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General discussionIntroducing Games in Development(760 posts)(760 posts)
(760 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted January 28, 2016
Excellent hand-picked games, 14-day refund policy, always DRM-free.

We want GOG.com to be the home of games that are both excellent and really worth your time.
In today's gaming world, we're seeing more and more titles that become hits before development dwindles down. We want to give you a way to enjoy what these games have to offer, a way that's comfortable and fair to you — the GOG.com way: that means evaluating each and every game, a 14-day no-questions-asked refund policy, and more.




That's why today, we're introducing the first five games in development:
Starbound (-33%)
Ashes of the Singularity (-25%)
Project Zomboid (-40%)
TerraTech (-30%)
The Curious Expedition (-15%)







The GOG.com way.
First and foremost: we're hand-picking only the games we can truly stand behind. Offering a selection of the most promising titles, and those most highly requested on the Community Wishlist, is our way of avoiding bloat and ensuring that every game will be worth your time.

It takes some confidence to discover games that are still being shaped — and to build that trust, every game in development comes with a simple refund policy: 14 days, no questions asked. It doesn't matter if you're having technical issues, if you don't think the game is sufficiently fleshed out, or if it simply doesn't click with you — all games in development can be returned for any reason within 14 days of purchase.

The GOG Galaxy client should also come in handy for games in development. It lets you control updates manually if you want, while the rollback feature allows you to easily restore any earlier version of your game if an update breaks something or makes unwanted changes. For games in development, rollback will also track and create historical snapshots throughout a game's development. That means you can always revisit any point in a game's history — for fun, or for science.






It's your call.
For those of you who prefer to wait for the final release, nothing will change. Once a game leaves active development, we will be making the announcement and giving the newest release proper exposure. Basically, business as usual.






More info.
Surely you have questions. You'll find many of the answers in the <span class="bold">games in development FAQ, including more details on the new refund policy. Our User Agreement has also been expanded to accommodate games in development — check out sections 6.12, 6.13, and 6.14 to find all the new information.




Enjoy your time with games in development!
Post edited January 28, 2016 by Konrad
Posted January 29, 2016
People who are praising the 14 day refund policy need to understand the reality as well. Look no further than Starbound. Lets for the sake of argument say that Starbound was sold on here when it first went into EA. You buy it in that early period and figure hey, I got a 14 day policy. Keep in mind that odds are (and were in Starbound's case) the game will more than likely be very incomplete depending on how much development that has been done so far. You still like it though so you decide to keep it and the 14 day policy goes by. A year goes by and development has basically stopped on Starbound. What now? Want a refund? Too bad you are stuck with it. Now you have a title in your library that may or may not be further developed, is more than likely missing key features, etc. I'm pretty sure the 14 day policy has about as much value as the toilet paper you just used when you took a dump.

The moral of the story. EA, GID or whatever you want to call it is a gamble. GoG has gotten into the gambling business when it comes to this industry. No amount of fancy words to ease that word is going to change (whether it's 'curated' or 14-day policy). And as a business it's a sound decision. That's what many naysayers miss. They think GoG is this white knight that will champion the player and defeat all this (perceived) practices that are going on. No, they are a business who must stay competitive to stay in business.
Posted January 29, 2016
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Arjen.Janvier: Sooo instead of giving us great adult games to buy, you give us unfinished kiddy games that look like they were made 25 years ago!
Most of us came here for the games that were made 25 years ago.

That aside, I actually do have a question about the 14 day refund policy.

Suppose I get a game, don't like and get refunded in 14 days. Few months later with new stuff developed I decide to give the game another try. Will I get the possibility of another 14-days-refund? How often can one do this? Would GOG do anything in case of a user who keeps buying and returning the game every 14 days?
Posted January 29, 2016
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Arjen.Janvier: Sooo instead of giving us great adult games to buy, you give us unfinished kiddy games that look like they were made 25 years ago!
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ZFR: Most of us came here for the games that were made 25 years ago.

That aside, I actually do have a question about the 14 day refund policy.

Suppose I get a game, don't like and get refunded in 14 days. Few months later with new stuff developed I decide to give the game another try. Will I get the possibility of another 14-days-refund? How often can one do this? Would GOG do anything in case of a user who keeps buying and returning the game every 14 days?
it was one of my point and question as well...

it could as well be a whole 14 days quota spread onto multiple purchases of said game, then you would have to be quick and playtest each build new feature ine one or two days so you keep some days left on your overall 14 days quota :)

or just systematicallly ask for refund within the 14 days after a EA game purchase, and just leave it until release, if release there even is
Posted January 29, 2016
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ZFR: Most of us came here for the games that were made 25 years ago.
That's a really bold assumption. I came for a fairly old game, but have, I think, among 90 games in my account, not one from before 1990 (at least not one I paid money for).

You know what usually happens to brick and mortar stores selling antiques...? Ooops.
Posted January 29, 2016
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synfresh: People who are praising the 14 day refund policy need to understand the reality as well. Look no further than Starbound. Lets for the sake of argument say that Starbound was sold on here when it first went into EA. You buy it in that early period and figure hey, I got a 14 day policy. Keep in mind that odds are (and were in Starbound's case) the game will more than likely be very incomplete depending on how much development that has been done so far. You still like it though so you decide to keep it and the 14 day policy goes by. A year goes by and development has basically stopped on Starbound. What now? Want a refund? Too bad you are stuck with it. Now you have a title in your library that may or may not be further developed, is more than likely missing key features, etc. I'm pretty sure the 14 day policy has about as much value as the toilet paper you just used when you took a dump.

The moral of the story. EA, GID or whatever you want to call it is a gamble. GoG has gotten into the gambling business when it comes to this industry. No amount of fancy words to ease that word is going to change (whether it's 'curated' or 14-day policy). And as a business it's a sound decision. That's what many naysayers miss. They think GoG is this white knight that will champion the player and defeat all this (perceived) practices that are going on. No, they are a business who must stay competitive to stay in business.
14 days refund policy does give one more time to consider if the game is good enough and gives enough value for money in the current state though.
Posted January 29, 2016
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HunchBluntley: So, to use your example, if I bought that game only after the third of those five patches had been put out, I would still be able to roll back to the version available just before the first patch?
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Thiev: You'll get access to all versions.
Huh. Good to know, I guess.
It's annoying that one doesn't have that same option without Galaxy, though (being able to install a version from before one even purchased the game).
Posted January 29, 2016
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synfresh: People who are praising the 14 day refund policy need to understand the reality as well. Look no further than Starbound. Lets for the sake of argument say that Starbound was sold on here when it first went into EA. You buy it in that early period and figure hey, I got a 14 day policy. Keep in mind that odds are (and were in Starbound's case) the game will more than likely be very incomplete depending on how much development that has been done so far. You still like it though so you decide to keep it and the 14 day policy goes by. A year goes by and development has basically stopped on Starbound. What now? Want a refund? Too bad you are stuck with it. Now you have a title in your library that may or may not be further developed, is more than likely missing key features, etc. I'm pretty sure the 14 day policy has about as much value as the toilet paper you just used when you took a dump.

The moral of the story. EA, GID or whatever you want to call it is a gamble. GoG has gotten into the gambling business when it comes to this industry. No amount of fancy words to ease that word is going to change (whether it's 'curated' or 14-day policy). And as a business it's a sound decision. That's what many naysayers miss. They think GoG is this white knight that will champion the player and defeat all this (perceived) practices that are going on. No, they are a business who must stay competitive to stay in business.
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Lodium: 14 days refund policy does give one more time to consider if the game is good enough and gives enough value for money in the current state though.
Yes, that's the one way this kind of marketing can be justified. If the buyer likes the game enough as is, it doesn't really matter if the developers vanish a week later. GID is promoted as a way to obtain unfinished games that are fun enough now to be worth the money. If GOG can deliver on that promise, it's not a terrible thing.

There's a large enough demand for in-development games that it makes no sense for GOG to ignore it completely. By the time a game like Minecraft or Kerbal Space Program is officially released, it's already brought in years of income.

It's also easy to look at some of these games as always-in-development games that are one level removed from MMOs. Once again, if you like what they're offering now, you don't feel bad about money you spend now. If you spend your money planning for the best possible game 2 years in the future, you'll get burned a lot and feel ripped off.

One of the more promising aspects of this new program is the name. Games in Development tells you exactly what you're getting, rather than hinting you're getting a head start on everyone else.
Post edited January 29, 2016 by wvpr
Posted January 29, 2016
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evilnancyreagan: Starbound on GOG? Finally! (I knew it would happen)

GOG is giving you two weeks to try out these lovely titles with a bright future with zero risk your wallet or your pets.

I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY MOANING.
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Ophelium: Then don't read anything that came before or will come after your post. I think it's time for me to go into self-imposed exile from the forums for a while again. This community can be toxic sometimes.
No shit. I've gotten really burned out from all the rage-filled complaining and just general assholery.
Posted January 29, 2016
We need Crawl! I dont wanna buy it on steam, i wanna buy it here.
Posted January 29, 2016
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hyperagathon: Thanks for the explanation. I'm somewhat amazed by the relatively bad reviews it got even with that puzzle cut - I think it's the finest point 'n' click I've played since the nineties, head if not not head and shoulders above the accolades-garnering Gemini Rue. Oh well.
I honestly think it's the best game ever. It has an almost-unprecedentedly powerful Humanist (I mean IRL Humanist) message.

There are other adventures which may be better designed in some aspects. I love Indiana Jones TFoA, Loom, Monkey Island, King's Quest 6, and from the newer games Resonance (of course), The Last Door 1-4, Botanicula (not quite a traditional point-and-click) and the design if not the plot of Technobabylon. As genres go, I think the undisputably best point-and-click would be a game which does something awesome and relevant to the story with the pointing and clicking, like Spider and Web did for parser games and Spectral Stalkers for paper gamebooks and Primer for downloadable movies and Watchmen for superhero comics. (Botanicula is not it. Loom is more an audiovisual game.)

But if the bestest game evar is to be determined, the only possible criterion is its message, amplified (or diminished, as the case may be) by the delivery.

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hyperagathon: BTW, when I said 'link form', that's really not what I had in mind :)
I'm still very proud of my contribution to the game, and I tend to be a huge asshole about it XD
(And it was on the closed Primordia playtesting forum, which I have maffs of, but it wouldn't be cool to post them.)
Posted January 29, 2016
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HunchBluntley: No shit. I've gotten really burned out from all the rage-filled complaining and just general assholery.
It always happens when GOG introduces something new. Either this will go the way of movies on here or it might turn out well. I have a few qualms about what GOG does, but this isn't one of them. I'm an adult, I understand the risks and I'm willing to give a couple of these games a go.

Also, before GOG can become another Steam clone, they have to release Hatred here :P
Posted January 29, 2016
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Ophelium: Also, before GOG can become another Steam clone, they have to release Hatred here :P
I'll make sure to keep some pop-corn handy for the occasion. I wouldn't want to miss all the delicious drama that would be unfolding. :P
Posted January 29, 2016
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zlep: Is there any GOG Mix or forum thread listing games in that category? Now that changelogs/patch-updates have been removed from the game forums, and are only visible to people who already own the game, it's very difficult to know if GOG versions are behind Steam in patches, and by how far.

The Humble Store is even worse for visibility... I bought a game there recently only to find that the DRM-free version is the release day v1.0 from 2014 while Steam has had bugfix patches and content additions. In a Steam thread, the dev has the hide to claim he's avoiding GOG and sticking with just Humble and Steam because "it's a huge effort to support multiple storefronts". I'm not sure how he knows that, since he's put zero effort into supporting the Humble version.
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haydenaurion: There's a thread here for that very purpose: https://www.gog.com/forum/general/suggestions_wanted_for_gog_mix_games_that_treat_gog_customers_as_second_class_citizens
Indeed, and here's the GOGMix in question: https://www.gog.com/mix/games_that_treat_gog_customers_as_second_class_citizens

I think we also need a GOGMix for lazy developers who couldn't care less about any other platform other than Steam (let alone GOG). These people simply don't deserve our money. They deserve to go under.
Posted January 29, 2016
I have to say, I'm disappointed to see GOG go this route. Early Access games are widely criticized for being abandoned or quick cash grabs from developers and there is no way for GOG to prevent that. Yes, there's a two week refund period - but that doesn't mean that in two months the developer won't abandon the game and laugh all the way to the bank while the people who paid into it are left with an unfinished product. GOG has always had outstanding customer service and sent out surveys asking the community what we think of potential new features, yet no such thing was done with early access or you'd probably have been met with a resounding "NO!". It's just a shame to see a company that I held in such high esteem for the way they treated their customers selling unfinished games that will almost certainly end up screwing the paying customers over.
Posted January 29, 2016
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Totenglocke: I have to say, I'm disappointed to see GOG go this route. Early Access games are widely criticized for being abandoned or quick cash grabs from developers and there is no way for GOG to prevent that. Yes, there's a two week refund period - but that doesn't mean that in two months the developer won't abandon the game and laugh all the way to the bank while the people who paid into it are left with an unfinished product. GOG has always had outstanding customer service and sent out surveys asking the community what we think of potential new features, yet no such thing was done with early access or you'd probably have been met with a resounding "NO!". It's just a shame to see a company that I held in such high esteem for the way they treated their customers selling unfinished games that will almost certainly end up screwing the paying customers over.
Then don't buy them. Nobody is making you buy them. Each person needs to make their own judgement on two things:

1. How much their money is worth to them personally, and how much they are willing to risk it.
2. What level of trust they have for each developer.

Especially is the answer to number 1 is "I can't afford to risk it", or the answer to number 2 is "I'm not sure if this developer will come through with a good product", a person should decline to participate. Or wait for the final product. But if the answer to number 1 is "I can afford to take the risk" or number 2 is "I don't mind being a tester for free", then people, in my opinion, should have the option to have early access without having to deal with Steam and DRM.

That said, I really feel like the reviews should be disabled completely for "Games in Development". The quality of the reviews for the games posted so far is pretty bad. People don't seem to understand that the games aren't done, so they shouldn't be judged like they are done.

$.02
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionIntroducing Games in Development(760 posts)(760 posts)
(760 posts)