Good question, with the invention of Windoze 8 Micro$oft has thrown yet another wrench into the works. I'm a PC/MAC user and I'm going to buy another copy of Windows until they stop officially supporting 7.

Help, I'm stuck in a time warp! It's 1995 again!

No. Microsoft just sucks ass. I been using MS software since the 80's and thus far they have only released 3 decent operating systems. Better?

Thank you bazilisek for putting it much more delicate than I would have.

I'm sure it will be noticable but it won't be much. However to be fair, it could be that some backers who have pledged already will also prefer a DRM free version. It's hard to find out until Obsidian publishes the numbers later. I would love to see the numbers but it probably won't happening.

Anyway even if the effect of DRM free is small, which I agree, it's extremely peculiar that evey big Kickstarter project started with Steam and ended up offering a DRM free version. They must see an advantage (although not from the beginning).

For me the question is, if the game really will be sooooo good. For a bad game I don't really care about the DRM.

The good thing is that I can still buy it after it comes out, because it will be on GOG.

Ruh roh, looks like publishers tried sneaking their hand into the cookie jar and got caught.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/09/19/obsidian-reportedly-approached-by-publishers-looking-to-exploit-their-kickstarter-success/

I think its no surprise that'd I'd say without a doubt EA had something to do with it.

It looks like they'll have to come up with new stretch goals in a couple weeks, or sooner.

Of course, on Kickstarter people from all over the world whom you have never seen and will never see give you millions of dollars instantly in exchange of a promise. This is almost as good as a free lunch. Everybody would like the have a bit of it. The miracle is that it actually works.

I know that obsidian does good games, but I cant understand why people donated more than 25 dollars. They don't give any helpful information about the game. We only know:

- Its made by obsidian.
- Its a fantasy game.

I think they'll probably make a good game but I'm not sure enough as to use my wallet to back that up.

You can just back it later after release, when the reviews are out. It will be made now anyway.

Yes, the advantage is marketing.

DRM free is nowadays mainly used as a marketing phrase (see also:[indie]). It's not like Obsidian wasn't aware of GOG or vice versa. So why not start of with the announcement of a DRM free version? It's not like Obsidian is a two man operation with no prior market experience.

But pulling nice little stunt like this keeps people talking about the project and gives them a new, positive place in the headlines. The timing was perfect, the initial joy and surprise for this Kickstarter was cooling down. Pledges were "saturated". At this point, the announcement of a DRM free version gave them a new little boost. As I said before, the "DRM free crowd" is loud and noisy and it is a smart move to use them for your marketing.

What GOG and Obsidian did was a stroke of genius, that is for sure.
Haters gonna hate ... And a jab at EA is always good to get some crowd approval.

Yeah, Ill do that. I learnt the hard way that you shouldn't bet on abstract projects with BG: EE.

I just wish it was going to be turn-based instead of RTwP...

Actually, the real danger posed by Kickstarter to publishers isn't a money drain, but a brain drain. Seeing as AAA games development is generally a pretty shitty and underpaid industry to work in, talented programmers and creative designers could leave big companies to star their own Kickstarter projects with their own indie companies. We've already seen it happen with Banner Saga, who's developers are former Bioware employees.

This won't "kill" the publishing model, but it may result in the really creative and passionate people who love video games leaving the big companies, meaning all that will be left in games divisions are management types, with most of the code and design outsourced to cheaply paid divisions. The AAA market would become even MORE uncreative, no one would end up designing games, instead games would be made by committee design based on the most mainstream/marketable concepts.