The PC was never my main gaming platform. Since I was a kid, I've always been a Nintendo video game user, primarily. Today I still am. I have and make good use of my Nintendo Switch. It's a great console, and Nintendo exclusives will always be the best for me. Some time ago, however, I came to value the PC as a gaming platform, but that's thanks to GOG.

As a casual PC gaming user, I have never paid much attention to these DRM issues. I never stopped to think about it, at least not broadly. This is what the vast majority of players do.

In 2015, I met GOG. At the time, I didn't find anything great. I don't remember well, but I think it was some friend who pointed me to the platform, and I basically did the registration but never actually used it. Everything changed, however, in mid-May this year when I read a news story about GALAXY 2.0.

I really liked the whole concept of the customer, and it motivated me to know, in fact, about GOG. It was really interesting to think that a company that sells digital PC games was, contrary to its competitors, not betting on a toxic policy like EPIC with its exclusive forced to clash with Steam, or Valve itself, with its highly polluted gaming market and policies that increasingly abandon the logic of respect for the consumer.

It was interesting to note that GOG did not want to create another wall between PC players (fragmented into several customers due to exclusive games), but to unify the entire ecosystem. To me that was an act of greatness.

GOG has shown that one of its biggest concerns is respect for the consumer. She is not concerned with making her big hits unique to her store, or spending millions of dollars on fancy advertising, buying exclusive games, or owning private resources. GOG basically said the following: "We have a store that works with a DRM-free and curated policy. We will never abandon that. If you understand that this is good for you as a consumer, you are most welcome to our space, otherwise, no problem, keep playing Steam, Epic or Origin games using our launcher, which makes your life easier. "

See, I'm not even getting into the merits of DRM-free and curation service. That for me should already be a source of pride for us consumers of this company. I have no words to describe how important this is and deserves to be respected. I want to go further. I want to point out that GOG policies are not just embedded within its ecosystems, they also aim to embrace any PC player, even if it does not bring immediate or short-term return to CD Project Red.

I, as a player, and a fan of the maxim that if I bought something, it must be mine forever, I am obliged to buy any and all games I am interested in playing on PC through GOG. It is the least all conscious players should do. What GOG represents today, more than ever, is the figure of resistance against this destructive logic that its competitors have been doing to complicate the lives of digital PC gaming consumers.

It is a great joy to know that GOG exists, and since I became a consumer of this year's biggest platform, I will make no effort to make my friends aware of the importance of this platform, and why it should be supported by all of them.

This topic, in addition to strengthening the feeling that I believe most of you share with me, is also to broaden the reasons why GOG deserves so much respect and support from all of us.

As one great writer here in my country has said, it is not about evaluating something or someone for their pretensions, but for their practical actions. This is exactly what we have seen here.

Long live GOG!

Unconditionally? No. Nothing is unconditional in this world, particularly my support of a storefront or other entertainment purveyor. Simply put, if they ever cease doing it right, I will withdraw my support instantly.

You know nothing

Gog has f***ed up things too often for me to support them unconditionally.
And yes, one should never support anything unconditionally anyway.

For sure GOG is amazing for being pro-consumer despite getting... Low returns? Probably?

Still, modern times have taught me never to trust a company unconditionally, because all it takes is one misguided CEO to destroy all the workers' genuine good intentions, and the trust of the consumers. But yeah, if there is a game that you want that is available on GOG, buy it from GOG. Not to support them, but because you are getting legitimately scammed otherwise.

It's sad that we live in a world where GOG needs to be praised for offering regular physical retail benefits, though I guess you can't backup physical media as easily as you can DRM-free digital files. Doesn't mean I am any less thankful for GOG though.

Perfect.

The only reason you can't backup physical media easily is because of DRM / Copy protection.
And for "regular physical retail benefits" - To me those benefits were "physical"; nice box, artwork, paper documentation, extra goodies, etc.
Online DRM on physical releases started about 12 years ago. Before that, there were some other annoying copy protections. DVD cases weren't an improvement on cardboard boxes, and meaningful printed documentation also disappeared quite a while ago.

First off, I am glad you found GOG and enjoy the service. That said, a few counterpoints/nitpicks:

1st bit above: The DRM free aspect here is great, but the curation system sucks b*lls sometimes. They reject otherwise decent games that would likely sell well due to no real reason or some vague copy pasted reply to devs about a game being "too niche"(They said it so much it has become a meme for some here), or because a game has some content/genre they dislike or think won't appeal to the fanbase they are trying to attract.

They do that while releasing more sims/casual games/japanese styled games(To op and all others: I am not saying these are bad, but that is what they seem to be most interested in lately). and less "new" classics and games in genres many here like(to the point we have a thread listing all games rejected by gog which has several pages so far).

I am not saying we need to ditch the system entirely, but maybe GOG could rewrite the criteria used to judge new submissions and only/mainly judge complete games and not beta versions/etc as much, for starters.

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2nd bit above: Support is fine as long as it's not blind support. One should love good things and encourage good services to keep doing as they do, but one should also be not blind to any major flaws such sites/etc have and not be willing to admit such exist and call anyone doing such on such.

Nope...

Curation always sucks because its not what YOU want.

To OP: No. Unconditional support should *never* be given with the possible exception (with caveats) of one's children. Trust needs to be earned not granted out of some form of blind support. GOG is no different in this respect.

This is true, which is why the curation should be based on a set of objective criteria and allow for any and all genres gog can support to sell here which will sell a good number of units, not personal tastes and bias of team members.

And with how the games seem to be mostly indies(which I am not against 100%) and certain genres it would seem some personal tastes/bias is playing into such decisions to some degree.

It is. Just not the criteria that YOU would like.

That is not what the data/history here has shown lately, though. Mostly indies of certain types have been accepted much more readily(visual novels, for one...and many casual indie titles like simulators), and those games of other certain genres(old style RPGs/etc) have been rejected much more often....even when popular on kickstarters/social media(and thus very likely to sell).

That alone shows some bias. To deny such is akin to doing what myth says ostriches do.

Try to convince yourself of it all you like, the fact remains that the criteria in place, and there is criteria in place, is not what YOU want.