BKGaming: Read what I posted above, clearly says GOG Galaxy is not needed only a game account which is used for the online component.

Martek: Ok, so GOG Galaxy is not needed to redeem the Treasure Key. But going online is required to redeem it, right? That's DRM. Just like when any other online service pulls the plug on a feature; GOG could decide in maybe three years that "every service has a life cycle, and it is time to focus our resources on other projects" (quote from linked article) and take away the ability to redeem the key. That IS DRM.

Now, the fact that you can (as you point out in your post) get the same items in game and this "treasure key" isn't the only way to get them - that "waters down" and "dilutes" the DRM - but it's still DRM. And the watering-down qualifies it as a slip down the slippery slope.

That is how they creep it in - in little steps like this.

JamesBond007: I don't have plans for purchasing this game, but I have a question - are there any exclusive itsms in this "Treasure Key" or everything can be obtained normally, even if that would be difficult? It the latter is true, then there is nothing to worry about.

011284mm: I assume you feel this is all a little blown out of proportions, if not I am sorry for misunderstanding your four word response.

While this all may seem like a trivial matter. Right now people have reasons to be concerned about some of GOG's decisions.
Many people want GOG to remain DRM-free, completely DRM-free. That means not having to authenticate ourselves in anyway once we have downloaded the games installer from the site, nor having to connect to the internet to make the game run in any way shape or form.
If the game asks in anyway, if that be for; online authentication, runtime update, server side DLC, or anything else. People have a right to be concerned about the idea. We have the right to be concerned and in reality any gamer who wants to play games years into the future should be concerned. As this sort of activity leaves your game at the hands of the developers/publishers/sales agents.

People including myself are worried about a slippery-slope into completely DRMed games getting onto GOG. Either via malice or lack of focus.
So when a game has an account log in for single player, a server authentication or server side DLC it pushes peoples buttons.
When GOG starts selling any game that has any form of DRM such as need for a publishers account or a server side authentication then they are treading worrying ground.
We have already had a huge problem with Defcon where the game was checking in with a server EVERY time it ran. Which was a problem as the server had banned the general key GOG had the game start up with. This was then expanded upon by a GOG staff member honestly admitting that they knew about it. Yet instead of forcing the developer make a copy truly DRM-free they had just accepted a work around that had the major flaw of your game being turned into a demo copy if you were playing whilst connected to the internet.

So from general gaming point of view this is a very small, first world problem. From a gamer point of view this really is a problem for the long-term. Especially for whether GOG gets our wallets vote.

EDIT:: For clarity, the problem with Defcon should now have been fixed as the developer has released an updated version that installs with a separate launcher for a copy that does not look for the servers authentication.