Hello, dear forum users! Hello, dear GoG team members.

Since there was no better place to post it than this category, let's stick with General Discussion - yet, it's not discussion, rather a few months old user/customer opinion on GoG overall.

I mostly like GoG. I like GoG Galaxy, I like the simplicity of using this, I like lack of any 25%-ram-eating-software aka steam, I like ability to play when I don't have the internet. I like a forum that works, that doesn't lag constantly or crash, or ban people because the developer doesn't like something. I like DRM-free aspect but even more, I like the fact that I have a DRM-free library in one place. DRM-free games usually can be brought cheaper on developer websites, but I like having them all in one place.

Yet, there are still things that I don't like.
Game rejection.
I understand that GoG is no place for every title. I understand you're choosing quality over quantity and that's great. But your pickiness - over criteria not known to people - is more and more known, and this is actually... Not a cool thing. Because pickiness is not based on quality but rather on something you don't want to tell people. I feel like jerk or asshole when I'm talking with developers to bring their games to GoG. And then when they're sending an email it's "GoG rejected us" - "Ohh, sorry then, looks like I have to buy your game here, sorry for your trouble". Now I'm not even asking for bringing it, only if they were thinking about other releases - and I either hear that they don't want to be on GoG, or GoG rejected them or they want to focus on Steam.

And this is not good for me as a customer. Because I don't want to buy my games on three or seven shops. I want to buy them in one place. Right now it looks as follow - GoG has promising future and is releasing half games I want to play or less. DRM-free. Humble Store - most of the games, most of them DRM-free. Steam - all of the games, DRM. I want to be a GoG-exclusive user. I really do. But if I have to buy half of my games here and a half on Humble Store, or here but waiting 3 months for GoG release... Well, then I'll move. Why buying half games here and half somewhere else if another store has all of them in DRM-free version? I see no reason for it. And I'd love to see one.

Your releasing process looks super cool and great in theory, on the website. Too bad it's only theory.

Cheers.

GOG doesn't want to be in competition with the Humble Bundle. They want to be something else, but they don't know what that something else is yet.

co-signed.

That's the problem with curation. It doesn't matter what they do, there will always be games that miss out, and invariably there will be people who are annoyed about that. There really isn't any way to solve that unless they abandon curation completely and go the steam route... but therein also lies a problem, because if they do that and open the floodgates, then say goodbye to any sort of decent support for the games as well - there simply won't be time for the GOG staff to do all of the things that they currently do with games such as compatibility testing etc.

I can understand the frustration, and I do share it myself - there are games that I'd like to see here. But I like the care and attention to detail that the GOG staff give their catalogue, so I'd prefer that they keep on the way they are.

That is not true. Should probably get your facts right before ranting like this. Plenty of games simply need the client to download the game but not to play it.

Try reading this...

I'd suggest buying them in two places to keep competition alive. Consider making GOG #1, and Steam #2 (ie, Steam for whatever doesn't come here), or Humble Store #2. Something like that.

But if wanting to deal with only one shop is that important to you, then you'll want to just use Steam or Humble Store. It depends on whether the person considers the forced client DRM or not. I'd assume not since he's cool with GOG Galaxy.

Technically it isn't so opinions or not, they're wrong. Every digital game needs an app (browser, client) to download. Does not mean it is DRM. Of course someone will come along and argue this.

You're the one who brought it up here in the first place. :P

Ah bugger it, I'll bite.

Yes, this is the web. You need a web client to do damn near anything on it. Pick a client, there are lots of them. Any of them work to download GOG games. The requirement of a web browser to browse the web is not DRM.

For steam, you need the steam client. None other will do. Don't want to or can't use the steam client? Bad luck. You are forced to use the client that Valve wants you to use. That is DRM, and I can't see how you can argue differently.

Couldn't have said this any better.

This is the reason why I don't want to use Steam. With GOG, nothing is forced on the user to install some kind of client. It's optional. The requirement of a client AND the requirement for internet activation to download/install a game are the two major turn-offs for me when it comes to Steam and why I try not to buy anything there. I'll never understand why people are happy with this just because it's a non-intrusive form of DRM and because games are on sale at great prices. The fact of the matter is, I can't install a game without installing Steam and having an internet connection. GOG is the alternative and I'm so glad for it. I do think more games should appear here if what the OP is saying is true. I don't know how GOG operates with accepting and rejecting games, but I think it would benefit GOG if more games appeared here that are getting bought on Steam (specifically the indie titles). Like, for example, will a game like Girlfriend Rescue appear here or is that the type of game that would get rejected?

To be fair, GoG released more games (a little over 300) last year than any year before. The year before last more than any year before than (~ 250). The problem is Steam is adding about 3,000 games a year. Of course GoG is going to reject a lot of them.

The truth is GoG selects quality games they think will sell a decent number of copies while still giving each release a "day in the spotlight". I'm not sure how many more games they can accept and still do that.

As to Girlfriend Rescue, I doubt it. I've looked at GoG's selections and compared them to Steamspy stats. Seems the break point is somewhere around 40,000 copies in say 3 months to get reconsidered after release. That game has sold under 5,000 copies in over 6 months. In GoG terms it would be "too niche" which is their nice way of saying they don't think it will sell enough copies here to be worth it for them.

I don't think you'll find such a store. Or can you show me a store where you can buy classics like the Might and Magic series, Planescape Torment, Theme Hospital and every new indie game, side by side, all DRM-free and downloadable without a mandatory client (and also supported for various OS)?

If you do, please tell me. I would be interested in using it myself.