a serious criminal offence according to German law, and we have to abide by this law to avoid the risk of serious legal action taken against GOG.com and GOG.com employees. Rest assured that if you've already bought a game - nothing will retroactively disappear from your shelves.
Post edited February 27, 2015 by Chamb
Posted February 27, 2015
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mobutu: Why go to such complicated and expensive things when there's already an easy system implemented/working:
- a child cannot make/authorize the payment for a digital product, unless he has his legal guardian (parents) consent.
Last I know, a child can have bank accounts and shit but he cannot make any sort of payment without the consent of his legal guardian. Has this changed? I don't think so.
Ain't that easy. You'd really have to hide indexed games from minors, not just prevent the purchase. That's what the age verification system is needed for.
Posted February 27, 2015
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Klumpen0815: ...implement an expensive age verification system...
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mobutu: Why go to such complicated and expensive things when there's already an easy system implemented/working:
- a child cannot make/authorize the payment for a digital product, unless he has his legal guardian (parents) consent.
Last I know, a child can have bank accounts and shit but he cannot make any sort of payment without the consent of his legal guardian. Has this changed? I don't think so.
Of course you are right, but good luck convincing the officials that making an account here is illegal for children anyway.
They.don't.care.
Post edited February 27, 2015 by Klumpen0815
Posted February 27, 2015
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toxicTom: Ain't that easy. You'd really have to hide indexed games from minors, not just prevent the purchase. That's what the age verification system is needed for.
Why browsing the game catalogue should be illegal for a child? Why hide some inoffensive pictures of some games when the child doesn't get to play it anyway? There's nothing offensive (for a child) there and they don't get to download/install/play the games. I really don't get it, it's common sense.
Post edited February 27, 2015 by mobutu
Posted February 27, 2015
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PaterAlf: And by the way: Why doesn't GOG simply offer both versions for download? They do it with several other games as well (e.g. FlatOut, System Shock) and it doesn't seem to be a problem.
This is in fact a good question and I think it relates directly to the topic of language packs. Before anything I want to say say that I'm making educated guesses. I don't have any definite knowledge of this matter but I'd be very surprised if it weren't along those lines.

The reason is probably due to the horribly tangled way copyright laws work. With the exception of a few games, the copyrights over the locally distributed and modified versions do not lie with the developer but with the publisher. Except in those cases where the developer is the publisher or has already modified it beforehand. That is probably the reason why no more language packs are available.

Take the longest journey, a game whose dubbing I loved, beautifully and proffesionally made. I'm pretty sure that the copyrights for the spanish language translation do not lie with Fun.com but with FX Interactive, the local distributor. For GOG to be able to offer that language, they'd have to strike a deal with FX Interactive and pay them for the use of their assets. Which'd mean they would be paying multiple licenses for a single game. Obviously, that's not very profitable.
Posted February 27, 2015
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mobutu: it's common sense.
No, it's Germany!
Posted February 27, 2015
Wait... so having a German language site makes you subject to German law? Are you sure this was worth it?
Posted February 27, 2015
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GOG.com: snip
Urgh, just now it began... it's showing me the top bar in German.
Is there any way to change that?
I don't want a German/English mixed site, it's ugly.

PS: I changed my Avatar yesterday and it only had an effect on the small ones in replies, the big one besides posts is still unchanged.
It looks like my censoring is censored which is quite mindbogging. :D
Post edited February 27, 2015 by Klumpen0815
Posted February 27, 2015
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GOG.com: snip
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Klumpen0815: Urgh, just now it began... it's showing me the top bar in German.
Is there any way to change that?
I don't want a German/English mixed site, it's ugly.

PS: I changed my Avatar yesterday and it only had an effect on the slow ones in replies, the big one besides posts is still unchanged.
It looks like my censoring is censored which is quite mindboggingly. :D
Go to the main page or any other page than the English Gen. Discussion forum and you'll see a language setting at the bottom of the page where you can change your preferred language :)
Posted February 27, 2015
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Redfoxe: Ah sehr gut mein herren und damen
Mein Igel habe meine Kartoffeln gegessen
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RetroRaven: Oh you svenskar och er rolig tyska ^^
Men ni gör det ofta bättre än amerikanerna, därför att kudos XD
Det vore jättekult om någon kunne få tag i svenska och förstås norsk versionen av Den Lengste Reisen/ Den längsta resan.

Allright next GOG language: Ter Sami ? XO)
Posted February 27, 2015
Dear GoG.com,
A for afford but can i get my old english only uncensored gog.com back? I stopped buying games in german 18 years ago and the german censorship of games is also annoying as hell...
Posted February 27, 2015
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Klumpen0815: Urgh, just now it began... it's showing me the top bar in German.
Is there any way to change that?
I don't want a German/English mixed site, it's ugly.

PS: I changed my Avatar yesterday and it only had an effect on the small ones in replies, the big one besides posts is still unchanged.
It looks like my censoring is censored which is quite mindbogging. :D
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JudasIscariot: Go to the main page or any other page than the English Gen. Discussion forum and you'll see a language setting at the bottom of the page where you can change your preferred language :)
Done, thanks.

Any idea what I can do about this weird avatar bug?
Posted February 27, 2015
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DanTheKraut: So you won't tussle with the german government? Totally fine implement a age verification for german customers because every time someone buys a game rated 18 by the USK, buys a unrated game (which is automatically rated 18 btw. around 80% of all the games you offer count as unrated in Germany) or buys a indexed game it is a violation of the german youth protection law.

Of course you can't pick a random age verification system because there are only a few which are approved by the KJM also those age verification systems aren't cheap (Steam regret to implement one because of the costs but hey they don't care about german laws anyway).

You CAN'T just pick a law and say "we have to obey it " and think everything is alright. You have to obey ALL laws then because this is how it works or with your words "lawsuits tend to be costly"!
Well, currently Steam and GOG try operate under the radar. Block some "offensive" games and hope nobody notices, that they don't comply with JMStV at all. Someday someone will notice this and put the whole page on the BPjM blocklist, that means completely removal from all search engine indexes for Germany (including Google.de) and complete site blocking in routers with enabled youth protection.

To make it clear, GOG: It's illegal to sell the Witcher 1 and 3 (USK 18) to minors in Germany and that is exactly what you are currently doing. Where not talking about banned games here. You HAVE to implement an approved age verification system or otherwise it will get ugly in future.
Posted February 27, 2015
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Laserschwert: I don't know if it has been asked, but why doesn't GOG offer only the German version of Commandos to Germans? Why remove it completely?
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CountDandy: That would need there to be a German version and its a series that was banned for mentioning Nazis in a world war 2 setting so it never had one.
As mentioned, there is a German version. You can freely buy it on Amazon, in stores, anywhere. And they do have the German version on GOG. I've bought it a while ago and it's still in my library. They could just block download of the English version, since the German version is "fine".
Post edited February 27, 2015 by Laserschwert
Posted February 27, 2015
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JudasIscariot: Go to the main page or any other page than the English Gen. Discussion forum and you'll see a language setting at the bottom of the page where you can change your preferred language :)
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Klumpen0815: Done, thanks.

Any idea what I can do about this weird avatar bug?
Not sure what's going with the avatars so please send a Support ticket :)
Posted February 27, 2015
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jtsn: To make it clear, GOG: It's illegal to sell the Witcher 1 and 3 (USK 18) to minors in Germany and that is exactly what you are currently doing. Where not talking about banned games here. You HAVE to implement an approved age verification system or otherwise it will get ugly in future.
So..Germany arrives and.. immediately messes up GOG? XD

Anyway GOG, if you implement an age verification, please show it under each user avatar, so we'll finally know if we're speaking to a 15 or an 80 years old! :P
Post edited February 27, 2015 by phaolo
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General discussionHerzlich Willkommen! GOG.com goes German(641 posts)(641 posts)
(641 posts)