The GOG-Side, the good old games Webseite, where I am especially are for looking and searching OLD GAMES have removed the "Year" - filter.

I mean - come on guys - really (!!) -> It doesn't go into my head: how can a Side, which offers Old Classic Games, removed the MOST - IMPORTANT SEARCH - Filter on this side??

I absolutly freak out - I'm slowly losing faith in humanity!!

This is GOG, the website where everything's made up and the code don't matter.

The first issue is that GOG has stopped being "Good Old Games" in 2012.
Other than that, the workaround still works.
Why they don't add it back in the UI... Well, that's GOG for you, don't expect it to make sense, or to lift as much as a finger for their old core audience instead of laying it all on the altar of growth at all costs and general mass appeal.

Ah, the GOG is just an arbitrary name now and their games catalogue is not based on preserving old games but rather a curated library. Honestly, they make it sound like a wine club. "Hand picking the best in gaming - The distinguished gamer's elaborate palette will appreciate the deep flavor and robust mechanics of Raiders! Forsaken Earth. Delve into this aromatic and full bodied experience for 19.99 USD today!"

I tend to stay away from these topics, but got a chuckle from your reply.

I've changed my thinking on this whole scenario...

Yeah, IMHO GOG should keep cheap money grabs / asset flips and broken games off the site, but otherwise... just too many issues with boutique curation (but then I live in Los Angeles and don't shop at pretentious clothing boutiques either). I'd rather have GOG be a store where I could find functional games that I want... not particularly what GOG has decided I should want / play; I'm sure the people at GOG are great, but I don't want to be limited exclusively by their taste.

As long as the creator is willing to sell a DRM-free game, that the game is not malware or a scam, and that it does not have a reputation for not working then it really ought to be sold on the website. Otherwise it creates too many questions on what is not allowed on.

Yeaaaaah, there are quite a few reasons people feel "Good Old Games" is in danger of gradually turning into "Another Activision Blizzard," and that would be one of them. And it looks like almost everyone here much preferred GOG to AAB. But for the most part the shift just keeps on going with little to no reaction to customers asking about it.

Honestly, as long as the forum is not flooded with them and the behavior is civil, I really cannot see what is wrong with a political topic especially if it is tied to video games.

The Curation thing also makes me chuckle when I see in development titles being sold. Do we even know if every game sold here as in development is going to be finished? Do we know if they are going to be good?

Staff and users have claimed that the forums would devolve somehow into chaos if such topics were allowed. Thing is, that happens even with the rules in place when people talk about other topics.Tbh I think the curation mostly boils down to "what the staff likes and/or thinks will sell"

It's purely a commercial decision: there is no upside to allowing controversial conversations on the forum, since it will definitely attract unwanted twitter mobs of zealots who have firm, predetermined opinions about whatever the current controversial topic is, and they will create bad publicity (either with those who agree with them, who will be leery of the site, or those who disagree and will be leery of the zealots attracted to the site) and extra work for the moderators, for little gain. (Really, who decides on their gaming platform based on the forum contributions?)

The problem is: the forum has become nearly a ghost town due to the over modding(the same effect observed, btw, when other forums and sites have done the same in the past)....to me that's nearly as bad as an overly chaotic forum.

Also even with the modding people still stay away from the forums for the most part, and other people still talk about some controversial topics regardless.

You see, in the original UK version of GOG we didn't overtly mention that and left it up to the audience to work that out.

I have little faith that Gog even wants the forum.

I expect they wish it to die, slowly or otherwise, so that they can put it out of its misery. Which is a shame, since there is some utility (game subfora give additional assistance for technical issues that ultimately reduces the work load on Gog) and some benefit (building goodwill by building a vibrant community) and therefore a risk if (when) it is lost. :(

You may be right....still, they get some use out of it by informing people of releases and such, so maybe there is some hope.

If not, well I will enjoy it while we have it and each other to talk to. :)

If you recall, we also have to ban kinder eggs and be told things a bit more than in other countries.....I blame the mercury in the tuna, personally. o.0