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General discussionGOG Galaxy Beta starts now(1170 posts)(1170 posts)
(1170 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted May 06, 2015
Try the DRM-free online gaming platform.

<span class="bold">GOG Galaxy</span>: our truly gamer-friendly, DRM-free online gaming platform. As we shared our vision with the world, we promised auto-patching, social functionality like chat, friends lists, and achievements. We promised our own multiplayer support and cross-play with Steam. Most importantly, we promised truly optional.



Today we deliver.
The <span class="bold">GOG Galaxy</span> client enters beta, open to anyone, with the most important functionality ready to try, test, enjoy (and break) at your leisure. We're proud to have gotten this far, and we know that we couldn't have done it without you all - that's everyone who spent months in alpha testing, that's those of you who talked to us about your needs and expectations, and it's every single one of you that has supported us since ever. So thanks, GOG Galaxy is for you!

With the <span class="bold">GOG Galaxy Beta</span>, you can install your games in one click and keep them up to date automatically, the beta currently supports this feature in all but a couple of titles available here. You can also perform backups easily by downloading a standalone installer through GOG Galaxy. The beta features a friends list, game time tracking, achievements, and chat. You can now talk to each other, connect with your group of friends, and see what everyone is playing. You can also try out our online multiplayer & matchmaking solution that, in select titles, includes cross-play: platform-independent multiplayer between gamers on GOG.com and Steam. If you download a patch that breaks something or if you just change your mind, the app will soon feature a unique rollback option to restore a previous version of your game.

Best of all, GOG Galaxy is optional. If you don't want to use any additional software, your experience with us won't change at all. If you only want to take advantage of select conveniences, you can toggle them on and off. It's all totally up to you.

You can sign up for the <span class="bold">GOG Galaxy Beta</span> and find out more on <span class="bold">gog.com/galaxy</span>, where we tell you about the features and answer many of the questions you may have. We'll be watching the forums carefully, so feel free to leave a comment if there is anything else that you'd like to know!
Posted May 05, 2015
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Karu: Does being completely optional also include being able to stop using it completely if I decide I do not like it after having tested it?

Just to clarify, if I were to install it and add some of my games to it, use it for a while, then decide I do not want to use the client at all. I just wish to go back to the way I used to do it, by manually downloading my games and play them like that. Will the the games I have added to Galaxy be affected in any way?

Can I just start playing the installtion I already had, or even a new installtion done through Galaxy after having uninstalled Galaxy or will I have to reinstall the games in question?
There is no tie between the Galaxy client and any game downloaded or installed with it. Galaxy client is for all intents and purposes just an alternative web browser with a custom front end into the GOG store and your account. It does not latch on to anything you download or install or force you to ever use it again in any way. Likewise there is no requirement for you to login online with Galaxy if and when you run it to play your games, and you're not required to use it to launch your games either. It is purely an optional convenience. Or at least hopefully people find it convenient, but whether they do or not they'll certainly find it optional.
Posted May 05, 2015
Signed up to the beta 20 mins ago and nothing has appeared in my inbox. I checked junk and spam to be sure and nothing is there.
Posted May 05, 2015
^Same.
Posted May 05, 2015
Just wait a few days.
Posted May 05, 2015
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Lemon_Curry: The more popular it becomes the less GOG has to lose by making further changes to their principles.
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shmerl: Hm? Why would popularity of the client force GOG to change their principles? No one said that convenience has to equal DRM. It's Steam / Netflix brainwashing.
True, but if GOG see, say a few years from now, that only 1-2% of their users use the option to get stand-alone installers, they might see an option to lower costs by not building stand-alone installers.

It's a pessimistic view, yes, but not completely unrealistic.
Post edited May 05, 2015 by Maighstir
Posted May 05, 2015
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shmerl: Hm? Why would popularity of the client force GOG to change their principles?
Who said anything about GOG being forced to do that? I certainly didn't. If it wasn't for the GOG of late (the last 2 years or so) I wouldn't be so worried but they have effectively eradicated most of their credibility and transparency by time and again proving that their promises are made to be broken.
Post edited May 05, 2015 by Lemon_Curry
Posted May 05, 2015
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Karu: Does being completely optional also include being able to stop using it completely if I decide I do not like it after having tested it?

Just to clarify, if I were to install it and add some of my games to it, use it for a while, then decide I do not want to use the client at all. I just wish to go back to the way I used to do it, by manually downloading my games and play them like that. Will the the games I have added to Galaxy be affected in any way?

Can I just start playing the installtion I already had, or even a new installtion done through Galaxy after having uninstalled Galaxy or will I have to reinstall the games in question?
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skeletonbow: There is no tie between the Galaxy client and any game downloaded or installed with it. Galaxy client is for all intents and purposes just an alternative web browser with a custom front end into the GOG store and your account. It does not latch on to anything you download or install or force you to ever use it again in any way. Likewise there is no requirement for you to login online with Galaxy if and when you run it to play your games, and you're not required to use it to launch your games either. It is purely an optional convenience. Or at least hopefully people find it convenient, but whether they do or not they'll certainly find it optional.
Nice, that is excatly what I hope it would be. I just did not want to install it and find that this was not the case, however I have nothing but good experiences from dealing with GoG in the past so I am very pleased to see that this will seemingly continue to be the case.

As the only thing GoG really is missing is some of the convience of Steam while still keeping everything completely DRM free and as easy and nice to use as ever.

Thanks for the quick reply :)
Posted May 05, 2015
2 issues for me.

1. I signed up for OPEN testing in the original thread posted months ago. Got nothing. Just yesterday I received an email stating my alpha client was ready. Now today the main website is advertising Beta is ready for everybody. So I click that link and am told to check my email. Several hours later I get an email telling me to go to the webpage to get the beta. Now the webpage is telling me that beta invites are going in batches. No clue what is going on, but the client I have (Alpha) does not have the features advertised and it isn't updating. Feels like I had to go to the website to get an email that sent me back to the website... just so I can wait on another email. But based on the first round... I have no clue if I'll actually get an email or not.

2. If features are not going to be present in 100% of games 100% of the time, we need a sort by feature option sooner than ASAP. [sort by achievements, sort by multiplayer support, etc]. The features mean nothing if I can't easily find games that use them.
Posted May 05, 2015
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Iain: I can see me uninstalling most my installed GOG games just to download them again to play with Galaxy!!!

Really pleased this is almost here. I did get an Alpha invite but didn't use it so waiting on the Beta link or code to my email
You don't have to. Gallaxy can scan for GoG games and adds them to it 's library.
Posted May 05, 2015
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Everyone on the alpha will likely not get updated to the beta until at least tomorrow. I'm in the same boat as you, except I didn't know I had an alpha invite in my inbox until after I already re-signed up for the open beta.
Posted May 05, 2015
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The email you got was just the news email, not the actual invitation. Yes I know, very confusing since probably everyone who uses gog a lot probably clicked on the link on the homepage before even receiving the news email.

But you actually don't need an invitation since everyone participating in the alpha version will be able to update the client to beta version soon:
http://www.gog.com/forum/general/gog_galaxy_client_closed_alpha/post2207
Posted May 05, 2015
If I have the Alpha Client right now does that turn into the Beta or do I have to sign up for that too?
Posted May 05, 2015
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comradegarry: If I have the Alpha Client right now does that turn into the Beta or do I have to sign up for that too?
You can update soon:
http://www.gog.com/forum/general/gog_galaxy_client_closed_alpha/post2207
Posted May 05, 2015
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Maighstir: True, but if GOG see, say a few years from now, that only 1-2% of their users use the option to get stand-alone installers, they might see an option to lower costs by not building stand-alone installers.
It's a pessimistic view, yes, but not completely unrealistic.
I still don't understand why GOG cannot simply use standalones also for Galaxy installations.
They're smaller than the uncompressed data and with silent switches they could do everything.
Posted May 05, 2015
Okay, it seems my question was buried, so if a staff could answer that for me, I'd appreciate it:
When is "soon"? In a few hours? Tomorrow? Next week? Next month?
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Community
General discussionGOG Galaxy Beta starts now(1170 posts)(1170 posts)
(1170 posts)