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mrkgnao: This may well be my last update, as I no longer really follow GOG and its sales any more, now that I have effectively moved completely to steam. Thank you, GOG, for all these years. It's been a pleasure, mostly.

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I thought I'd keep a record of GOG games I would definitely have bought, were it not for my boycott.

GAMES NOT BOUGHT ON GOG IN 2021
(1) 18/1/21: Dread Nautical - $10
(2) 18/1/21: Operencia: The Stolen Sun - $15
(3) 29/1/21: Way of the Samurai 3 Deluxe - $2.5
(4) 29/1/21: Way of the Samurai 4 + DLC - $3.5
(5) 10/2/21: Drakensang - $3
(6) 10/2/21: Commander Keen Complete Pack - $1.5
(7) 10/2/21: XCOM 2 - $4.5
(8) 26/2/21: Cardaclysm: Shards of the Four - $9
(9) 22/3/21: Raji: An Ancient Epic - $12.5
(10) 30/3/21: Worms World Party Remastered - $2
(11) 2/4/21: Steel Rats Original Soundtrack - $1
(12) 29/4/21: Hob - $4
(13) 30/4/21: The 7th Circle - Endless Nightmare - $5
(14) 3/6/21: Warhammer Quest Deluxe - $4.5
(15) 3/6/21: Warhammer Quest 2: The End Times - $10
(16) 9/6/21: Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition - $3
(17) 9/6/21: THIEF: Definitive Edition - $6
(18) 9/6/21: Fae Tactics - $12
(19) 9/6/21: Loop Hero - $10
(20) 9/6/21: Styx: Master of Shadows - $2
(21) 14/6/21: Hellpoint Supporter Pack - $4
(22) 18/6/21: Samorost 2 - $1.5
(23) 2/7/21: Revelation - $4.5
(24) 2/7/21: Zyconix - $4.5
(25) 21/7/21: Ticket to Earth - $5
(26) 19/8/21: Tomb Raider: Legend - $1
(27) 19/8/21: Tomb Raider: Anniversary - $1
(28) 19/8/21: Tomb Raider: Underworld - $1
(29) 19/8/21: Tomb Raider GOTY - $4
(30) 19/8/21: Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Imperial Edition Bundle - $13.5
(31) 19/8/21: ADOM (Ancient Domains Of Mystery) - $1.5
(32) 6/9/21: Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth + DLC - $3.5
(33) 15/9/21: The Technomancer - $4

Total not spent on GOG so far: $170

===========================================================================================

Additionally, after 11 years of buying nothing but GOG, I have finally decided (in May) to begin buying video games elsewhere --- on Humble Store, Indiegala, Steam, Fanatical, Green Man Gaming, etc. --- as long as they're DRM-free and, more importantly, client-free.

Total spent elsewhere in 2021 so far: $80 (61 games)

===========================================================================================

My reasons for boycotting:
(1) GOG does not indicate which games contain single-player elements that require galaxy or an online presence (e.g. Absolver, CP2077), making it impossible to buy client-free games with confidence (I don't care whether or not they sell such games, I just want to know which, so I can avoid them) --- Status: Still waiting for GOG to add some indication of this, e.g. via a search filter or game page field.
(2) A significant number of offline installers are outdated vis-a-vis the galaxy installers, sometimes for months and years --- Status: Since the boycott began this has improved significantly, which seems to indicate that GOG has made an honest attempt to resolve this to some degree, so from my POV, I consider this, for now, to be resolved, assuming it does not deteriorate again.
Consider looking into Zoom Platform for drm free games in addition to the others you mentioned. They are growing, slowly but surely.
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.Ra: Consider looking into Zoom Platform for drm free games in addition to the others you mentioned. They are growing, slowly but surely.
I am, thanks, but I already have a fair share of their catalogue here on GOG, and the rest currently doesn't interest me much. Plus, I prefer to have my client-free/DRM-free games in one or two sites only, rather than all over the place (which is why I currently ignore Epic and itch). It used to be GOG, now it's steam.
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mrkgnao: This may well be my last update, as I no longer really follow GOG and its sales any more, now that I have effectively moved completely to steam. Thank you, GOG, for all these years. It's been a pleasure, mostly.

===========================================================================================

I thought I'd keep a record of GOG games I would definitely have bought, were it not for my boycott.

GAMES NOT BOUGHT ON GOG IN 2021
(1) 18/1/21: Dread Nautical - $10
(2) 18/1/21: Operencia: The Stolen Sun - $15
(3) 29/1/21: Way of the Samurai 3 Deluxe - $2.5
(4) 29/1/21: Way of the Samurai 4 + DLC - $3.5
(5) 10/2/21: Drakensang - $3
(6) 10/2/21: Commander Keen Complete Pack - $1.5
(7) 10/2/21: XCOM 2 - $4.5
(8) 26/2/21: Cardaclysm: Shards of the Four - $9
(9) 22/3/21: Raji: An Ancient Epic - $12.5
(10) 30/3/21: Worms World Party Remastered - $2
(11) 2/4/21: Steel Rats Original Soundtrack - $1
(12) 29/4/21: Hob - $4
(13) 30/4/21: The 7th Circle - Endless Nightmare - $5
(14) 3/6/21: Warhammer Quest Deluxe - $4.5
(15) 3/6/21: Warhammer Quest 2: The End Times - $10
(16) 9/6/21: Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition - $3
(17) 9/6/21: THIEF: Definitive Edition - $6
(18) 9/6/21: Fae Tactics - $12
(19) 9/6/21: Loop Hero - $10
(20) 9/6/21: Styx: Master of Shadows - $2
(21) 14/6/21: Hellpoint Supporter Pack - $4
(22) 18/6/21: Samorost 2 - $1.5
(23) 2/7/21: Revelation - $4.5
(24) 2/7/21: Zyconix - $4.5
(25) 21/7/21: Ticket to Earth - $5
(26) 19/8/21: Tomb Raider: Legend - $1
(27) 19/8/21: Tomb Raider: Anniversary - $1
(28) 19/8/21: Tomb Raider: Underworld - $1
(29) 19/8/21: Tomb Raider GOTY - $4
(30) 19/8/21: Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Imperial Edition Bundle - $13.5
(31) 19/8/21: ADOM (Ancient Domains Of Mystery) - $1.5
(32) 6/9/21: Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth + DLC - $3.5
(33) 15/9/21: The Technomancer - $4

Total not spent on GOG so far: $170

===========================================================================================

Additionally, after 11 years of buying nothing but GOG, I have finally decided (in May) to begin buying video games elsewhere --- on Humble Store, Indiegala, Steam, Fanatical, Green Man Gaming, etc. --- as long as they're DRM-free and, more importantly, client-free.

Total spent elsewhere in 2021 so far: $80 (61 games)

===========================================================================================

My reasons for boycotting:
(1) GOG does not indicate which games contain single-player elements that require galaxy or an online presence (e.g. Absolver, CP2077), making it impossible to buy client-free games with confidence (I don't care whether or not they sell such games, I just want to know which, so I can avoid them) --- Status: Still waiting for GOG to add some indication of this, e.g. via a search filter or game page field.
(2) A significant number of offline installers are outdated vis-a-vis the galaxy installers, sometimes for months and years --- Status: Since the boycott began this has improved significantly, which seems to indicate that GOG has made an honest attempt to resolve this to some degree, so from my POV, I consider this, for now, to be resolved, assuming it does not deteriorate again.
I see a lot irony your leaving GOG over such things but using steam.
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mrkgnao: This may well be my last update, as I no longer really follow GOG and its sales any more, now that I have effectively moved completely to steam. Thank you, GOG, for all these years. It's been a pleasure, mostly.

===========================================================================================

I thought I'd keep a record of GOG games I would definitely have bought, were it not for my boycott.

GAMES NOT BOUGHT ON GOG IN 2021
(1) 18/1/21: Dread Nautical - $10
(2) 18/1/21: Operencia: The Stolen Sun - $15
(3) 29/1/21: Way of the Samurai 3 Deluxe - $2.5
(4) 29/1/21: Way of the Samurai 4 + DLC - $3.5
(5) 10/2/21: Drakensang - $3
(6) 10/2/21: Commander Keen Complete Pack - $1.5
(7) 10/2/21: XCOM 2 - $4.5
(8) 26/2/21: Cardaclysm: Shards of the Four - $9
(9) 22/3/21: Raji: An Ancient Epic - $12.5
(10) 30/3/21: Worms World Party Remastered - $2
(11) 2/4/21: Steel Rats Original Soundtrack - $1
(12) 29/4/21: Hob - $4
(13) 30/4/21: The 7th Circle - Endless Nightmare - $5
(14) 3/6/21: Warhammer Quest Deluxe - $4.5
(15) 3/6/21: Warhammer Quest 2: The End Times - $10
(16) 9/6/21: Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition - $3
(17) 9/6/21: THIEF: Definitive Edition - $6
(18) 9/6/21: Fae Tactics - $12
(19) 9/6/21: Loop Hero - $10
(20) 9/6/21: Styx: Master of Shadows - $2
(21) 14/6/21: Hellpoint Supporter Pack - $4
(22) 18/6/21: Samorost 2 - $1.5
(23) 2/7/21: Revelation - $4.5
(24) 2/7/21: Zyconix - $4.5
(25) 21/7/21: Ticket to Earth - $5
(26) 19/8/21: Tomb Raider: Legend - $1
(27) 19/8/21: Tomb Raider: Anniversary - $1
(28) 19/8/21: Tomb Raider: Underworld - $1
(29) 19/8/21: Tomb Raider GOTY - $4
(30) 19/8/21: Pathfinder: Kingmaker - Imperial Edition Bundle - $13.5
(31) 19/8/21: ADOM (Ancient Domains Of Mystery) - $1.5
(32) 6/9/21: Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth + DLC - $3.5
(33) 15/9/21: The Technomancer - $4

Total not spent on GOG so far: $170

===========================================================================================

Additionally, after 11 years of buying nothing but GOG, I have finally decided (in May) to begin buying video games elsewhere --- on Humble Store, Indiegala, Steam, Fanatical, Green Man Gaming, etc. --- as long as they're DRM-free and, more importantly, client-free.

Total spent elsewhere in 2021 so far: $80 (61 games)

===========================================================================================

My reasons for boycotting:
(1) GOG does not indicate which games contain single-player elements that require galaxy or an online presence (e.g. Absolver, CP2077), making it impossible to buy client-free games with confidence (I don't care whether or not they sell such games, I just want to know which, so I can avoid them) --- Status: Still waiting for GOG to add some indication of this, e.g. via a search filter or game page field.
(2) A significant number of offline installers are outdated vis-a-vis the galaxy installers, sometimes for months and years --- Status: Since the boycott began this has improved significantly, which seems to indicate that GOG has made an honest attempt to resolve this to some degree, so from my POV, I consider this, for now, to be resolved, assuming it does not deteriorate again.
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.Ra: Consider looking into Zoom Platform for drm free games in addition to the others you mentioned. They are growing, slowly but surely.
Zoom is great, but growing to slowly when you realize they been around early as 2014. I will admit there support is amazing and hope it stays like that once they grow.
Post edited September 16, 2021 by SuperLibby72
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SuperLibby72: I see a lot irony your leaving GOG over such things but using steam.
I explain here some of the reasons why, for me, steam is a better source for client-free/DRM-free games than GOG:
https://www.gog.com/forum/general/drm_free_on_steam_vs_gog_poll/post142
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Ancient-Red-Dragon: Can anyone translate all of that into plain, normal, everyday English words?
Will try but I am not very good at explaining stuff:

[i]"In the GOG.COM segment gross profit in the reporting period reached 29 473 thousand PLN, which is 4 725
thousand PLN (13.8%) less than in the reference period."[/i]
They are making less money on the incoming side.

"lower revenues from sales of products, coupled with a comparable cost of products and services sold"
They got less money for what they sold but had to pay just as much as before.

"strengthening of the national currency observed during the reporting period, cutting into sales revenues (which GOG.COM obtains mainly in foreign currencies) and thereby reducing gross profit from sales;"
The currency exchange rate was unfavorable. As they are are paying their employees in PLN and selling most of their games in other currencies: If PLN goes up then the relative costs go up or the relative revenues go down. They are saying this was unfavorable. I actually checked this out a bit and my impression was that it may have been somewhat unfavorable but not overly so. This is a general risk. Its quite possible that GOG will be hit by this a lot worse than they were hit by it in H1 2021. They could take actions to reduce the impact of that though. Also note that it can go the other way round too - if PLN goes down they sort of make more profit.

"- increased cost of goods and materials sold in relation to the corresponding sales revenues (the ratio increased from 71.1% in the reference period to 72.7% in the first half of 2021);"
Instead of getting 28.9% from games sold they are only getting 27.3% share. I think one potential reason for this is that they guaranteed sales to publishers (in order to get those AAA games) and those sales didnt happen. To me this looks somewhat like they are spending moeny trying to expand and failing.

"- VAT levied on the segment’s activities in additional tax jurisdictions, reducing the segment’s effective net profit (following deduction of VAT)."
Dont know. Maybe they kept prices at the same level while VAT was introduced. In which case they maybe had to pay for ~30% of the VAT.

[i]"The reported increase in GOG.COM selling costs – at 6 512 thousand PLN (27.3%) compared to the first half
of 2020 is due to completion of development work on GOG GALAXY in the fourth quarter of 2020, triggering
the onset of depreciation of the newly created asset, while expenses related to further expansion of the service
are now directly assigned to costs."[/i]
In previous quarters before Q4 2020 or Q1 2021 they spent money developing Galaxy but did not count this money spent as 'costs'. Now they are considering money spent 2020 and earlier as costs in H1 2021. Basically this is saying part of those 'costs' didnt happen in H1 2021 but earlier. Unfortunately without knowing more its not really possible to determine whether similar costs will apply in the future too.

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Ancient-Red-Dragon: Also, does this mean that GWENT is going to get axed soon? If so, then that will make a lot of GOG customers happy, LOL.
The quotes dont imply that. They just imply that the income side is reduced. It doenst mean that GWENT costs them more than they get out of it.
Post edited September 16, 2021 by Zrevnur
high rated
GOG just added another reason to keep the boycott going. Another game released with DRM on single-player missions. And no, this time it's not just cosmetics, it's actually hours of gameplay. In a pure single-player game.

The game affected is HITMAN - Game of the Year Edition. While the story missions can still be played offline, additional content like Elusive Target and Escalation missions and user created missions require you to be always online.

A blue confirmed this: https://www.gog.com/forum/general/release_hitman_game_of_the_year_edition_11093/post33
high rated
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Lifthrasil: GOG just added another reason to keep the boycott going. Another game released with DRM on single-player missions. And no, this time it's not just cosmetics, it's actually hours of gameplay. In a pure single-player game.

The game affected is HITMAN - Game of the Year Edition. While the story missions can still be played offline, additional content like Elusive Target and Escalation missions and user created missions require you to be always online.

A blue confirmed this: https://www.gog.com/forum/general/release_hitman_game_of_the_year_edition_11093/post33
This is absolutely disgusting, a true new low for GOG.

Can't wait to see people coming in trying to defend this shit.
Post edited September 22, 2021 by ReynardFox
The Hitman thing pushed me into "sympathetic" category if you want to add my name. (I'd still buy Doom 3 original or Serious Sam 2 if they showed up, albeit at deep discounts) I find some of the demands people want "unreasonable", and can sometimes come across as annoying, but single-player DRM-free is basically the hill GOG should die on imo. (The only way I could "defend" this - not that I am - is "DRM-free is effectively 'dead' as a sustainable market and GOG is trying to stay in business; people will lose their jobs", but as anyone would say, why not just use Steam instead which is far better for a required client and co.? GOG might have to cut staff either way.)
Post edited September 22, 2021 by tfishell
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Lifthrasil: GOG just added another reason to keep the boycott going. Another game released with DRM on single-player missions. And no, this time it's not just cosmetics, it's actually hours of gameplay. In a pure single-player game.

The game affected is HITMAN - Game of the Year Edition. While the story missions can still be played offline, additional content like Elusive Target and Escalation missions and user created missions require you to be always online.

A blue confirmed this: https://www.gog.com/forum/general/release_hitman_game_of_the_year_edition_11093/post33
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ReynardFox: This is absolutely disgusting, a true new low for GOG.

Can't wait to see people coming in trying to defend this shit.
Too late. They already are:
https://www.gog.com/forum/general/release_hitman_game_of_the_year_edition_11093/post116
high rated
Yinz know me. I'm bringing my 1972-product library and hundred+ per month spending in here now.

(I will still preserve a couple promises I made to devs should they bring their things here, but there are only a couple of those left out there. The big one is Cities: Skylines. DLCs for products I already have are also still open. Just not new products I haven't already promised to purchase. It shouldn't amount to much.)

I'm making sure to unsubscribe to newsletters, too.

And, rather than holding money in escrow, I'll send what I would have purchased to early payments to my debts I have and finishing finding some physical RPG books missing from my collection. (Not a lot, FYI. Just small early extra payment on the mortgage.) AKA, these aren't "will just buy all after things get fixed". Maybe eventually, but they'd count against future money available.

My requirements are simple: Cut the DRM bullshit. Stop trying to redefine it to allow things like today's Hitman release, or CP2077's DRMed content.

EDIT: For reference, statements show I've spent around $1,300 on GOG this calendar year to date. I'm a "whale buyer".
EDIT2: GOG's order history page shows almost double that actually. My bank must have had some not come up with "GOG" in the transaction line. (Sometime PayPal comes up just PayPal without showing the vendor.)
EDIT3: After writing a script to download all pages of my order history... Yes, my 2021 spending to date was almost $2700. 2020 was nearly $3000 in total across the whole year. 2019 was "just" $2000. (It adds up quickly when you're content buying things on release at full price...)

LOG1: Skipped purchase of Medieval Dynasty. (And didn't even check out the other new releases du jour.) $32.
Log2: Dicey Dungeons just released. And especially at that price it would have been an instant purchase and today's lunch break to try it out. Alas, GOG. $5.
Log3: Checking out the Metroidvania sale, I can't say exactly what I'd grab, but at the very least it'd be Cathedral and Death's Gambit ($23). Under normal circumstances, I'd look at others for later and likely spend more. Oh well!
Log4: Concordia ($17). And look at all those mini expansions that would be coming. It'd be a shame for GOG to lose out on their 30% cut on each... Maybe even a 2nd copy for my husband and I to play together like we do others [Wingspan is currently our tabletop-digital conversion of choice], but I won't be sure of that so won't include.
Log5: I can't include UnMetal, since I'd probably wait for reviews. But it was one high on my wishlist for checking out more when it released. But being in this state has me apathetic about checking it out more, so I'm not.
Log6: I finally put through my refund for Vampire Bloodlines 2. Probably should have done it a while ago after the dev vanished, but remembered now. (Not wallet funds, either.) $90.
Log7: Here's Legacy of Kain. A long-sought title. $6. I'm not bothering to share with friends who would probably jump on getting it... That'd probably be at least one more copy sold from evangelism.
Log8: Street Racing Syndicate. I'd normally buy this. I remember liking the pirated version back when, though it had many features stripped out. Damage and car mods appealed to me. I'd probably only pay briefly for nostalgia, but still. $2. Gunmetal from the same release also looked nice. Never heard of it before. Not investigating or counting. Maybe GOG will be DRM-free by the next sale?
Log9: Well, here's a sale. It's hard to predict what I'd grab in a sale, since I tend to add/remove things from cart for a few days until I congeal on it. But since I won't be browsing the list extensively, we can be sure it'd be MORE than listed. The BGEE DLCs are finally cheap enough in this sale, but I'm happy without them ($2). I'd also gift buy Worms WMD for my goddaughter, now that she's set up to play games from GOG ($6). Probably impulse for more under normal conditions.
Log10: I missed Skeletal Avenger release post. $13. I would normally dismiss such a game, but 10tons has a really good track record.
Log11: Count +1 (new demo today).
Log12: Didn't bother telling my husband Astria Ascending released. He'd almost certainly have bought it. I would have been waiting for reviews (instead of just not considering for now). Not going to count the bucks since it's the husband's money.
Log13: Count +1. A friend unexpectedly sent me a gift code for Ghostrunner. We talked about it the last time we were at his house. I thought I'd suck at it terribly, but he sent me anyway because he wants me to try so we can compare notes. Log 13 edit: I later came to found this was a freebee/promo from Amazon Prime he sent to me since he already had it. It's not directly a purchased [for gifting] item.
Log14: Count +a couple demos, and I did buy the Per Aspera artbook and audiobook while they were on sale, and Children of Morta DLC; I love that game. However skipping The Riftbreaker, which would have been a day 1 purchase for me in normal circumstances. I've also just been paying attention to the sales/new releases less, so it's hard to say what else may have been missed.$27. Spent $16.
Log15: Inscryption would have been a day 1 person instead of skipped. $18.
Log16: Gloomhaven. $35. Even though I've played it thoroughly in meatspace and spent hundreds of dollars on it and upgrades for it, I would have snagged up a copy of digital under normal circumstances. My husband would almost certainly have done so to play it MP with me, too. Not going to count his in my total.
Log17: EndZone - Prosperity is a DLC just released and had been expected/anticipated for a beloved game I already had. This fills my "DLC" override criteria.
Log18: Just Cause+2 would normally have been an instabuy, even though I wouldn't get to playing it for quite some time. Sheepo also was in my cart, but I cleared it. Did get Zoe mini-DLC for already-owned Monster Prom 2. $15 not spent. $2 actually did spend nevertheless.
Log19: I did purchase Time Loader ($14), since the demo hooked me to commit to purchase on release and Graveyard Keeper DLC ($10). Some more demos hit. I have found myself spending less time looking at the news posts and sales, so It's harder to say what I've skipped. My spending is definitely way down.
Log20: Megaquarium DLC acquired ($8). Punk Wars very sadly skipped ($18)
Log21: Dysmantle, now that it's released, would have slipped into my DMs. But I prevented it. $13 not spent.
Log22: Ignoring the current sale. I did buy a couple DLCs for games I already owned. I also got Hammerting, which was a game I promised to buy on release that was previously indev. ($29 spent, can't say what avoided since I didn't look at the sale, but I'm expecting non-zero.)
Log23: Spent $20 on a gift during sale. Skipped $20 on the new Star Trek games. Continuing not to look at sales. Also skipped a couple recent releases I might otherwise have done (like Fights in Tight Spaces ($25)).

It's become harder to track money-not-spent because I'm just not looking at sales, and my "impulse buy" for new releases is significantly lessened from momentum.

Tally to point: At least $352 (but good chances it would have been more).
Tally spent: $110
Post edited December 14, 2021 by mqstout
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mqstout:
Welcome aboard.
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Lifthrasil: GOG just added another reason to keep the boycott going. Another game released with DRM on single-player missions. And no, this time it's not just cosmetics, it's actually hours of gameplay. In a pure single-player game.

The game affected is HITMAN - Game of the Year Edition. While the story missions can still be played offline, additional content like Elusive Target and Escalation missions and user created missions require you to be always online.

A blue confirmed this: https://www.gog.com/forum/general/release_hitman_game_of_the_year_edition_11093/post33
Might as well add myself to the Sympathetic list, then. My current library, on PC and off, is large enough to where I won't need most of what is offered here.
high rated
Isn't releasing Hitman: GOTY with DRM exactly the opposite of what GOG stands for? Is this the turning point? Does it really not matter anymore?

Sigh.

GOG why you do us like this.
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CymTyr: Isn't releasing Hitman: GOTY with DRM exactly the opposite of what GOG stands for? Is this the turning point? Does it really not matter anymore?

Sigh.

GOG why you do us like this.
They've been making tiny, yet building, concessions like this for a while, and IO is no better.
Time4Tea et al brave GOG customers on this endeavor:
Please sign me up and please stay strong.
Important note: I keep to myself my boycott goals & strategy. If you need to know the specifics, please PM