You seem to forget that the boycott some are holding here is against Gog, not Steam/other stores....so just because a user here shops at other stores while boycotting Gog, that doesn't necessarily mean they're violating their principles.

Anyhoo, believe what you will: each user's differing boycott level is still a boycott & each of them still has principles, whether you deem they have such or not(also something something glass houses....et al).

I'm not forgetting anything. I specifically stated "I assume everyone who is boycotting GOG because of DRM . . ." (emphasize mine). If you're boycotting GOG for a different reason, then my statement doesn't apply.

Just a small correction, without addressing your argument:
Steam in no more a client-based storefront than GOG is. You do not need the client to download, install, or play those games that are DRM-free on that platform (of which there are many thousands). Steam's client is just as optional as GOG's is. In fact, in at least one respect it is even more optional that GOG's, because on GOG some games are more up-to-date on galaxy than in the offline installer, whereas this cannot happen on steam, as there is only one set of installable game files, not two.

I have about 60 games on steam (I am pretty new to steam), all of them installable and playable without the steam client. I have never installed the steam client.

Definitely keep this thread going. I think it's confusing to have more than one boycott thread, and creating a new thread should only be done if absolutely necessary. As Vendor-Lazarus suggested, I think it's best to change the title to show how long the boycott has been going on.

How do you download games from steam, that you legally purchased, without the client?

Two points:

1) Many people who are boycotting GOG are staunch supporters of DRM-free and do not buy games on Steam/Epic because they sell DRM. Personally, I have not bought a single game from Steam or Epic in many years (and do not intend to buy from them again).

2) Steam does not claim to be and market itself as a 'DRM-free store' in the way that GOG does, so the situation with Steam is not the same. So, I can understand why some people might boycott GOG but not Steam, because with GOG slipping on their DRM-free promises, there is an aspect of false marketing and betrayal of their key promises.

I can't speak for others but I am certainly not spending on Scheme, Epic Fail, or any platform I consider a "DRMed platform" which in my definition doesn't delineate DRM-free and/or requires workarounds to get it (e.g. the super popular Gamersgate that I have never bothered to even visit let alone buy from). While I understand people use workarounds to get games essentially DRM-free on these platforms, I still don't feel right supporting them myself since it would imo be to support the continuing DRMification of gaming (yes, even if the developer were to openly state the game can play without the client). Obviously, as you point out, for people who do not care about DRM, this would not be an issue for them.

The only gray area for me are some sites where there is a clearly marked DRM-free section but it is paltry compared to the "real" store chock-full of DRMed games (e.g. haven't bought from Humble in years, and honestly view it as too much of an extension of Scheme. Counterexample: might consider buying The Sinking City from Gamesplanet assuming it is still DRM-free there or consider buying other games from an adult site where there are some games clearly marked DRM-free). I do think it's good to shop at other DRM-free platforms. Zoom-Platform seems to me the most like I would want GOG to be, where the focus is on DRM-free games and no client, no guesswork as to "how DRM-free" it is.

I use SteamCMD (https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamCMD). It's a command-line tool that downloads and installs steam games (kind of like a very simple gogrepo, if you know it).

You do realize that SteamCmd IS a client, just because it doesn't have a UI doesn't make it any less a client. Heck its official name is "Steam Console Client"

It's your prerogative to call a tool that just downloads and installs games a client. I don't. I reserve the term client to something through which one launches and plays games.

According to your definition, I am also using a client to download GOG games, since I use gogrepo, which is very similar in concept to SteamCMD (only much better). I am also presumably using the Innosetup client to install GOG games.

In this case it's not me but Valve themselves, as in the one who created the tool in question, that happen to call it a "client".


Also it's not my "definition", it's the definition. As soon as it connect to a remote server it is a client; if you want to use your own personal definition of what a client is that's fine but just remember that it's yours and not the correct one.

I assume you also believe that "Cyberpunk 2077 - Piggyback Interactive Map" or "GWENT: Kegs - EP7 - Price of Power Kegs 7" are DRM FREE because GOG says so on their game pages.

So, since a web browser connects to a remote server it is a client too according to your definition. Which means that it is impossible to download games from GOG (or any other store) without a client. Right?

i hadnt bought anything for ageeees, but i caved during teh xmas sale and have bought a few games since then. nonetehless im sympathetic to teh cause

@ Time4Tea

Thanks heaps for your efforts with this thread and happy holidays guys.

I'd go for:

C) Keep this thread going, no change to the title

Followed by:
E) Keep thread and title, just add current year "Boycotting GOG 2021-22"

In case you do start another boycott thread on the same grounds as this one for 2022, feel free to add me.