andrejg: fyi: the new and "improved" prices already include vat. if you calculate that in the old prices the increase isn't that much.
I beg to differ.
Comparison in Poland, gram.pl store (pretty much the same guys as the gog team). Just some random games.
Left 4 Dead:
Steam: 44,99€ (184 PLN)
Gram.pl: 120 PLN
GTA 4:
Steam: 49,99€ (205 PLN)
Gram.pl: 139,90 PLN
Call of Duty: WaW:
Steam 49,99€ (205 PLN)
Gram.pl: 119,90 PLN
Far Cry 2:
Steam: 49,99€ (205 PLN)
Gram.pl:
79,90 PLN -
that is MORE THAN TWO times cheaper! And all of those games on Gram.pl are with the box, manual etc; I have a guarantee they will replace any broken CDs for as long as I have the game; I can sell it used via their store, I don't have to pay for delivery (I live in Warsaw - they have a store there), and with EACH additional buy I get some amount of "virtual money", so that next games bought will be even cheaper than that.
So - what can Steam offer me? Insanely overpriced games, DRM, and I have to be online to play them. If Steam goes bankrupt one day I can say goodbye to the whole collection. Does that sound like a good deal to you?