G-Doc: The original news post is not that detailed, so I suppose some further explanation is needed. Our aim was to give you - as always - best possible DRM-Free digital distribution platform, focused on the people who use it. We believe in freedom of choice and fair treatment for all. For that reason, as we're introducing local currency payments, we're following the simple truth that $1 does not equal 1€, in other words, that 1:1 currency exchange rate for digital goods prices make absolutely no sense and are not fair to the buyers.
For that reason, along with the local currency payment option, we're starting to use our own pricing scheme that brings the value of non-US Dollar prices as close to their actual equivalents as we can help it. A game with $5.99 price tag - for example - will cost 4.49 Euro, 3.69 Pounds Sterling, 6.49 Australian Dollars, and 219 Roubles respectively.
Now, this is not your standard approach to pricing - just like our DRM-Free policy is not a standard approach to digital goods ownership. We did our best - and so did all of our partners, to keep all of the games in our catalog and offer them in the pricing scheme we've figured out, that we think is fair to all of you guys. Unfortunately, some of our developer and publisher friends had other obligations that made it impossible to reach a common ground. So, despite our combined efforts, the only sensible thing left to do, was to withdraw the problematic titles from our offer for the time being.
We know this is quite a radical step, and we're sorry if this causes you any concern. We do hope, that we'll figure this out in the future and will be able to re-introduce all these games to the GOG.com offer. There's definitely the will to do that on both ours, and our partners' side. For the time being, they've been kind enough to offer you a last chance to get the games we're removing from sales with a nice discount, so they can remain in your collections regardless of their future fate on GOG.com.
I hope this puts things into proper perspective, and clears out at least most of your questions.
I joined GOG for the DRM-free, so I could truly own everything I bought. I don't care what I pay, as long as I'm paying the hard working people at GOG and publishers/developers who put these games on your digital shelves legally. You sell at what you need to sell at and just change the pricing of games as you strike agreements. Straight out removing the games is a huge, huge hit to your selection, and it doesn't leave a good feeling.
I'd rather pay a high price than no price.
Just bring them back sooner than later. This is very heart breaking news and it weigh's heavy on GOG's selection of titles, as they are losing one of their best current partners, Nordic, among some others, and you already lost the Fallouts last winter. Many of these games JUST got here, and others are GOG staples. And I really hope that the makers of Amnesia, and their next horror game coming out in 2015, makes it here.
I do NOT want to join steam or any other platform to play games I've wanted for years. I'd rather buy them here.
Don't become so wrapped up with keeping everything a certain way that it's not realistic. But also remember that there are many of us who will pay anything for our games, regardless of price point, as long as it's legit.
Work for fair bit by bit, but don't make it the ultimatum.
I just love how, coincidentally, most of those considerations come from people who live in the USA and never had to pay much more every time they bought a game for like i had to do for years. I couldn't care at all if they increased all the prices. If it was for me, they could raise all the prices now. I just don't see why i have to pay a price that is substantially higher than yours for the very same product, even considering VAT.
If you don't mind paying more, than convince all other GOG customers from US to pay an increased price and ask GOG to reprice all games with european prices, or the equivalent sum in dollars. Then watch all the people that are thumbing you up now run away from GOG to go buy those games on Steam sales instead.
I have no doubt you would agree to pay an increased sum, but the vast majority of people wouldn't. And before pointing fingers at people as if they were crybabies, remember that we ALREADY PAID increased prices for all games. FOR DECADES. Start adding 35% to all of your gaming purchases from now on and in 15 years you stll wouldn't have paid as much as me.
One of the reasons i joined GOG was, indeed, the fair pricing. I understand that you may not get how big an issue it is for many of us, but i assure you that for many people like me it's an issue no less important than the DRM thing, if not even MORE important.
