I read Catpower's link and apologize in advance for not ignoring Singh. I found it interesting to compare the approach of Jeff Vogel as linked by Catpower (couple quotes below) and the above post by him which is completely dismissive of people's fears (and I'm being charitable).

But I don’t want to be blasé about it. For a small business, a loss of 5% of sales can sometimes be a catastrophe. Changes are scary, especially changes that cost you money.

Yet I understand. I really do see why they freaked out, and I sympathize. I’m in the same boat. Indie games are different from the big AAA product, and it’s worth asking how the change will affect us.

This dear friends, is what puts the lie to some social activists' good intentions: whenever they smell fear, instead of being kind and inclusive, they kick you.

Others can call my attitude as "othering" or "confrontational". Still this is transparent hypocrisy to me... Tolerance and understanding becomes taboo, you're either with us or against us becomes the rule and ostracism as well personal attacks are immediate at the slightest deviation from what they think ought to be normal.

Tragic. In this instance the core of arguments Singh is making about consumer rights and democratic consumer power are valid, and in fact very similar to the points Jeff Vogel is making. But the tone and the messenger do matter...

Anyway, big thanks to Jefe again for putting the data out there. Glasnost of facts empowers us.

1-2% refund rate is probably okay, I would say too. Customers are not as mean as they could be.

Well, this is then a real advantage of Steam over GOG. At GOG you have to buy as based on what you read, on Steam you can actually test the game, which is quite a big convenience.

Well played, Steam.

I admit to still being rather confused at how evil I apparently am in his eyes... :P

Glad to see the refund stats working in your favor and all the best for even more success with The Music Machine then the impressive sales of The Moon Sliver.

Jeff Vogel's musings on the refund policy was a very interesting read as I had no idea he already had a refund system on his store for all the Spiderweb games. It just reinforces the fact that trusting the customers and treating them fairly will definitely be rewarded with long term business especially if you're catering to a niche consumer base.

A pity GOG cannot do the same.

Do you mean in terms of the refund policy? since GOG's entire business model of DRM Free is inherently based on trusting the customers not to abuse the offline installers they provide for the games.

Yes in terms of a two hour testing, refund if not liked, policy. GOG's entire business model of DRM free is centered on keeping the installers free. That means they can never do anything that for example depends on a certain time. A testing period is simply not possible.

Oh well, it would be actually possible. One could conceive a DRM that lasts only two hours and self destroys after that period. But I guess GOG is too slow to introduce such a thing within the next five years and anyway customers would not understand it anyway. For them there is either DRM or there isn't.

So Steam offers a good service here that GOG will most probably never be able to match. Steam shows trust that customers only need to pay for games they really like and everyone can find out by himself by just playing the game. Direct testing is the best way of estimating the quality of something. So in a way Steam found the optimum here, I guess. I admire their move.

Well as you said a refund policy based on play time duration is only possible through a DRMed platform like Steam and such a policy is simply not feasible with DRM Free games. Though GOG has to be given credit for having a very reasonable refund policy in the first place without any coercion.

From the customers perspective when they buy a game their main priority is to ensure that it works on their system and in that regard GOG's policy is more then adequate. But they certainly do need to be more accommodating when it comes to the broader definition of a game being playable on a customer's system instead of denying them a refund simply because it runs, without taking into consideration whether they are really satisfied with the performance or not.

But lets not forget that it took many years and a lot of arm twisting from countries that have better consumer rights protection laws as in the past it has been an absolute nightmare to get even a one time refund from Steam. I do agree that they certainly didn't have to make it a no questions asked refund policy, also where they truly went above and beyond was the option to refund a game if it goes on sale soon after purchase which would not be considered an abuse of the system. Now that is something that GOG most certainly can not compete against with their current refund policy.

I agree: Shouldn't you be milking a new thread for attention? Perhaps about unfair reviews for your after school projects or the next bit of reactionary zealotry for #GG news.

Well, suit yourself. Your loss. I'm actually quite a nice person to be friends with, if I do say so myself :)

I'm long out of school, thank goodness. College and I never got along. I'm a full time game developer at the moment.




Here, maybe this will cheer you up: http://www.gog.com/forum/general/milking_a_thread_for_attention

If people want to game the refund system there are already easier ways out there than pulling your money out and go through hoops to refund it back, ways that does not involve money at all.

99% people who put up money are honest customer who want to pay the game. The paranoid of people gaming the refund system is much like the paranoid of the need for DRM. DRM can only work on the honest person.

I have to agree with xSinghx here.

jefequeso is just milking this thread so that more people buy his walking simulator for a short game.

Nah, there's way more effective ways to get people to buy my games than milking a thread on GOG.

Thread was dead since two days, Singh just had to have the last word of indignation. Who is milking what?

Also jefe, my guess was right. You posted a certain taboo thread. You're therefore persona non grata. Guilty of thoughtcrime!