GOG's thing is making older games run on modern systems without needing any work, you just double click the installer and it's done, but if they don't include the many, many fixes on the patches (seriously I played v7.9 and it still crashed a couple of times) then their installer would flat out not work. Regardless of whether or not we can do it ourselves, it goes against the company's intended goal.

Besides, if making the game run falls on my shoulders then, outside of the DRM, there's almost no difference between this and Steam's version, and I don't think that's what people want.

The reason I want GOG to carry the game is so it finally exists a version that I can point at to my less computer-savvy friends and say: "That game is great" without needing to add a huge asterisk about all the work they'd have to do to make it great.

Yep only really needs the patch

I bought it on sale from Steam ages ago. I really like the game so I'd buy it again here to have it DRM-free.

Maybe GOG could get it if people voted it more? ;-p

Vote for it on the wishlist:

http://www.gog.com/wishlist/games/vampire_the_masquerade_bloodlines

It was? Guess I got lucky then - since I must've got it before it was pulled and can still download it

Yep.
well deserved luck, I would say.. ;p

Have the original of it, but I would love to buy a drm free patched copy, so voted for it.

I think DotEmu basically has the same mission. I also have this game from DotEmu, I haven't tried it yet though to confirm whether it has issues you mention, nor whether the fan patches work fine on it. Too bad DotEmu doesn't sell it anymore.

To give another DotEmu example though, the unofficial patch for Hardwar seemed to work fine on the DotEmu version. If that is of any indication.

I've played through the DotEmu version without any serious issues (I saw a pedestrian stand on a lamp post once, but that's about it). I'm pretty sure I applied the fan patch to it before playing though, so I can at least confirm that patching it worked.

This game is the one I am most looking forward for gog to release. This, and Lucas Arts's Star Wars games.

Wondering if it'll ever happen.

Not sure of other people's experiences, but on my system (64-bit Win 7) Bloodlines didn't even start when I loaded up shortcut, just gave me an error. I needed the Unofficial patch just to start it, no problems after that though.

GOG should try and get permission to use the Unofficial patch though, not only for technical reasons but the patch also fixes a whole tonne of bugs in the game, some of them game-breaking.

The main reason why the game is unlikely to ever come to GOG is that the rights holders don't seem all that interested in selling it (it was a huge flop at release because of all the bugs) and they seem to really like giving exclusive rights to one download service.

It was an exclusive on Direct2Drive until that service ended, then DotEmu managed to get it, and now it's been a Steam exclusive for a while. So I'd say the chances of it becoming available anywhere other than Steam are very low.

Eh, it's not a big problem, I doubt people are too cheery about giving money to Activision these days, especially with the original devs of the game completely gone.

I accidentally bought the game and then found out all the cash went to Activision. Keeps me up at night.