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General discussionIsn't galaxy, by itself, a form of DRM?(33 posts)(33 posts)
(33 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted December 09, 2020
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ChristophWr: First of all it will always be optional
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clarry: Except for all the things for which it isn't optional.

Please check your facts before you tell people they're misunderstanding things, otherwise you look like an arrogant fool.
Its optional for all the games you buy on gog
Posted December 09, 2020
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ChristophWr: Its optional for all the games you buy on gog
Not true.
Posted December 09, 2020
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ChristophWr: Its optional for all the games you buy on gog
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clarry: Not true.
Pretty sure you are talking about the epic stuff but you require an epic account for that and gog games itself dont need a launcher
You can’t even name one game so don’t spread lies here it’s sound more like basic crying because everything is so horrible
Post edited December 11, 2020 by ChristophWr
Posted December 09, 2020
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ChrisGriffin: Isn't forcing me to use a separate app to play the games which I've paid for a form of DRM?
I may be wrong...

... but...

... I use Galaxy to download and update games...

... but...

... I can always open the game's folder and run it without the Galaxy client.

Note: If I try to run the game from the desktop icon (shortcut) generated on installation, it defaults to opening the Galaxy client, but as I stated prior, I can open games without the client.

Maybe I'm missing something?

IMHO DRM would be locking me into always using the Galaxy client to play the purchased game.
Post edited December 09, 2020 by kai2
Posted December 09, 2020
As long as you can avoid using it, no.
Posted December 09, 2020
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ChristophWr: First of all it will always be optional
I don't see that as being optional (see attachment). https://www.cyberpunk.net/en/goodies

Also No Man's Sky is in a similar situation.
Attachments:
optional.png (27 Kb)
Posted December 09, 2020
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ChristophWr: It seems a few people misunderstand the purpose of galaxy.First of all it will always be optional and second its just here that you arent forced to use xxxx launchers anymore on pc thats why you can add steam etc to your galaxy account.
Even if it wasn't optional, it will not be DRM directly. As with Epic and Steam, you need the client like on a webpage, you log into to get access to the games you own (think of it like Software a as Service, or vpn to remotely connect you to the internal network on the job) and install them, but several games on all of these clients don't need the client itself to run when the game runs.

The client in this case is just a "portal", like using citrix or Teamviewer to access resources that are somewhere else.
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kai2: Note: If I try to run the game from the desktop icon (shortcut) generated on installation, it defaults to opening the Galaxy client, but as I stated prior, I can open games without the client.

Maybe I'm missing something?
That's because it uses a shortcut command that goes though Galaxy, like Steam and Epic has. Creating your own shortcut will omit this part.
Post edited December 09, 2020 by sanscript
Posted December 09, 2020
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sanscript: Even if it wasn't optional, it will not be DRM directly. As with Epic and Steam, you need the client like on a webpage, you log into to get access to the games you own ...
But on a webpage it's my choice which browser I use. Or no browser at all, but some script like gogrepo.py.

A client might not work on my machine. A client might spy on me. Each and every update of this one-way-to-access-my-stuff can bring malicious behaviour I might not want, and older versions can be easily blocked.

Being forced to use a client is giving up control, and that is all DRM is about.
Posted December 09, 2020
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Yes it is.
and with cyberpunk dlc under log in it is not optional anymore.
Posted December 09, 2020
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sanscript: That's because it uses a shortcut command that goes though Galaxy, like Steam and Epic has. Creating your own shortcut will omit this part.
Thanks.

No, I understood "why" on shortcuts... I was simply stating the process. ;)

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ChristophWr: First of all it will always be optional
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ariaspi: I don't see that as being optional (see attachment). https://www.cyberpunk.net/en/goodies

Also No Man's Sky is in a similar situation.
I know nothing of Cyberpunk 2077, but have heard SP may be connected to the client...

... but...

... I believe No Man's Sky can be played in SP without the Galaxy client. Is that the case?
Post edited December 09, 2020 by kai2
Posted December 09, 2020
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toxicTom: giving up control, and that is all DRM is about.
That it certainly is :D

Combining with what I wrote to StingingVelvet about DRM only governs copyrighted material it is actually both a sound and correct to use DRM here also, especially if it would be considered a mandatory portal towards the games, just like needing Galaxy for some separate activation for add-ons. Assuming offline files is removed that is...

Seems I forgot about the browser part now...
Post edited December 09, 2020 by sanscript
Posted December 09, 2020
OP: that depends on which Galaxy you are talking about.

The original Galaxy was not DRM... except that it even though it wasn't, it also was at the same time, for some multiplayer games which had their multiplayer aspects DRM-gated behind Galaxy.

In contrast, the new Galaxy (and the new direction of GOG as a whole) is much worse, and fast-becoming a full-on DRM client malware just like Steam is.

In a year or two GOG will most likely drop the "DRM-free" pretense entirely from its website.
Post edited December 09, 2020 by Ancient-Red-Dragon
Posted December 09, 2020
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sanscript: That it certainly is :D

Combining with what I wrote to StingingVelvet about DRM only governs copyrighted material it is actually both a sound and correct to use DRM here also, especially if it would be considered a mandatory portal towards the games, just like needing Galaxy for some separate activation for add-ons. Assuming offline files is removed that is...
See, that's why I don't use Steam and Co.

As a paying customer there is no "sound and correct" way to implement DRM for me (or rather: against me), because DRM deprives me of my right to use the product I bought in any (legal) way I see fit.
I'm only using Galaxy because I'm not forced to do it. It's a convenient tool, not a requirement. This slowly changes into "mostly" and I think it's a bad decision and a worrying development.

I'll not be outraged because of some stupid bonus t-shirt if the actual game is DRM-free, but it was advertised as a "GOG reward" not a "Galaxy reward". Didn't they tell us "GOG and Galaxy are separate things" when they integrated the DRM'd Epic store into Galaxy?
So a GOG reward should be redeemable on GOG, independently of whether uses the client or not. That means - offline installer, which I can get with any modern browser, LGOGDownloader or gogrepy.py - or even Galaxy.
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Ancient-Red-Dragon: In contrast, the new Galaxy is fast-becoming a full-on DRM client malware just like Steam is. In a year or two GOG will most likely drop the "DRM-free" pretense entirely from its website.
I've been hearing that for what, 5 years now? And while I'm certainly not happy about the CP-rewards thing (see above) and the NMS situation (where GOG is only in part to blame, if at all) and I don't like where this is leading, the constant hysteria and talk of impending doom will not make anyone take our worries seriously.

There has been crying wolf too often and too loud, and too often over nothing.
Post edited December 09, 2020 by toxicTom
Posted December 09, 2020
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ChristophWr: First of all it will always be optional
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ariaspi: I don't see that as being optional (see attachment). https://www.cyberpunk.net/en/goodies

Also No Man's Sky is in a similar situation.
DRM isn't what you should be concerned about as much as the fact that you no longer buy games as products, but instead purchase licenses to use a service. Basically, with the license model, you are giving people like Steam money for absolutely nothing, because you never buy a specific product you have total ownership over. DRM is not as big of an issue as this.
Posted December 09, 2020
Throwing Mohawk's Offworld Trading Company into the mix and for good measure Grim Dawn as well.

Let me start with Grim Dawn first. This game offers an online multiplayer mode but you are also able to host/join LAN games.

Next let me turn to Offworld Trading Company. It also features both an online multiplayer mode as well as two Single Player ONLINE modes.

What do both games and probably others I don't know even doing this have in common? You need to log-in to Galaxy in order to join a multiplayer game. This is Grim Dawn. And then there is Offworld Trading Company which takes it a step further. I highlighted the fact that two of the modes it offers called Daily Challenge and Infinite Map Challenge are also only accessible if you log into your account using Galaxy.

Now let me change OP's question if only a little: Can GoG be used as DRM tool?

If we hold that Galaxy is only just a shop which is true and convenient way to access your library which is also true while it does not offer cheat, bot, hack, exploit protection, when there is no match-making and other things usually found or could be expected in a real game client - how would you explain to a newbie customer if they ask why there's still a need to use it and what that use is?

Grim Dawn to use this as example came with a physical copy way back when it was released I still got it. I also own the GOG version which I purchased some time ago. Now, with my physical copy? Guess what. I can join a multiplayer session no problem what so ever. With GoG's version I would need Galaxy.

Does this really make sense? What has changed in the meantime within the game that all of a sudden I would need Galaxy if I wish to play online?

What's more is why should I use galaxy to access something that's advertised or could be considered being a Single Player Challenge? An active internet connection is necessary to play both these modes in Offworld Trading Company to access that content from within the game. Nevertheless the following question remains:

Does this make any sense? Once again I use OTC for my question because it asks to be allowed to access the internet when you start it. You either allow it or don't. And if you don't allow this initial connection the game will not start and says Game has crashed ....

What does this say about developers/publishers? Locking modes that would otherwise be available if you got the game from their own website for instance.

So if we hold that GoG isn't DRM but a shop and convenient way to access games, to have achievements and chat with friends, which - besides the achievement part - there isn't anything that the website doesn't offer including sharing thoughts, does it preclude the possibility to not also hold that Galaxy can be used as DRM tool for developers/publishers to lock content unless and until you use this or any other 3rd-party client - Steam for instance?

I would say both is true, it is a shop, library but also in some way a tool with the potential to withhold access to certain modes, or, *with reference to Cyberpunk, paid for goodies.

What remains is the question of multiplayer in relation to Galaxy. Why doesn't GoG provide a simple server.exe to incorporate it which connects to galaxy server, validates something or whatever it does, and all I as player would have to do is the simple step of downloading the game's installer from the website's library, install it, play on or offline? It would be the same thing just without a client that doesn't offer anything for multiplayer anyways.

So to reiterate my point about it being also a DRM tool or usable as such. If GoG were to provide a server.exe for use by developers, and if the only actual reason for necessitating use of Galaxy to validate that the game has actually been purchased which I suspect is the only real reason to enforce using the client to be able to log-in to multiplayer sessions ... or - OTC - Single Player Online content ... what else is this other than DRM?

I would also like to hear which other games that I don't know of need Galaxy to play online is there a list? UT 2004 and some others are playable without but do need a valid CD-key.

*paid for goodies - I guess I have to rephrase this: advertised free goodies which were used as an incentive among other things for you to preorder the game.
Post edited December 09, 2020 by Mori_Yuki
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General discussionIsn't galaxy, by itself, a form of DRM?(33 posts)(33 posts)
(33 posts)