mrkgnao: Judging from their
recent fiscal reports, probably not what they're doing now.
tfishell: What do you think would help them stay in business another decade or even just a few more years?
I am no expert by any means and it would be presumptuous of me to act as an advisor, but were I to be forced to make the decisions, what I would do would be:
1) I don't think GOG can or should compete on price, so it should instead compete on quality, which it currently sorely lacks. I would invest in building GOG as a quality brand, with rapid support (i.e. minutes and hours, not weeks and months), curated catalogue (see below), quality information and buying experience (i.e. a careful website overhaul, leaving the good things, but fixing or removing the bad), increased professional but friendly interaction with the customers, more good (not cheap) PR. I would go for the loveable and dependable quality maverick image, and try to harness the existing community in propagating the image.
2) I believe GOG's strong point is its curation, which while always subjective, can still give it a harnessable image of quality. So, while maintaining curation, I would attempt to diversify into neglected categories, such as:
a) DRM games: Yes, DRM games. I don't think the die-hard DRM-free crowd is that big and we already know what they (we) will do when GOG introduces a bit of DRM. Nothing. As long as the percentage of DRM games is small (e.g. 10%) and clearly marked, I think GOG should be fine.
b) Quality casual games, such as hidden object, match 3, solitaire, clicker, visual novels, etc.. Even from non-Polish developers. Stressing quality here.
c) Perhaps pornographic games (as they seem to be thinking about), although I am personally ambivalent about it.
3) Reduce investment in galaxy, without abandoning it. I know that a lot of people use it, but I don't believe it's a good source of income. The website would be a better choice, IMO.
4) Invest in PR. Real PR, that is. That promotes a quality image.
But what do I know...