XD ssssssssure https://tinyurl.com/y9ob7pjc

(My apologies for responding so lately, but I had a few thoughts just recently.)

I very much like the idea of a timed GOG exclusive game, especially a very popular one. Unfortunately I am a bit worried that (at least at this point) it might not be as feasible as it should.
First, game companies seem very much concerned with the momentum created by publicity such as a game's release. A GOG only initial release would translate into some increased GOG sales. And would likely translate into a larger amount of decreased Steam sales. My suspicion is that at this point in time, CD Projekt Red would consider the loss of revenue too large to be justifiable.
Second, that the distribution deals, including the release dates, may have already been signed.
Third, Valve as the proverbial 800 Lb gorilla of game distribution is likely to wish to maintain its hegemony. As such I would tend to expect they implement policies to try to maintain it. No doubt all legal. Such as policies that would punish in some way games that are released on other platforms before Steam. Being locked out of Steam for a longer time that CD Projekt Red would prefer, less promotion of the game, etc.

My thought was that instead (barring a Steam policy contraindicating it) CD Projekt Red could instead have some sort of GOG-exclusive for content. Items, locations, characters not available on non-GOG platforms. Not exactly as good as an exclusive release, but would still encourage people to buy the GOG version.

Though hopefully I am worrying about nothing, and it might a timed exclusive after all.

Why are you here then, when you're apparently so against GoG and what they're doing? It shouldn't make any difference to you then. Thing is it already had an effect. The vast majority of gamers are against DRM instead of being indifferent to it. Take a look at the thriving indie market mostly DRM free. Wouldn't be the case if they all employed DRM. I'd say we are on the right course just like when most music had DRM and the snowflakes were saying nobody would have an effect.

I think when it comes to DRM-free, it is GOG's responsibility to convince other companies that the practice is sustainable. That is one of the reasons why I advocate the commissioned porting of console games: They don't yet occupy the PC market, their audience and quality is established, and it is a way to contest Steam.

By taking on the risk of a DRM-free release, GOG would demonstrate confidence on the matter.

That is kind of what Steam has done with Half Life 2. Online activations appeared before but usually to the companies loss. HL2 was the "accepted" ground zero for online DRM and got the masses to make a steam account.

CDPR & GoG "merely" need to have the next Half Life (popularity wise) with CP2077. Right now I do not see that happening. It will most likely be a really popular seller and some kind of gaming milestone. But I do not think they have the solid grab on their core audience and beyond that HL2 had back then to pull off an gog exclusive start and hope for a HL2 effect.

So essentially it could be done. But... CDPR really need to get their shit together so to speak for that happening and with the current course... well.. they might need to wait for their next title for such an attempt.

“'It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future'” Yogi Berra

I haven't really been following Cyberpunk 2077, so I can't say anything about how popular it's going to be. Which was why I referred to a timed exclusive of a very popular game being useful, by which I meant to say that if the game was popular enough to work to the degree that you point out as being necessary, not that I had the slightest idea if it was going to be popular to that degree. Should've phrased it a bit better.

And to add to what you've said, I believe that there is a principle along the lines that a new entry into a market, an ecosystem, will more easily expand and grow in a more empty one than it would in a more filled one. Given the number of games that are being made every year now, as opposed to when Half-life 2 was released, and digital distribution nowadays allowing a larger back catalog to sell against as opposed to limited store shelves at the time of Half-Life 2, I suspect you're right.
That Cyberpunk 2077 will likely not have quite the same impact as Half-Life 2.
Though perhaps I will be wrong.

With the benefit of hindsight, I do wonder if Witcher 3 might have done a better job as an exclusive.
Though the problem with hypotheticals is that they could so easily go so many different ways. Witcher 3 could easily have ended up with a much diminished impact on the market when a large amount of Steam fans chose to ignore it, rather than buy it DRM-free. Reviewers ignoring or panning it for not being on Steam, instead of rating it Game of The Year.

I asked them to add Zoom Platform and Fireflower Games on principle via eMail when this thing appeared, not expecting much.
They weren't added of course.

This is just an dishonest promo campaign probably decided on in some shareholder's meeting.
Although GOG clearly has its merits and is still my primary store, the other two stores are actually more DRM-free than GOG since GOG has implemented DRM into many multi-player games via Galaxy since it checks accounts and ownership so that you can't play those games in MP with your siblings without buying another copy for the same household for example.

Eitherway, making such a site and then making it look like GOG is the only DRM-free gaming store out there is just outright lying.
Yet another disappointment.

According to some pages back in this thread Zoom probably would have requested to be taken off the list since they have some kind of thing going on between them and GoG. I do guess that they cannot just put other up with the campaign (at least one with such wording) without asking. But I do not think the other two stores where asked and if the postings here are to be believed Fireflowers request to be added to the campaign even actively ignored.

This is my take on it as well. Half Life is what put Valve and Steam on the map. Going Origin exclusive didn't work so well for EA publicity wise but they must have derived some benefits from it. There has to be an incentive money wise for CDPR to go with their own store over Steam. Cyberpunk 2077 would need to be the next "you have to play this game" for it to be an exclusive. Right now even with the pre-release hype I don't know if that will be the case.

So again why are you here when you see everyone here as suckers? Seems more like you are the snowflake here. The majority of gamers have simply accepted DRM as something with no alternative. But you're just not seeing all those who are against it. A big part of the gaming community has already jumped ship to consoles and I continually have to hear from console fanboys how they don't have to even consider DRM. DRM is the single biggest factor harming the PC gaming market.

You're conveniently ignoring all the crap that came from big game studios while not seeing all the good titles that came from indie studios. If we want to talk about jokes what about Microsoft that got laughed back to their boardroom when they wanted to introduce DRM forcing them to do a quick u-turn?

Denuvo claims that Bethesda dropped it because it did the job. Yeah right pull the other one, it has bells. Never heard of DRM that got dropped because it works. The reality is that Doom 4 had some of the worst initial sales to date with frequent 50-75% discounts and gfx card manufacturers bundling it for free. Yeah Denuvo "worked", in chasing away legitimate customers. They dropped it when it came to light that Denuvo illegally included software in their product and it was flagged as malware. How's that for irony?

Yeah, I can count those titles on one fucking hand. Wanna know how many garbage titles your pwecious indies are pumping out on daily basis? Because lemme tell ya, it's a lot of fucking trash. As for me, I mostly get shit that Steam doesn't have, not because I believe GOG Anti-DRM policy BS.

If someone's interested the 18th September will be the International Day Against DRM:
https://www.defectivebydesign.org/dayagainstdrm?pk_campaign=idad2018&pk_kwd=2wks

Also if anyone's interested, asked if there was any update from Fireflower, just got "It didn't bounce this time but they haven't replied."

ok. anyone noticed that the website is down? did EU ban it or did my ISP do that?