How did Steam start off? It was required to launch Half Life 2. People didn't like it, but they bit their tongue and just went with it. Eventually, publishers saw Steam as a good platform to release their own titles. Eventually, like a snowball, Steam grew into a behemoth.

Even today, when Half Life 2 hype has long died down, we have CSGO, Dota 2, Team Fortress 2 - replayable multiplayer games not available anywhere else (unless you count ps3 versions literally no one plays). If you play these games a lot, you will obviously purchase other games from Steam, to keep your library in one place.

What does GOG have? Well, Diablo, Icewind Dale 2, the earlier parts of the Settlers, Warcraft 1 and 2... These are all very good games, and i love them, but they aren't enough to bring the mainstream user into the fold. They are old and most users have moved on from them. They ARE valuable, but they ain't exactly game changers, either. Maybe Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2 brought some more attention to the platform, and yet that still wasn't THAT much.

What GOG needs is a huge title that will draw audience.

They SHOULD have done that with Cyberpunk 2077. Sure, short term they might lose some sales, but long term it would be beneficial to CD Projekt (both Red and GOG)

What do you think

CDPR absolutely should have made Cyberpunk be a GOG exclusive. Many people, including myself, have said that years ago.

Although given the fact that the game turned out to be debacle, that might not have mattered much anyway in that scenario.

But in theory, if they had released Cyberpunk as a good game and made it be a GOG exclusive, then they would have vastly increased the profits of CDPR and GOG and GOG's market share, all at the same time.

It's too late for that now though.

There is zero incentive for any publisher of a new big game to make it be a GOG exclusive, especially since GOG takes a 30% cut (same as Steam...whilst having infinitely fewer customers than Steam).

So there is no foreseeable path for how GOG could possibly acquire exclusives of new games (meaning, not revived ancient games that most people don't care about any more) in the future; GOG probably doesn't have enough money to buy the exclusivity deals either, like EGS does.

I mean Steam was the only digital platform of its kind at the time, I think comparing the two starts the topic off a little slanted in all honesty. They built the best system, the most robust features and then added their own eco system. They led the way, and still do.

GOG have exclusive titles, it's just they never market them. Of course, they aren't big Triple A release, but still, a great collection of titles they either forgot or their marketing team are not aware of.

as for CP77 on GOG only, I don't think it would have been viable for them given the market it would have cut off in first month sales. They've dabbled with exclusives/timed exclusives (Thronebreaker, Project Warlock) of late but failed to really make much of a dent.

The tricky part is working a deal where 3rd party exclusives come into play, but it's hard to give the money that is needed in order for that to happen. Plus, they're going a different path with the storefront and gog 2.0. Which would end up being great for them, only time will tell though!

What they SHOULD do is acquire titles which while not as big, ie potentially popular new indie titles for at least exclusive periods.
People will bullshit and go out about how being fair to everyone but lets face it, gog IS still a business and needs ideas and ways to improve and grow the service. Exclusives is one way. Although when is the last time they had ANY exclusive tiles aside from the Witcher (timed) series and original D&D series (again timed for quite a longtime) ?
Im realistic.. no way will gog be able to compete for exclusive deals at the high end...

Steam didn't become popular because of Half Life 2. That game helped it get a foot in the door, but it was the overall quality and convenience of Steam compared to other PC gaming clients that propelled it's popularity.

Not sure how GOG could replicate that other than to keep improving the website and the Galaxy client.

Sure, having some exclusive games does help get people to try the service, but GOG has always had some exclusives since the beginning. It's not like they never tried this approach.

GOG already has some of the biggest games. Terraria, Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077, Horizon Zero Dawn, Vampire Bloodlines, Baldurs Gate 3. Other games can be compared to AAA such as Hellblade, The Surge, Darksiders III, Doom 3, Prey, Wolfenstein Old Blood, Fallout series, Metro 2033 series, Bioshock series, Deadspace, Mirrors Edge, Warhammer series, Disco Elysium

Coming soon: Vampire Bloodlines 2, Everspace 2, Biomutant

If you want more AAA on GOG, buy AAA on GOG.

What they could do is get more active in sorting out/solving copyright disputes or games that tied down do to multiple rights holders like No One Lives Forever 1 & 2.

I don't think it's a good idea if cyberpunk or witcher was gog only, not only business wise for them but also many gamers will be angry and just not buy it.

Why?

Maybe. But for instance, Blizzard keeps all their games to themselves (except for Diablo and Warcraft 1+2 on GOG, and the console stores) and they are doing quite well for themselves. He think many gamers are so used to Steam they will boycott anything else.


In fact, i remember being frustrated when i had to make a GOG account to play Gwent, back in 2017. But i was really inexperienced at the time.

I have always advocated for GOG to get exclusive stuff. For example, commissioning a port of Persona 4 Golden for a timed exclusivity deal. Unfortunately, GOG has historically been very lily-livered.

The store should be focused on six things to differentiate itself from Steam, in my opinion:

1 - DRM-free.

2 - Uncensored.

3 - Timed exclusives, preferably of ported console games. Those have a proven quality, therefore safe.

4 - All-in-one complete game packages, no missing content. Alpha Protocol and the newer Hitmen games, for example.

5 - Emulation & legal ROMs to go with it, with TLC patches if possible. EG: Lufia II + Spekkio Lufia, Policenauts translated, ect.

6 - TLC patching. Thief & System Shock with official NewDark distributions is something GOG should do more often.

Steam is an 800lb gorilla who is basically asleep at the wheel. Steam isn't going to be proactive about competing with smaller stores, which is an opportunity for the small fry to offer something unique. Unfortunately, GOG seems determined to become Steam, with...what exactly? If I want Steam, I go to Steam.

Gamersgate were selling it last year for about for 2 something but there weren't any discounts this year. They need a time machine to do it earlier.

Minor point of order, it was really TF2--and by extension Orange Box--that were the foundation of Steam.

But I agree that from a realpolitik standpoint having some exclusives is a good idea.

Steam and Battle.net became behemoths by three broad steps:

1. They make the whole buying/playing games experience quite pleasant and as frictionless as possible
2. They build a loyal community around it, making everything post-purchase focused on their site (i.e. community features)
3. They then exploit the shit of their community through microtransaction, auction house, community market, etc.

Big exclusives are maaaybe step 0.

Even with big exclusives, CDPR still has a long way to go. Just look at how they handled CP2077 refunds and look at *waves around* the state of this very community forum.

Like them or not, Steam just don't eventually become a good platform like it's just inevitably a matter of time; Lots of works by Valve behind the scene to achieve the steps I mentioned above.

Even if CDPR can do it, are you prepared for them to execute step 3 of their plan?