Leroux: I don't get why some of these guys focus on the refund period that much. Apparently they haven't really understood how GOG works, as opposed to Steam. If a customer really wanted to abuse a DRM-free system, they could do so within an hour. The play-time is irrelevant, and not trackable in the first place.
I agree...
... but...
I would argue that -- especially with a growing number of indies -- we're seeing what they feel is an attack on their most recent strategy -- releasing an absolutely bare-bones "base game," collecting money from sales meanwhile hinting at a roadmap that is really solely dependent on the number of "base game" sales.
Isn't that strategy the same as most games nowadays?
Not quite. Why? Because they know the "base game" is only a skeleton of an experience -- almost a proof of concept.
So, with that thinking / strategy...
Within 30 days a gamer has a high probability of figuring out a game they purchased is just a proof-of-concept and saying... well... this sucks... especially at full price. Refunded!
If these indie devs were providing full games on release, this 30 day policy would mean absolutely nothing. It's because the devs are playing a "long con" that 30 days hurts.
And I will again say... gamers want games and prefer to keep them. The game return / refund numbers are not high, but continually releasing bar-bones proof-of-concept games or straight unfinished games will push those numbers higher.
IMHO this all is a symptom of growing entitlement within the development community. They feel that gamers owe them sales... even when they provide unfinished work in a consumer-unfriendly strategy. Provide a good, full experience and gamers willingly pay.