JurpoJarppinen: Wasn't Devotion also delisted from PSN and Steam?
It was on sale on Steam for 6 days from 19.02.2019 to 25.02.2019. (note: the game files were updated after that few times)
It initially went on sale WITH that "offending content" and Steam did NOT block the release at all.
Later it was brought down by developers themselves * which you can read reasons for below (official statement by the developers):
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1006510/discussions/0/1796278072845376475/
* So essentially:
Steam allowed the sale of game and pretty much didn't have a problem with that. Some small amount of users didn't like the joke. Developers removed the offending content. Developers also removed ability to buy the game at some point due to their own reasons and all by themselves.
Meanwhile GOG: announced that the game will be released. SAME DAY cowardly backed off from it and canceled it ** due to "messages from many 'gamers'" and from that point is subsequently refusing to provide a proof or any official statement. They are totally radio silent waiting for "gossip to end".
** You cannot possibly LEGALLY make a game distribution announcement BEFORE signing papers with developer / publisher first.
So GOG broke already signed contract for game distribution made with developers / publisher and is providing baseless statement instead of a proof.
I think it's notable to point out that since GOG withheld already signed contract they are ought to provide a valid REAL reason that holds legally to whoever they signed contract with. Their justification MUST HOLD on legal grounds, otherwise it's just anti-developer business practise.
GOG should be held LEGALLY responsible for this by developers / publisher of Devotion.
What's also notable and quite ridiculously important is that the "offending content" was already REMOVED *before* GOG even made an announcement about game's planned release.
Based on that alone the GOG's argument of "many 'gamers' contacted us to block the game release because it contains content Z offending those users" is a complete provable lie and a bunch of BS and therefore doesn't hold legally - so GOG not only provided false justification to us, users, community - but also to who they signed a contract with - that would be Devotions developers / that game's publisher - and for that GOG should be held legally responsible.
On top of it all - GOG has all technical possibilities already in place to allow blockage of game Q in country X any time for any reason.
They TOTALLY COULD have blocked it just in China. But they didn't. Instead they blocked INTERNATIONAL release of the game just because some minority from country X allegedly "contacted them" during one day *** about something that offends JUST THEM.
Meanwhile Steam had such technical possibilities for a *very* long time and when something is not fancied by China it usually gets blocked JUST THERE (to be honest I don't know of ANY case of a product being blocked INTERNATIONALLY on Steam because of an outcry from just one country).
*** It's pretty ludicrously ironic that GOG claims to be understaffed and currently under "huge load of support tickets", so huge that it's implied people have to wait at least DAYS for a response from support. Yet in this case it is implied GOG stepped up their game and SOMEHOW processed all those "messages from many 'gamers'" in what is implied to be JUST FEW HOURS.
Meanwhile GOG *completely ignores* community outcry on THEIR OWN FORUM.
I think that speaks loads about GOG's attitude to their non-Chinese customers.
Once again, a little reminder, Steam not only was fine with original "uncut" version of game getting released, Steam was also NOT THE ONE to remove it from distribution there (it was developers themselves for reasons stated in that official statement I linked).
As for PSN - I don't know so I will not comment on that - I would have to research that first.