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General discussionIntroducing: GOG Galaxy, the DRM-Free online gaming platform(917 posts)(917 posts)
(917 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted June 06, 2014
Freedom of choice. Optional client. Cross-play. Coming soon to all gamers!

Earlier today (or was it yesterday for you?), during the [url=http://www.gog.com/news/cd_projekt_red_gogcom_summer_conference]CD Projekt RED and GOG.com’s Summer Conference we dropped the news about our next big step forward! GOG.com has always been home to more and more of the the best games in history (for Windows and Mac), both classic and new. Differing in shapes, flavors, and sizes they had one thing in common: they were mostly single-player, and our focus was mainly on the experience of a singular gamer. If that's your thing, nothing really will change. You can always enjoy your favorite games 100% DRM-free on GOG.com, with no need to activate your game online or remain connected to play your single-player title. Just like GOG.com has always been about.. But what if you want to play with your friends?

Today we are excited to announce GOG Galaxy, a truly gamer-friendly, 100% DRM-free online gaming platform that will finally provide the GOG.com community with the easy option to play together online. GOG Galaxy will allow you to share your achievements, stay in touch with your pals and get the updates for your games automatically. We've developed this technology to improve your GOG.com experience. We think GOG Galaxy really deserves your attention and we hope many of you will give it a try! But, here's the great thing: it is totally optional, so it's all up to you! If you do not want to play online, or use our optional client to access these features, then no worries, you will always be able to play the single-player mode 100% DRM-free, and download manually the latest updated version of your favorite title from our website. Now, for one more feature we call cross-play. We always believed in an open world for gamers, with no obligation to be tied to a specific platform or client; and this is why GOG Galaxy will allow gamers to play with their buddies who use Steam, without any need to use any 3rd party client or account, nothing, nada. We’re taking care of connecting GOG.com and Steam players, so just sit back, relax and give it a try.

See the outtake from the CD Projekt RED & GOG.com Summer Conference

Talking of which, we are proud to announce the soon-to-come launch of the beta phase for The Witcher Adventure Game, a faithful adaptation of the board game of the same title. It allows up to 4 players to play together, whether they use Steam or GOG.com. Cross-play at its finest! If you wanna get the chance to try it out, please visit and sign up to get in the queue for your beta access key. You can also simply take advantage of our amazing [url=http://www.gog.com/tw3]pre-order offer for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which includes 2 beta access keys for he Witcher Aventure Game, delivered to you as soon as we start handing them out to public.

We believe GOG Galaxy has the power to provide the best of both worlds. Playing the single player mode of your favorite game, 100% DRM-free, while still having the OPTION to use our soon-to-come client for an enhanced experience (auto-patching, achievements, and much more) or play online with other GOG.com (and Steam) players if you so wish.

There will be more GOG Galaxy titles coming up this year, so stay tuned for more news and get the word around!
Post edited June 06, 2014 by G-Doc
Posted June 06, 2014
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Neobr10: Oh, c'mon now, you aren't being serious, are you? What you're implying completely contradicts what was said in the announcement. "...you will always be able to play the single-player mode 100% DRM-free, and download manually the latest updated version of your favorite title from our website".

Read it again. Please.
Probably just goes to show that written understanding of a foreign language changes depending on one's own mother tongue. The sentence you quote I read as synonymous to "you'll still be able... [...]", with no assurance that the client wouldn't take precedence over the maintenance of direct downloads.
"Always" only implies permanence, not priority or lack thereof.

Nitpicking ? Sure, I guess.
Post edited June 06, 2014 by Erich_Zann
Posted June 06, 2014
Mmh, seeing as how you put "freedom of choice" on the forefront, I hope you have chosen a plugin-oriented application.

Don't want achievments? Deactivate plugin. Don't want built-in chat? Deactivate plugin. Want to use jabber instead of gog chat? Chose plugin.

That way would also allow for the development of user plugins, which could be neat. AND more interesting than the Steam Client Monolith.
Posted June 06, 2014
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Matruchus: We all did that. But what gog writes down and really makes is for some time now a different thing. Just look at Going back to our roots and regional pricing Witcher 3. I do understand his scepticism. But we really should wait and see.
I completely understand why some user are skeptic about it, but i do think that this announcement was pretty clear to say that the client will be 100% optional. Unless they are lying about it and will use the client to introduce always-online DRM and install spyware into our PCs. But i'd rather not believe in conspiracy theories.
Posted June 06, 2014
I wonder how all this freedom will be implemented? Seems like we'll need a lot of cooperation from third parties...
Posted June 06, 2014
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damien: Why is no one asking if that means we will be able to play GOG classics online? am I missing something here? Does galaxy, for example, also mean that I can now play Duke Nukem 3D or Unreal on multiplayer with the GOG community?
This announcement specifically mentions Steam, implying it is for new releases.

Having lobby and server browsing support for older games would be great but it's probably not part of the initial focus.
Posted June 06, 2014
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Dzsono: I wonder how all this freedom will be implemented? Seems like we'll need a lot of cooperation from third parties...
Well, from what I've gathered it seems like an open Steamworks.
Posted June 06, 2014
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Erich_Zann: Probably just goes to show that written understanding of a foreign language changes depending on one's own mother tongue. The sentence you quote I read as synonymous to "you'll still be able... [...]", with no assurance that the client wouldn't take precedence over the maintenance of direct downloads.
"Always" only implies permanence, not priority or lack thereof.
Agreed.

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Erich_Zann: Nitpicking ? Sure, I guess.
Yeah, i think you're nitpicking, but taking into account the recent "regional pricing" controversy i guess you have enough reasons to be skeptic about the whole thing. I still do trust what GOG says, though. It's one of the only gaming companies i trust, actually.

Sorry if i was rude. I didn't mean to.
Post edited June 06, 2014 by Neobr10
Posted June 06, 2014
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Matruchus: We all did that. But what gog writes down and really makes is for some time now a different thing. Just look at Going back to our roots and regional pricing Witcher 3. I do understand his scepticism. But we really should wait and see.
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Neobr10: I completely understand why some user are skeptic about it, but i do think that this announcement was pretty clear to say that the client will be 100% optional. Unless they are lying about it and will use the client to introduce always-online DRM and install spyware into our PCs. But i'd rather not believe in conspiracy theories.
Does the possibility that, should this Galaxy become popular (which is kind of the point, they wouldn't put it out if they think nobody'll use it), they'd put all their efforts in it and thus become lax in the maintenance of direct downloads, seem this far-fetched to you ?
You seem to believe "this will be optional" means "we'll put exactly as much effort into both options". I sure hope it does.

Edit : I posted at the same time as your above answer. Fair enough, I guess I'm just wary of change in general, because it more often than not means replacement in the long (or short) term.
Now I'm going to drink a beer, because one mustn't forget what's best in life.
Post edited June 06, 2014 by Erich_Zann
Posted June 06, 2014
I remember talking about how this would be cool. A client that stores our games and can track achievements and allow friend lists.

I wonder if GOG will implement achievements for older games like Tomb Raider, Fallout and Theme Hospital? That would be awesome.
Posted June 06, 2014
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Smannesman: Well I disagree about 'constantly', but also it should be GOGs responsibility to add more games.
Instead they use resources on things like this.
But they are releasing old games constantly. Hardly a week passes without a classic release. In fact, in spite of their rebranding, GOG has been adding old games to the service at roughly the same rate as it has been before. They have also continued to update classic releases with bonus material and language options. So it's not like they've been neglectful of their duties in that regard.

Granted, a lot of the more recent classic releases haven't exactly been high profile stuff (Sim City 4 was arguably the first big classic game since System Shock 2) and there is always the matter of personal taste (i.e. if a lot of adventure games are being released, people who aren't fans of that genre won't really care), so I can understand the sentiment. But neither of those are really GOG's fault; at the end of the day, it entirely depends on the IP owner whether or not they're willing to release their games on the service. As indicated by the fact that they almost signed LucasArts before the acquisition by Disney occurred, it's not like GOG isn't trying.

Also, you say "instead they use resources on things like this", but what exactly makes you think they are using the same "resources" for both developing a client as well as getting new old games on the service? Getting publishers to release their games on the service is solely the responsibility of GOG's legal department and management; it doesn't preclude their technicians and programmers from working on a client simultaneously. GOG can do more than one thing; a client doesn't necessarily interfere with their ability to gain new titles for the service.

Lastly, one crucial thing that you seem to fail to recognise is that an optional client is potentially beneficial to GOG's ability to obtain new classic releases. Maybe not directly; while Galaxy does have the potential of facilitating multiplayer for many older games, it remains to be seen whether or not that is actually possible and whether GOG or the IP holders are willing to put in the effort to make it happen. However, an optional client makes GOG more attractive to customers and developers/publishers alike...and greater success translates to having greater power and influence at the negotiation table, making it easier to convince publishers to put their back catalogues on the service.

You don't care about an optional client; that's fine. I don't either. But that doesn't mean that this announcement isn't a win for us, nor does it mean it's bad for getting more classic games on GOG.
Posted June 06, 2014
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fronzelneekburm: I'd like it if you could opt-in on the client keeping track on how long you played a game. ...
That's actually a good point. Privacy should be a high priority during the whole development of this DRM free client. GOG should only optionally gather usage data with an opt-in. That would be the best.
Posted June 06, 2014
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Gandos: Granted, a lot of the more recent classic releases haven't exactly been high profile stuff (Sim City 4 was arguably the first big classic game since System Shock 2)
Wizardry 6-8, goddamnit.
Posted June 06, 2014
I could see a use for this client if I could turn off user statistics, achievements and all that other crap.

If I can't make it only work for downloads and possible multiplayer, then I'm absolutely not interested.
Posted June 06, 2014
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Fallen_Zen: We'd rather not want to support both client apps.
Guess my buying patterns are going to significantly change then.
Posted June 06, 2014
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Gandos: ...But they are releasing old games constantly. ...
The really good ones, the ones we're all waiting for, they don't release them constantly. If you are more interested in the Top 100 of the wishlist, then there haven't been many from there lately?
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionIntroducing: GOG Galaxy, the DRM-Free online gaming platform(917 posts)(917 posts)
(917 posts)