I recently asked the developer of the indie game "Donut Dodo" if he would put his game on GOG, as it's a short and sweet arcade-like title that sells for a cheap price. I was told that "Sadly, GOG is currently not interested in hosting Donut Dodo".

This made me realize just how many potentially great games are denied access to the platform, while other, less quality experiences are chosen instead. I could point to the numerous NSFW titles being sold here, but I suppose they have their audience. I will say that GOG is missing out on games like these, that would really add diversity to their current offerings.

I will urge GOG staff to reconsider having Donut Dodo on here, as well as any other arcade-like action title that may have been denied in the past. The company must find it's niche and stick with it, and if AAA titles are a rarity the next best thing are the indies.

It has always seemed obvious to me, that GOG release games here in measured amounts, and that for a game to get here in many cases, it has to survive curation.

There is likely a bunch of reasons why a game does not survive curation.
I imagine it is based on priorities and agendas to start with.
It would also be about GOG staying in control ... that means enough staff overseeing new additions.

GOG could potentially release a hundred games here a day, but there would naturally be limits involved.

So no doubt there is some form of queue, and some games get to jump the queue of course.

If you think deeply enough, you will realize that nobody wants to hear their game cannot be released here until five years time etc. And even though what you think is a crappier game that has just been released here compared to one you prefer that was recently refused, you cannot think about it as a comparative issue, but purely timing. That crappier game may have been in the queue for two years, and once GOG commit to its release they stay committed. They are not likely to say, a better game has turned up, so we are canceling your game or delaying it. And better is so often subjective anyway.

I don't for a minute imagine curating games is easy.

You should have included this little tidbit into your post:
https://www.gog.com/forum/general/gog_has_a_problem_with_indie_titles/post81
Quote: "[The dev] is definitely open to a GOG release, here's what he told me:

"Sure, I won't rule any platform out, but will say that every further format comes at a cost, requiring more support, testing and managing different builds and updates, so viability is important.
That being said, I do believe Donut Dodo would be a good fit for the GOG library and user base.""
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Out of a sudden it doesn't look anymore as if GOG is responsible for not releasing the game here.

um.... what does the last line you qouted there say?

That's too bad. Donut Dodo is really good.

One of the thing to also consider is that we have way too many example of Indy games being released here and then... left to rot.

Resulting either the game not being updated for years or even totally removed because the devs can no longer be bothered to keep it updated here.

So I guess that Gog might be wary of small/er indies that might be initially very enthusiast to release their game on Gog but then might become a lot less eager to keep it updated a couple of months down the line once the initial sales are gone and most of their user base is on Steam. Peoples mention all the NSFW games but most of them comes from 2/3 "big'ish"publishers (e,g, Kagura) making it a lot easier for Gog to handle and control. Also it's often "older" games, i.e. released in Japan some years ago, so they don't require a lot of patches anyway.

That the dev thinks his game would be a good fit for GOG.
More important is what that line doesn't say: whether he ever contacted GOG regarding a release. Definitely.
GOG is a business, after all.
"Donut Dodo" is on Steam for almost a year now.
From what I could find, it isn't exactly a highseller.
GOG has to calculate whether the investment on their side will pay off in the end.
And if a dev - like this one - is already weary of the extra work, prior to a GOG release...well...

It definitely seems like a compromise with both sides of the equation. Both Gog and the developers/publishers have to see a release here as a viable and profitable endeavor for it to proceed. I assume sometimes one side wants the release but the other doesn't, which makes it frustrating.

Yes it's not a bestselling game by any means, but if GOG is only interested in tentpole releases like Skyrim then it's not going to get any worthwhile games for a long time. I would rather trade a few low-scoring titles (like the awful Dotemu NeoGeo releases) for a game like Donut Dodo, or a great underrated shmup like "Dead End City".

I'm not asking GOG to open the floodgates and turn into a mess like Itch.io, God forbid. But when a title stands out from the crowd I feel it should be added for sale. Retro-inspired titles also work well with the brand, which is "Good Old Games" after all.

GOG's curation... *face palm*

I've spoken to a few rejected developers, and although this is from their perspective only, none understood exactly why they were rejected by GOG. None were "niche" or mobile games. All released on Steam.

All said something similar to... "I'd rather not waste my time with trying to get on GOG again."

IMHO...

... THAT is a problem.

When you have developers deciding not to even try (again) to release here, while releasing asset-flips (check GOG's recent glut of released asset-flips ie. WhaleRock's recent offerings), you have a problem.

If he'd offer on Gamejolt or itch, I would maybe buy it there.
I got it free to play on the Evercade. It's fun enough and I would not mind spend a few bucks for it. But Steam as only option is a No-Go.

See - here comes the old adage into play: "one man's trash is another man's treasure".
You don't like the NeoGeo releases? - fine. But others love them. Don't get me wrong: I've looked the game up on Steam, and I like what I saw.
I would not mind having it released here.
But: "stands out from the crowd"?
In what regard exactly? And from which crowd exactly?

Apart from that:
we got two statements from you in regard to what the dev allegedly told you:

Statement 1:
I recently asked the developer of [...] "Donut Dodo" if he would put his game on GOG [...].
I was told that: "Sadly, GOG is currently not interested in hosting Donut Dodo".

And statement 2:
[The dev] is definitely open to a GOG release, here's what he told me: "Sure, I won't rule any platform out, but will say that every further format comes at a cost, requiring more support, testing and managing different builds and updates, so viability is important. That being said, I do believe Donut Dodo would be a good fit for the GOG library and user base."

Don't these two statements sound contradicting to you?

Because they definitely do to me.

Let's assume, the dev actually contacted GOG and they actually gave him "statement 1"...could that statement have been made in regard to requirements, needed to be released here, which the game doesn't fulfill yet, and which the dev (apparently, and here enters "statement 2" the ring) is kinda unwilling to implement?

And yet - you (knowing about statement 2) create this thread and claim: "GOG is refusing to host good games".
That's not really fair, wouldn't you agree?
(And in regard to that "good" I'd like to refer you to that old adage above again)

That's definitely not accurate. GOG has certainly released some games here that had sold very few copies on Steam, and no doubt sold even fewer copies on GOG. And GOG must have known that those games were not going to be profitable long before they agreed to put them on GOG.

When I say "stand out from the crowd", I mean in terms of it's aesthetic and game design. It's not often you see an indie game pay homage to the single screen arcade games of the early 1980s. Stuff like Donkey Kong, Dig Dug, etc. In that regard, Donut Dodo is one of only few games I know of that does it well. Compared to the endless droves of Metroidvanias and Roguelikes, it's a breath of fresh air.

As for the developer, I think you misunderstand. He likely requested that the game be added on GOG, and for whatever reason they denied it. In Statement 2, he is saying that although more platforms means more work, he is interested in having the game on GOG and feels it's users would like it. There is no contradiction.