I doubt it.

Companies like EA and Bethesda would often have a tendency to cheap-out the base-game, yet barely discount the Premium Extra content (DLC's/Expansions/Season Passes/Expansion Passes/etc etc) or not discount that stuff at all. They want to get you in, treating the base-game like it's a demo, of sorts; especially if they sell that version cheap to you in a sale.

This way - when the Complete Edition goes on sale, they want to push that version later and put that on sale...so then, you can go buy that.

Don't expect Season Passes, Expansions, DLC's, or other stuff to go on sale that cheap either. This stuff's now often sold at a Premium, as most learned from how BioWare/EA and Bethesda did this crap.

In many runs & times - if you at some point buy only the Base-Game and later you likely are looking to Complete the Packages by buying Season Pass/DLC Package/Expansions - you're often better off re-buying the Complete Edition later to Complete the package.

On Steam, back in the day - I often had the base-games already. So, I had to basically re-buy Fallout 3 in its GOTY Edition form to Collect the DLC's; re-buy Dragon Age Origins in its Ultimate Edition form to Collect the DLC's; Skyrim: Legendary to get the Skyrim DLC's; Borderlands 2: Complete to Collect all of the DLC's; buy Dishonored 1 again in its Definitive Edition form to get the DLC's; etc etc.

For games like Mass Effect 2 & 3; and Dragon Age 2 - had to wait until EA finally put together a DLC Only Pack for each of those games, to collect DLC's....once they finally ditched BioWare Points and began selling those proper.

Just make sure, when you do go this route: you're often best buying base-game dirt-cheap to get yourself at least going here and then later buy Complete Editions dirt-cheap to do the Premium Content Collection process; or just flat-out buy a Complete Edition later when everything's released for DLC's/Expansions/Season Passes/etc with a particular title's actual lifespan being finally over.

I've heard about the so-called Steamworks integration again, but what exactly means? Can't Bethesda just strip it the whole thing in order to release the game here? Does it have anything to do with the development of the game, i mean, maybe they use certain tools provided by Steam, that "binds" the game on that platform exclusively? Maybe it's just some sort of agreement with Steam that actually stops them from releasing Skyrim elsewhere?

Lets hope Fallout 3 and Fallout NV stay on the gog store to buy it some other day.

Depends on how deep the integration w/ on Steamwork is, I'd guess.

Steamworks is a toolset - but that can include tons of stuff. Can be DRM (Steamworks DRM/CEG); can be Steam WorkShop (for Multiplayer); Steam Cloud Save Support (so you can host your saves online on Steam's servers so you can jump from PC to PC without porting them manually); Steam Achievement support; can be Steam's Multiplayer; Can be Remote Multiplayer Mode; etc etc.

Long list over here of Steamworks - https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/features

If any game is using those Steam-features and the game's going to another store - they'd probably have to strip the features or "comment the code out" (block the Steam-code so it don't work for GOG version in that instance); or also work the code to use GOG Galaxy features that do similar stuff; and even find way some to make DLC's work on GOG version (probably when offline and not running Galaxy).

Some games have their DLC tied to running a service in background (The Outer Worlds has this on Epic, for example - base-game works fine w/out Epic store, but the DLC requires Epic Store Launcher running).

Heck, some games - they don't even work, if ran outside of Steam or Epic. Shenmue 3 works like that on Steam and Epic. On Steam, it works when running Steam and when online-only - but the game crashes when you run it even w/ Steam's Offline Mode. Similar on Epic Store - game boots if Epic Store isn't running, but it goes to a Black Screen forever...but it works perfectly when online and running Epic Store. I'd guess for the GOG Version, they'd ALSO have to make it work when offline and when not running Galaxy.

If a game uses say Steam Cloud, I'd guess when it comes to GOG - they are going to have to find a way for the saves to save locally on your local PC; and/or also maybe also allow GOG's Cloud support (if they are going to support that).

Achievements - probably the same thing. They'd probably have to take whatever code is for the Steam-version...and then on the GOG Version, re-work the code and/or do what other additions there to make sure it uploads to those GOG servers properly.

TL;DR -- It's all a big mess.

As MysterD said, it depends on what Steam features you use. If you just use it as a launcher and for achievements then a GOG version isn't that hard to make. If you use it for multiplayer support it becomes a lot harder, as you need to change it to GOG Galaxy or whatever. In the case of Skyrim and Fallout 4, they use Steam Workshop to provide mods and official Bethesda supported paid mods. While a GOG version could be made that just doesn't offer that stuff, it would perhaps be seen as a pain to do (and also many here would cry it is an inferior version anyway).

I'm hardly knowledgeable of the various components of Steam, so thanks to both of you for the thorough reply! Sounds it can be done then, *if* Bethesda is willing to dedicate the resources required in order to get the job done; and the better documented the code is, the faster the job would be too.

Oh well, I'll just stick around these parts anyway, watching, waiting...

Well, yes, i know and i agree what some companies do. Pdox is another of those actually, and more "consistent" in that way to discount titles and DLC's (i mean, never ever discount a DLC alone for more than 50%)

But even those companies you mentioned, EA and Bethesda, have Complete editions of their games that are sold with good discounts and Mooncrash has been discounted at Steam, for instance so it would be nothing new for this particular DLC (80% highest discount there, 60% most recent)

About that last point, it's what i am doing, i have wait for the complete edition of Prey to come here and i'm waiting for it to have a discount as it already had a discount at other stores.

The difference here is not being from this or that company, or not being a complete game, it's that for GOG they aren't doing the same discounts as for other stores. It's nothing new, sadly, with other publishers that seem to treat GOG customers poorly. But Bethesda had already big discounts here with some complete packs of their games (Dishonored, Wolfenstein) so what you say can't be 100% applied here.

What i hope is that they will offer a sale with Prey and Mooncrash discounted, not just the base game, as they already do with other games.

Just b/c Mooncrash DLC has been sold cheap before here - i.e. when the thing finally decided to launch on GOG, as a launch special - doesn't mean you'll see those same discounts again. Nothing is guaranteed to return again.

General rule of thumb for me - 70% off or better, take the discount if you really want something.

You also have to remember - Steam does more numbers. They're likely going to do more units there and Steam-games often have DRM, so...those versions, in general, are often cheaper.

Also, about EA - ME2, ME3, and DA2 have NOT had Complete Editions. Period. They don't exist. You have to buy The Base-Game and then buy the DLC Bundle Pack.

Only way you'll be able to get all of ME1,2,3 in there - well, it probably be in the ME: Legendary Edition Collection (with all of ME1,2,3 and their DLC's - well, except ME1's Pinnacle Station). And knowing EA, that probably won't be cheap at all.

Yeah, but that's the thing - Bethesda would have to be willing to dedicate a team, $, time, and whatnot into bringing the Skyrim game over to GOG and supporting whatever GOG features they feel like supporting (or not supporting).

That also means - well, then they'd have TWO different versions they'd have to support, too. One version for GOG, one for Steam.

That's the thing w/ newer games - they often use proprietary stuff in each version; i.e. Steam has all its Steamworks stuff; and GOG has all of its Galaxy stuff.

This ain't the old days, when bringing a game to GOG and Steam was easy, as there wasn't GOG Features and GOG Steamworks features. Didn't have to worry about Fallout 1 on GOG or Steam, as things like Achievements weren't even a thing back then; and it's not like the game got updated on Steam w/ Achievements added either.

Though, Skyrim - oh yes; that has Achievements on Steam. And I'd sure GOG users would want that support on GOG version. But like Stinging said - this gets more complicated, as there's Bethesda.Net support, Steam WorkShop Support for mods, and other stuff. GOG doesn't really have their own personal GOG Mod WorkShop feature here.

Well said, and yeah....steam sometimes has better prices/sales (in part) because they have larger customer bases and (generally speaking) often sell more copies.

And GOG doesn't always have good prices and discounts for some games, but there is no (or much less) DRM, which imo is worth a bit more money.

That's if the game has such bundles on the system one play on...some systems such as XBOX360 used to(and might still) charge you for each DLC(expansions/etc) separately.

I'd skip Legendary Edition if one already owns the games.

Why? Because, for starters, they're going to be somewhat censored.
(some content will be toned down or cut, like dialog and cutscene bits)

Well it's not like Bethesda is lacking for resources.....like say a smaller dev/publisher.....also they've had plenty of time since it's release if they wanted to do so.

My guess is they probably don't want to unshackle it from the DRM...and that that's a decent part of why they don't bring it here.

Lemme let you in on a little something....come closer....a bit more....ok, that's perfect: games don't need mod workshops for people to make mods and add them to their games :)

If pie-rats can make the game DRM free easily then i'm guessing Beth/MS could do so and add galaxy stuff. Also they don't even need to sell that much....just more than what it costs to set everything up and bring it here.....which I am guessing they could do easily.

Why don't they? They have more control and make more money on other platforms. I am guessing that(like other titles) they'll release it here once they've milked those other revenue streams for Skyrim nearly dry, though.

Imo people should care more that they're being sold/resold yet another version of a game as a cash grab by a AAA game maker.....and a cut version, in this case. Of course if they choose to do so or not is up to them.

My guess is that mostly all that will change for the better is that maybe the graphics/sound quality will be bumped up a bit.

I get saving time and all, but it takes me maybe a short time to get mods and etc installed and set up for most games...not too hard.
(also becoming dependent on such things in general isn't likely such a good thing in the long term)
Eh, I see mods not being locked to a client as a superior option.

Reply to above. Thing is: the "pie-rats" unofficial DRM-FREE version likely won't support Steamworks and/or GOG Galaxy features. Yeah, it'd work and all - but it'll lack features. And for that alone, that doesn't make the greatest of analogies. If you mentioned older games that didn't have this modern-stuff in both Steam and GOG versions; then you'd have the 1-to-1 fair comparison.

When you talk modern games, a lot of them support Steam-works for Cloud Save, WorkShop, Achievements, and other stuff - and when it comes to GOG, Galaxy implementation will take effort, time, money, resources, and whatnot. If they make a game w/ a lot of Steam support for Steamworks and a lot of those features - yeah, they'd have to strip them out of GOG Version and then add Galaxy support for new features.

Skyrim.
You'd need a company like Bethesda, Zenimax, Microsoft, or whomever - to sink $, resources, time, man-power, and whatnot into getting this game onto GOG properly; likely w/ proper GOG Galaxy and its features supported. This is why someone would buy something like a modern game on GOG Galaxy. If a modern game comes to GOG lacking a lot of Steam-features, who's going to buy this? This version will be seen as inferior and feature-lacking. Also, if M$, Zenimax, Bethesda are going to bring it to GOG - it's gonna make sales, or...why even bring the game here?

Look, we all want as many titles hitting GOG as possible w/ its DRM-FREE attitude and all - why would I buy this again? I already own Skyrim: LE and Skyrim: Special on Steam.

A GOG version here might be a better sell to someone who doesn't own Skyrim: LR or Skyrim: Special at all.

About ME: LE - check the IGN videos and the game-notes - they've both noted what will be charging in LE. And namely, like you said, it's graphical changes and/or improvements; and there's other changes too.

About Remasters, Re-Releases, Etc.
ME:LE will be a great option namely for those who ain't played ME Trilogy before, as it's everything (except Pinnacle Station DLC) there all in one big old package.

For people like me who own ME1,2,3 and all its DLC's - eh, this might be a tougher sell. But, the selling point of ME: LE for me would be the changes to ME1 might be more in line w/ ME2, combat-wise and feel-wise. If they ME2'd basically ME1 here, that could be a major improvement, as combat will be less clunky in the LE version of ME1.

Also, nobody is forcing anyone to buy remasters, releases, or anything. So, if you have an old version and don't like what the new version's doing and/or think it's a cash grab - free market, just skip it. Or, if you have an interest - buy it when it gets cheaper.

Imo it's a pretty fair comparison (work load wise) as it takes a bit of work(or so I have heard) to make pie-rat editions of games DRM free(especially in cases of games with DRM like denuvo/etc).

It'd likely have galaxy features if it came here, but to answer this bit: a good number of the "old guard" GOG users, for starters, and also some of those who don't want or use such features

Well it'd likely make some sales, as there are those who don't/won't/can't buy on Steam.....but some other reasons for bringing it here might be things like increasing brand(company) visibility and generating good PR(for dropping the game here DRM free) among the GOG userbase, among other things.

Agreed, and there likely are some who don't own it yet and/or won't buy it unless it was DRM free/on GOG for bethesda/GOG to sell it to.

Tell that to some others who make such things, who lock the old versions as "goodies" you need to buy the new one to get. ;)

Sounds good.....now I will ask: Why give companies more money for the same(more or less) thing over and over? Why buy a new version and not be happy with the old one? :)

Of course all the above said: I don't mind remakes/remasters/etc too much, and even play some on occasion. I just prefer them not to cut content or make changes that end up making it actually worse than the original.

I know I would get it. The main draw of GOG for me is the offline installers and not having to rely on some additional software to play my games. If anything it adds more value to the game for me. Stuff like like achievements, hour tracking and workshop is nice but it's not something crucial to have and as you said there's already Nexus mods and Moddb for stuff like that and they are actually million times better since they work with whichever version of a game you have unlike the Steam Workshop.