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General discussionHerzlich Willkommen! GOG.com goes German(641 posts)(641 posts)
(641 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
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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Nympheros: How can I change the language back to English?
I really don't like being forced to use my German...
Give me a choice what language I want to use, GoG!
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Maxvorstadt: Go to the main page, scroll down and on the right side you can choose your language. Mine is still english and didn`t change automatically to german, so you must have changed it by yourself!
Hmm, my GOG couldn't wait to present itself in German :D
Posted February 27, 2015
I jut hope that doesn't mean I will at some point be able to buy "German Special Versions" of games only.

I don't mind if some versions are "cut" to the point to have no gore or something like that - and it is OK to not be able to see Nazi symbols in games because GOG has to abide the German law, if they want go have some German store.

I play games in English if I can get them, just because of the language. It is fun to me, helps me to learn it and sometimes just doesn't sound so ridiculous (if one ever heard the "Kopfschuß" instead of "Headshot" in a UT game knows, what I mean).

Please let us furthermore play the games in English, if we want to - no "for you available in German language only" games please. Thank you.
Posted February 27, 2015
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JudasIscariot: Look, I'll say this straight:

We already have the officially censored German versions of games (System Shock 2, I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, Shadow Man) alongside their uncensored English counterparts so if you see a game for sale and it has an English and German version, you have the choice of playing the English version without fear of ONLY getting the cut German version.
Does this mean the censored versions will be delivered to all German speaking regions or only to people from Germany?
Post edited February 27, 2015 by eiii
Posted February 27, 2015
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patthefatrat: Could you cite your source for this (especially the emphasised bold part) statement? Please do also provide a link to where you read that. Thank you.
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BKGaming: If he can provide a source I'll eat my hat
No need for hat eating habits, like I already said this is common sense, and, like I already said, I really hope I'm wrong because I too want galaxy to deliver all those pink rainbows and unicorns that gog promised. But as life already schooled us time after time after time, this is probably too good to be true to happen that way and It'll probably fail at some levels.

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BKGaming: this is Galaxy paranoia at it's finest.
call it what and how you like but it's relatively easy to put one plus one together and get something pretty realiable with a decently high probability of happening.

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BKGaming: GOG packs the patches themselves for use on GOG.com, so this is highly unlikely. A developer can't just decide to support Galaxy because they have to send the patch files to GOG and GOG has to either a) place the on the Galaxy server or b) pack them into a standalone installer. Both are which are done by GOG, so why would this change because of developers?

Only way this would change is IF GOG, like steam offered a system for the developers to manually add their patches to Galaxy's servers. But this is again unlikely because GOG checks the patches before the user can download them, and even if they did do that... there is nothing stopping GOG from grabbing the modified files via Galaxy servers and packing them themselves into a standalone installer.
Yep, the whole point of Galaxy is a steam-like developer approach so it could simplify their work and thus reduce their costs with doing things.
The whole point of galaxy is to attract new (and old) game developers by simplifying their work and to attract new gamers (customers) simplifying their game "experience" too!
In order to attract (new) game devs, Galaxy will have several features among others will be fast and direct game update/patching.
Do you really think game devs are interested in the "old/classic" patching system where they send a file to gog, gog does its mumbo-jumbo and then the patch happens? Like now?
No matter what gog is telling you, use your common sense, out of the box. Try to see the whole picture. See also all that happened here in the last year or so: fixed-price: fall, worldwide availability: fall.

What's more likely to happen?
-gog performing a miracle with a galaxy be all end all perfect client;
or
-what I already presumed above?

I repeat, I'm really hoping to be wrong, terribly wrong. Paranoia wrong ;)
But, imho, there are a lot of leads telling otherwise ... :(
Post edited February 27, 2015 by mobutu
Posted February 27, 2015
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MarkoH01: It is new to me that internet blockig in Germany meanwhile is allowed - especially if it is not authorized by the government itself.
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jtsn: It is not only authorized but directly ordered by the federal government itself:

https://neocities.org/blog/german-censorship

is part of [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Ministry_of_Family_Affairs%2C_Senior_Citizens%2C_Women_and_Youth]BMFSFJ and that is part of Bundesregierung, so its literally the federal goverment itself censoring here.

(My explanations in this thread are mainly intended to make people not from Germany aware of your situation.)
According to this there was a planned law to restrict internet access but they decided against it.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sperrungen_von_Internetinhalten_in_Deutschland

The list you are talking about is not blocking anything. It MAY be that google ect. are blocking some of the URLs on that list but that is their decision to prevent users to access a site which may be in conflict with the law. You can still access the url without a problem.

http://www.chip.de/news/BPjM-Leak-Bundespruefstelle-zeigt-Hacker-an_70885807.html
Posted February 27, 2015
high rated
Not in Germany, but still don't like this change

My concern is
1) This really needs to stop spreading GOG. We rely on you to keep the line, and while it's great to expand it does look an awful lot like compromises are being made.
2) One reason I came to GOG is the (by gaming forum standards) relatively tolerant, international nature of the forums. Splitting off by language is fine, but I like bumping into different perspectives. Balkanized forums remove one of the few good features of GOG forums.
Post edited February 27, 2015 by Gilozard
Posted February 27, 2015
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intruder: I strongly suggest GOG to reconsider abiding to German law in this matter.
Multiple stores on the web don't care about it including shops happily sending retail copies to Germany of banned / indexed games / movies. See Gameware.at as example situated in Austria.
In fact when German watchdogs wanted to force them to abide to German Youth protection laws (only displaying censored content at night times) they flat out told them to go f... off as it's not Germany where they do their business from and that German legislation doesn't apply to them.

I own over 700 games on GOG.com and so far I nearly bought every new release in the sub $6 bracket the moment it came out but I will stop doing that if GOG doesn't reconsider.
I will resort to only buying games here during promotions / sales like I do with Steam unless I absolutely want a classic release which will hardly happen.

To me GOG lost it's unique appeal now and I consider it like any other website selling games. I will buy them cheap as I can wait (huge backlog as you can imagine) and Sales will come.

I see no reason whatsoever in GOG having to abide to this insane and old-fashioned German ideas of what Germans can consume and what not. I'd rather would expect GOG pulling Germany in front of the European court and help force it to put its laws in line with the rest of Europe.

Oh and while you are at it why not censor my avatar as well that I proudly use since I bought the Commandos series the moment it came out at GOG.
Spot on, my friend!

That was exactly what I wanted to write just now. Both GOG abiding to Germany's laws that have no say what-so-ever in this online stores catalogue since GOG is not based in Germany and my way of buying games from now on here on GOG. For me too GOG today lost it's unique appeal.
Posted February 27, 2015
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mobutu: No need for hat eating habits, like I already said this is common sense, and, like I already said, I really hope I'm wrong because I too want galaxy to deliver all those pink rainbows and unicorns that gog promised. But as life already schooled us time after time after time, this is probably too good to be true to happen that way and It'll probably fail at some levels.
Have you used Galaxy? I am using the alpha right now and it is becoming exactly what I wanted from a client, what I wanted Steam to be. It's taking what steam does, getting rid of the crappy parts and doing it way better.

The fact is this is simply guess work on your part, with no actual support.

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mobutu: call it what and how you like but it's relatively easy to put one plus one together and get something pretty realiable with a decently high probability of happening.
To you I'm sure it is reasonable and probable, does not make it reality.

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mobutu: Yep, the whole point of Galaxy is a steam-like developer approach so they could simplify their work and thus reduce their costs with doing this.
The whole point of galaxy is to attract new (and old) game developers by simplifying their work and to attract new gamers (customers) simplifying their game "experience" too!
In order to attract (new) game devs, Galaxy will have several features among others will be fast and direct game update/patching.
Do you really think game devs are interested in the "old/classic" patching system where they send a file to gog, gog does its mumbo-jumbo and then the patch happens? Like now?
No matter what gog is telling you, use your common sense, out of the box. Try to see the whole picture. See also all that happened here in the last year or so: fixed-price: fall, worldwide availability: fall.
You are correct GOG wants to grow and become more like Steam. But from my understanding GOG still handles the patches themselves since they test them before releasing them to the public. Nothing has ever been stated that GOG has built a system for devs. I repeat again what developers are interested in here is irreverent, GOG handles the patches like they always have, all the devs do is said them the new files. If GOG does implement a system for developers to quickly add there patches to Galaxy, GOG can simply grab the modified files and make a patch, like they do now. GOG has stated that how we access content via the site will not change.

Will it be slower to be added to the site than Galaxy? That's very possible sure & likely, but understandable... it's a lot easier & quicker to add the files to the server than to package them yourself, test, ect. But that doesn't mean GOG isn't going to do it or that some developer is going to stop them from doing it the classic way. But so far in my experience the opposite has happened, the standalone patches are here on the site before Galaxy gets them. Sure this will probably change once Galaxy is out of alpha though.

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mobutu: What's more likely to happen?
-gog performing a miracle with a galaxy be all end all perfect client;
or
-what I already presumed above?
Your making this out to be one or the other. Nothing is perfect, but that doesn't mean what you presume to be correct is going to happen either.

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mobutu: I repeat, I'm really hoping to be wrong, terribly wrong. Paranoia wrong ;)
But, imho, there are a lot of leads telling otherwise ... :(
It's one thing to be skeptical, it's another to bluntly give out false info that you can't prove and has zero basis to it when it contradicts everything GOG has done and has said. Galaxy works great, and continues to improve. And based the features we have been told are coming, it is going to do a lot of things better than Steam.
Posted February 27, 2015
high rated
Close the german website as fast as you can. This is not a good idea.

It only means censorship.And I say this as a german. And I know, what will be comming for you next.

Commandos 2+3 is only the beginning of an endless and annoying struggle against the german censorship organizations. It will make the website unusable for german gamers. They will be forced to pirate the international versions, as they are used to by now!

This means in consequence LESS money for you.

If you must, use the Austria or Switzerland laws, they also speak basicly german. But do NOT fall into he trap of using the german laws!
Post edited February 27, 2015 by mkess
Posted February 27, 2015
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intruder: I strongly suggest GOG to reconsider abiding to German law in this matter.
Multiple stores on the web don't care about it including shops happily sending retail copies to Germany of banned / indexed games / movies. See Gameware.at as example situated in Austria.
In fact when German watchdogs wanted to force them to abide to German Youth protection laws (only displaying censored content at night times) they flat out told them to go f... off as it's not Germany where they do their business from and that German legislation doesn't apply to them.

I own over 700 games on GOG.com and so far I nearly bought every new release in the sub $6 bracket the moment it came out but I will stop doing that if GOG doesn't reconsider.
I will resort to only buying games here during promotions / sales like I do with Steam unless I absolutely want a classic release which will hardly happen.

To me GOG lost it's unique appeal now and I consider it like any other website selling games. I will buy them cheap as I can wait (huge backlog as you can imagine) and Sales will come.

I see no reason whatsoever in GOG having to abide to this insane and old-fashioned German ideas of what Germans can consume and what not. I'd rather would expect GOG pulling Germany in front of the European court and help force it to put its laws in line with the rest of Europe.

Oh and while you are at it why not censor my avatar as well that I proudly use since I bought the Commandos series the moment it came out at GOG.
Hey, I know gameware.at , they are awesome!
GoG should really contact them and have a talk about such matters.

+1 for everything you said.
Post edited February 27, 2015 by Klumpen0815
Posted February 27, 2015
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BKGaming: snip
I understand. Like I said, I hope you're right and I'm wrong. Seriously.

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BKGaming: It's one thing to be skeptical, it's another to bluntly give out false info that you can't prove and has zero basis
One more thing I'd like to say: I already mention (ok, not in these exact words) that all my rant above was pure speculation, my thoughts on the matter, based on some of my common sens. That's all ;)
Posted February 27, 2015
I remember that there was a way to skim a thread by showing only staff posts, could someone be so kind to remind me how it was done?
Posted February 27, 2015
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Shambhala: I remember that there was a way to skim a thread by showing only staff posts, could someone be so kind to remind me how it was done?
Click the little gear icon to the right of the thread title :)
Posted February 27, 2015
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realkman666: Are there any that you can use without a VPN?
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JudasIscariot: Hi,

I know that today's German launch is being met with a mixed reaction but could you at very least change your avatar? I don't think greeting German posters with a swastika during the German language launch of our site sets the best example of our community.
"with a swastika"

Wow... What!?
Posted February 27, 2015
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JudasIscariot: Hi,

I know that today's German launch is being met with a mixed reaction but could you at very least change your avatar? I don't think greeting German posters with a swastika during the German language launch of our site sets the best example of our community.
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Soccorro: "with a swastika"

Wow... What!?
What? A swastika? Where?
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionHerzlich Willkommen! GOG.com goes German(641 posts)(641 posts)
(641 posts)