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General discussionGetting back to our roots(1418 posts)(1418 posts)
(1418 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted March 11, 2014
Hey, GOGgers,

We're not perfect, we're exploring new frontiers, and we make mistakes. We thought DRM-Free was so important that you'd prefer we bring you more DRM-Free games and Fair Price was less critical and that it could be sacrificed in some cases. The last two week's worth of comments in our forums (nearly 10k!), show that's not the case. We didn’t listen and we let you down. We shouldn't sacrifice one of our core values in an attempt to advance another. We feel bad about that, and we're sorry. Us being sorry is not of much use to you, so let’s talk about how we will fix it.

One: DRM-free forever. Abandoning fixed regional pricing means it will probably take longer to get some games, but you've made it clear that sacrificing fair pricing for more DRM-free games isn't acceptable.

Two: We will adamantly continue to fight for games with flat worldwide pricing. If that fails and we are required to have regional prices, we will make up the difference for you out of our own pockets. For now it will be with $5.99 and $9.99 game codes. In a couple of months, once we have such functionality implemented, we will give you store credit instead, which then you will be able to use towards any purchase and cover the price of it in full or partially. Effectively gamers from all around the world will be able to benefit from the US prices.

This will apply to every single game where we do not have flat pricing, such as Age of Wonders 3 (full details here), Divinity: Original Sin, and The Witcher 3. If you remember the Fair Price Package for The Witcher 2, this will be exactly the same.

Three: We still intend to introduce the pricing in local currencies. Let us explain why we want to do it and how we want to make it fair for everyone. From the very beginning our intention was to make things easier for users whose credit cards/payment systems are not natively in USD. The advantages are simple because the price is more understandable and easier to relate to. There would be no exchange rates involved, no transaction fees, and no other hidden charges. However after reading your comments, we realized we have taken an important element away: the choice. In order to fix this, we'll offer the option of paying in the local currency or the equivalent in USD. This way, how you pay is always your choice.

Four: You are what matters, and we will be sure to involve you all more in what we're doing and why we're doing it. Let's start by meeting you at GDC - we’d like to invite you to meet us face-to-face Monday the 17th at GDC. Obviously, not all of you can come to San Francisco, so we want to invite all of you to an online event with us early in April to ask us whatever you would like. More details soon.

The bottom line is simple: there may be companies that won't work with us (although we will work hard to convince the most stubborn ones ;). Yes, it means we might miss out on some games, but at the same time GOG.com will remain true to its values and will keep on offering you the best of DRM-free gaming with Fair Prices.

Once again thank you for caring so much about GOG.com. We will work hard not to disappoint you again.

--Marcin "iWi" Iwinski & Guillaume "TheFrenchMonk" Rambourg
Posted March 11, 2014
Wow. Just saw this. This is very good news to my friends who were affected by this (such as those from New Zealand possibly).

It wasn't a huge issue for me but I think it is good that gog stick to two core principals - no DRM and no regional pricing. They seem to be important.

It is a shame that gog has to bear the cost of providing the credits but it is very generous of gog to do so. I hope customers reward gog accordingly.
Posted March 11, 2014
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TheEnigmaticT: Once we accept more than one currency--which is still a few weeks off--you'll be able to select USD or local currency for any transaction.
Does this mean games will be available in Canada with CAD pricing also? I'm curious to compare what I pay for games in USD now is more expensive, less expensive or about the same in Canadian funds after exchange rate etc. on my credit card compared to what GOG might offer up in CAD. Doesn't matter a lot to me, but it'd be nice to know either way.
Posted March 11, 2014
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JudasIscariot: This double question?

"Does that mean the equivalent price point? e.g. a choice between €4.49 or $5.99 for those in the Eurozone

Or does it mean the equivalent value in USD? e.g. a choice between €4.49 and $6.22 (which is €4.49 in USD at the current exchange rate)"

I believe this is an either-or scenario where you can choose to pay the EQUIVALENT in a given currency. So say a game costs $5.99, you can either pay the USD as always OR you can choose to pay the equivalent of $5.99 in GBP :) Feel free to correct me if I am wrong :)
The reason this is asked again and again is that the wording suggest that it's the other way around:
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GOG.com: snip

the option of paying in the local currency or the equivalent in USD. This way, how you pay is always your choice.

snip
It reads just like the billing is done for Age of Wonders 3.

I'd like a clear, official answer on this one, please.
Posted March 11, 2014
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Gonchi: My reading comprehension must suck, or I'm just a cynical bastard that's over-analyzing certain phrases, but I don't see how anything has actually changed. People seem happy though, so whatever.
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HypersomniacLive: Don't feel bad, you're not alone.

The only thing that seems to have actually changed is the introduction of store credit as compensation for new regionally priced games and until then, a free choice of games up to the price difference between the USD and EUR/GBP price points.

But yeah, most people seem happy.
Yeah, in other words, more/better "bribes"? (some people used that expression in the other thread before)
There's also the change in tone from "Regional pricing is an unfortunate reality, we'll use it where we must" to "We will fight as long as possible for a flat price, but use regional when we must". Probably meaning they won't accept it for something like Age of Wonders in the future anymore, but will for absolute "must-haves" if needed be?

Didn't expect this would be enough for folks (since the arguments were often more about "principles" and all that and not necessarily the price itself), but it is a mighty generous (and good image-wise) move and acceptable middle-ground for most apparently, so glad it managed to calm the fire (can't get that silly song out of my head lately).
Post edited March 11, 2014 by MoP
Posted March 11, 2014
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adamhm: Regional pricing would make it more likely that GOG would be able to convince some of the big publishers to try going DRM-free, and if a publisher/developer decides early on to release a DRM-free version of their game then it's not such a big deal to develop their game to work fully without Steam. On the other hand, if a game is planned to be Steam-only then naturally they'll take full advantage of Steam for things like multiplayer in order to reduce development costs & it will be highly unlikely that any future DRM-free release of said game will have those features intact - and that's *if* a DRM-free release happens at all.
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HypersomniacLive: I still don't follow - how would promising regional pricing reduce development costs?
What I'm trying to say is that by allowing regional pricing for new titles GOG would be a lot more likely to get big titles released here at launch and that this would result in fewer games being permanently tied into Steam.

The vast majority of big titles these days make full use of Steamworks which makes it very unlikely they'll ever be released DRM-free and even if they do end up eventually being released DRM-free, they'll most likely be missing features such as multiplayer because the developers used Steamworks for them in order to reduce costs (why would a developer go to the effort and expense of developing/using a system independent of Steam if their game is only planned for release on Steam?).
Posted March 11, 2014
It's not an ideal solution (I would still rather it not exist here at all), but it's at least a step towards listening to your users. I guess that should be commended at least.
Post edited March 11, 2014 by lmc2002
Posted March 11, 2014
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JudasIscariot: All I can say is wait and see, I guarantee the results will be interesting, in a good way :)
You keep saying things like that, and I have no idea whether to feel excited, afraid or just confused. :P

What's the deal with GOG always being so... secretive about any new game releases or website and service changes?

( Then again, anything you guys say seems to cause a shitstorm, so maybe it's best to keep any statements as vague as possible. :x )
Posted March 11, 2014
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CharlesGrey: Ehh -- Meme police. :P

TAKE OFF ZIG FOR GREAT JUSTICE!
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JudasIscariot: MAKE YOUR TIME!
"HA HA HA (HA) ...."

+1 to you two [despite the fact the blue one seems to need no Reputation ;)]
Posted March 11, 2014
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JudasIscariot: This double question?

"Does that mean the equivalent price point? e.g. a choice between €4.49 or $5.99 for those in the Eurozone

Or does it mean the equivalent value in USD? e.g. a choice between €4.49 and $6.22 (which is €4.49 in USD at the current exchange rate)"

I believe this is an either-or scenario where you can choose to pay the EQUIVALENT in a given currency. So say a game costs $5.99, you can either pay the USD as always OR you can choose to pay the equivalent of $5.99 in GBP :) Feel free to correct me if I am wrong :)
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HypersomniacLive: The reason this is asked again and again is that the wording suggest that it's the other way around:
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GOG.com: snip

the option of paying in the local currency or the equivalent in USD. This way, how you pay is always your choice.

snip
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HypersomniacLive: It reads just like the billing is done for Age of Wonders 3.

I'd like a clear, official answer on this one, please.
I'll quote TET on this one as I think he provided the answer you are seeking earlier:

http://www.gog.com/forum/general/getting_back_to_our_roots/post430

Key words in his statement: any transaction.
Posted March 11, 2014
It's another surprise!

Seems like we have another form of dooms day for GOG posts (mixed with the happy posts) here as well. Instead of "DRM is coming! DRM is coming!", now it is "no new games are coming!" On that front, I will take the stance I had taken with the previous announcement of waiting and seeing.

Glad we have a happy community (for the most part) again. Hopefully things now will begin to normalize a bit.
Posted March 11, 2014
I am with Gog all the way, until I see that DRM thing. They are the best thing to happen to pc gaming. Freedom to consumers that they have been able to supply is all I care about.
Posted March 11, 2014
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JudasIscariot: All I can say is wait and see, I guarantee the results will be interesting, in a good way :)
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CharlesGrey: You keep saying things like that, and I have no idea whether to feel excited, afraid or just confused. :P

What's the deal with GOG always being so... secretive about any new game releases or website and service changes?

( Then again, anything you guys say seems to cause a shitstorm, so maybe it's best to keep any statements as vague as possible. :x )
Because if I or anyone else at GOG reveal something too early, bad things could happen :)
Posted March 11, 2014
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JudasIscariot: I believe this is an either-or scenario where you can choose to pay the EQUIVALENT in a given currency. So say a game costs $5.99, you can either pay the USD as always OR you can choose to pay the equivalent of $5.99 in GBP :) Feel free to correct me if I am wrong :)
If so, it'd be the perfect way to do it, turning that particular part of the snafu into a truly great improvement.

Otherwise, about the games with regional pricing and the full compensation, thinking I'll have a long post to write tomorrow once I settle it all in my mind, but quick thought now, use it as leverage by creating public image. Name and shame, like you did for Capcom and Take Two in that presentation, those who won't work with you because you won't take regional pricing, but also name and praise.
If you get a new(er) game that has an EU and/or AUS retail release with a distribution deal, so regional pricing would be enforced by that, but the publisher somehow works it out to allow you to get a flat price on here, mention it, give that game a badge, something. Also, if said publisher is caught by existing contracts (or even by legislation, if that happens) and forced into regional pricing through no will of their own, but agrees to fully make up for the difference, as in accepting to only take what they'd have taken based on NA price even for EU and AUS sales and therefore allowing you give the customers the full return of the difference without needing to eat any of that loss, also mention that. And may also mention those that make up for a part of the difference when caught in such contracts, though less proeminently and obviously there will need to be a minimum amount for it to count.

You saw you have a vocal and determined community, and now you have given yourself some room to maneuver by the new announcement. Use both to create the change you (and we) wish to see :)
Posted March 11, 2014
Assuming this means that (for the vast majority except for a few special exceptions to allow GoG to sell some high profile new releases) a game that costs someone in the US US$5.99 will also cost everyone else US$5.99 (or even US$5.99 + exact local taxes, as I can understand that), this announcement makes me very happy.

We're a global economy, and GoG is a single point of sale. They should be charging everyone the same base price and arguing the same from their "suppliers" (I'm not actually sure what you call a supplier in the case of digital distribution, as they're not supplying GoG with any actual physical goods to sell).

I'm optimistic, but await to see if I'm correct in my understanding of the announcement.

Assuming, once again, that I am - thank you GoG for listening to your customers. "One World, One Price" is something I personally feel is important enough to want to join with other customers in supporting a retailer that can push for it. When it looked like you were abandoning that principle, I felt one of my major ways of voting with my wallet was being closed to me. Keeping that option available so we can collectively put pressure on publishers to stop gouging individual countries for what they feel they can get as opposed to deciding on a single fair price for everyone shows you're really listening to what we want.
Post edited March 11, 2014 by mthomason
Posted March 11, 2014
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Senteria: Thank you so much for this and listening to the community.
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F4LL0UT: The same community that after all of this will return to bitching about the absence of certain games on GOG that might have come here if they hadn't bitched about regional pricing.
What new games? Almost every major AAA game is tied to some DRM either steamworks, origin, rockstar SC, uplay or whatever the fuck there is... You think they'll all drop all their secure monopoly control for a platform that is for the most part not very known, just couse they can sell it for the same price? Oops no, correction, for a price that is 30%+ more than what it's supposed to be just because - where no sane (european) person would choose to buy if he's not feeling like donating to the gaming industry some bonus cash... if we wait for the 75% sale i don't see their initiative to bother.

Besides from what i read they can still choose regional pricing and be here, we just get compensated... witch is a win-win. If they don't agree they can go fuck themselfs witch their rip-off schematics.
Post edited March 11, 2014 by nadenitza
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionGetting back to our roots(1418 posts)(1418 posts)
(1418 posts)