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General discussionGog Survey(400 posts)(400 posts)
(400 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted December 26, 2022
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surfer1260: Workshop mods for DRM-free games cannot be proprietary. The mods on gog would work for all DRM-free releases. Right now mods for games like Riot or Mini Metro are exclusive to Steam, and gog customers are left in the cold. THAT is unacceptable.
In theory a mod for a DRM-Free game can't be locked itself (as in if you dropped the files into a game folder it would work), but if a condition of download of a Galaxy Workshop mod is to check whether you have the game in your GOG account then for those who don't own the game here (but might own it on disc or elsewhere), it's no different to Steam 'unacceptably' gating off access via ownership checks. Likewise not all GOG customers use or want Galaxy so if it's Galaxy only then it's pushing yet more unwanted "2nd class citizen" within GOG 's own customer base, neither of which are a positive.
Posted December 26, 2022
I sense many a Good News in the coming year.

Ho.


Ho.



Ho.
Posted December 26, 2022
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surfer1260: - Workshop (this is absolutely mandatory if you want to attract more customers to the store)
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AB2012: It's 100% guaranteed that if GOG tried to introduce "GOG Workshop" they'll gate it behind Galaxy. Personally I think locking mods to 3rd party stores that played zero part in creating them has always been completely the wrong direction. Want Mod X? That's only on store A's workshop but not B or C and requires store A's variant of the game. Want Mod Y? That's only on store B's workshop but not A or C and requires store B's variant of the game. Want Mod Z? That's only on store C's workshop but not A or C and requires store C's variant of the game. What an absolute mess... That Valve took a huge 'walled garden dump' all over the formerly open, friendly, inclusive and platform neutral modding community under the guise of 'convenience' is no reason for GOG, Epic or anyone else to double down on it.

As for subscriptions for a "free access to a catalogue of games", that's simply not going to work for DRM-Free games as subscription based content by definition requires the store to deactivate access to content after the subscription ends, otherwise there's nothing to stop people subscribing for one day, grabbing the lot, backing them up then unsubscribing. So anyone who voted 'yes' for that basically is voting for GOG to become a DRM'd "Software as a Service provider"...
I feel a partnership with someone like Nexus Mods, having in built integration tools for both Galaxy and the website for Nexus mods would be a great way to give workshop functionality without locking it to GoG.

The subscription idea, I can't really see a way to give it added Value.
* Streaming. I'm not paying for the privilege of streaming from my own machine; And the ability to stream from a server, while fun and can be useful, requires a prohibitively expensive investment in infrastructure GoG can't really afford
* As AB2012 says, you can only do subscription access to a catalogue with DRM
* loyalty discount... sure I'd easily spend enough to recoup the cost... but its just tacky
* VIP Treatment. Not keen on a 2 tier system, and you'd just be a "blue tick" person

The only thing that I feel fits with what should be GoG's ethos is a "Supporters Subscription", like a Patron or "investor". The reward is keeping GoG going and growing. With the occasional "Insider" newsletter and such.
Posted December 26, 2022
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surfer1260: Right now mods for games like Riot or Mini Metro are exclusive to Steam, and gog customers are left in
the cold. THAT is unacceptable.
Blame the modders .
Posted December 26, 2022
Reading the questions mentioned here, I get the impression GOG want to 'evolve' into something other than what they are, but also really don't know what they want to be and are going through some "let's throw sh*t at the wall and see what sticks" phase at the moment. First some moderators were openly fantasising about seizing 20% of Steam's business by selling Epic Games via Galaxy (which ended up a one-sided flop as many in that thread predicted), and now they're thinking of "GOGpass Plus / GOG Play Pro" subscription services (which only work for MS / EA precisely because they slap DRM onto every subscription even for games that are available DRM-Free elsewhere, eg, Limbo).

Fewer "Great Ideas (tm)" and more refocussing on getting the basics right please...
Posted December 26, 2022
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Breja: I sense many a Good News in the coming year.

Ho.

Ho.

Ho.
Looks like they sent this letter intentionally when people are still in good mood after Christmas to push them through.
Posted December 26, 2022
I turned notifications off, turned them on just to fill this in, should i get one.
Posted December 26, 2022
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AB2012: but if a condition of download of a Galaxy Workshop mod is to check whether you have the game in your GOG account then for those who don't own the game here (but might own it on disc or elsewhere), it's no different to Steam 'unacceptably' gating off access via ownership checks.
This is the case already with DLCs here. The offline installers & Galaxy only install a DLC if they find
a registry entry for the base game. But firstly it's quite easy to fake such an entry, and secondly you
can extract the gog installer w/o problems by using Universal Extractor or innoextract.
Syrian Warfare is a good example why this is not the same as Steam's monopolistic approach.

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mechmouse: I feel a partnership with someone like Nexus Mods, having in built integration tools for both Galaxy and the website for Nexus mods would be a great way to give workshop functionality without locking it to GoG.
All I want is that the modifications for games sold on gog are also available for gog customers.
I don't care how this is done if it does work. The idea with nexusmods is good, at least better than
just cementing the status quo by not delivering a workshop or any alternative to a workshop.

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DD & Ji Ji: Blame the modders .
The developers of Syrian Warfare sell a commercial interface that enables Steam customers
to download and use the workshop mods. With other words: you have to pay in order to get
something that is free. I wouldn't primarily blame the modders for that.
Posted December 26, 2022
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surfer1260: - Workshop (this is absolutely mandatory if you want to attract more customers to the store)
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AB2012: As for subscriptions for a "free access to a catalogue of games", that's simply not going to work for DRM-Free games as subscription based content by definition requires the store to deactivate access to content after the subscription ends, otherwise there's nothing to stop people subscribing for one day, grabbing the lot, backing them up then unsubscribing. So anyone who voted 'yes' for that basically is voting for GOG to become a DRM'd "Software as a Service provider"...
It could work since prime give you GOG game's away with there subscription. I guess they figure you can make more money with subscription.
Posted December 26, 2022
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Breja: I sense many a Good News in the coming year.

Ho.

Ho.

Ho.
No kidding, from what questions I see here were included (I didn't get it).

That subscription thing may be tied to the eyes they keep on online-only games though (also see the recent interview), that'd be the less scary option.
But the question about importance of DRM free is something they'll exploit for their own interests however it goes. If it's an absolutely overwhelming response along the lines of it's of utmost importance, they'll play their card of being the store that does and has done the most for DRM free games, regardless of their continued weakening of the stance. If it's not, and by that I mean even if it's a clear majority, even something like 70, 75, maybe even 80%, they'll be able to say, look, quite a number of our users care for other factors more, so we should strike a balance and allow [enter next slip of the DRM principle here]. And if the survey was targeted to a significant number of users who just buy stuff, don't care for the principles, aren't from the "old guard" that was and likely still is here for the cause instead of just as customers of a business, then it may well be that the resulting importance will be even lower than that and will give them even more ammo for those (probably already planned) slips.
Posted December 26, 2022
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BrianSim: Fewer "Great Ideas (tm)" and more refocussing on getting the basics right please...
GOG's basics were "getting and selling old games running on modern computers" and "selling DRM Free games"

The first is a niche its pretty much fully exploited and out grown. It could only survive on that by massively downscaling

The Latter is wholly dependant on being large enough and with a significant and dedicated user base that ensures Devs and pubs are willing to risk the additional cost and effort of untying themselves from the dominant service (Steam).

The arrival of Epic has, as feared, took a chunk out of GoG. Many devs/pubs are using Epic as their "alternative" to Steam.

GOG needs great ideas, it needs to be able regain some of its market share and retain it, otherwise its not going to be able to survive.
Posted December 26, 2022
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BrianSim: Fewer "Great Ideas (tm)" and more refocussing on getting the basics right please...
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mechmouse: GOG's basics were "getting and selling old games running on modern computers" and "selling DRM Free games"

The first is a niche its pretty much fully exploited and out grown. It could only survive on that by massively downscaling

The Latter is wholly dependant on being large enough and with a significant and dedicated user base that ensures Devs and pubs are willing to risk the additional cost and effort of untying themselves from the dominant service (Steam).

The arrival of Epic has, as feared, took a chunk out of GoG. Many devs/pubs are using Epic as their "alternative" to Steam.

GOG needs great ideas, it needs to be able regain some of its market share and retain it, otherwise its not going to be able to survive.
It's sad but what you said is true. They can add stuff like subscription but keep our offline installers coming and DRM free.
Posted December 26, 2022
high rated
I completed the survey. Couldn't hard to state countless times how much I value offiline, single-player games. ;)
Posted December 26, 2022
Survey says: more DRM and DRM-like schemes coming here in the near future, surely with plenty of fanboy apologia about how it's not reeaaallly a DRM, "it's a Reward." If they are really asking how important is DRM-free, they've lost the plot completely. I guess we do have the odd Skyrim here or there to look forward to but I've made a conscious effort that if a desired game is available at a smaller, purely DRM-free store, to buy it there instead of here. No more funding Galaxy and CDPR (I don't want to support your dream of becoming a Rockstar) if I can help it.
Posted December 26, 2022
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rjbuffchix: Survey says: more DRM and DRM-like schemes coming here in the near future, surely with plenty of fanboy apologia about how it's not reeaaallly a DRM, "it's a Reward." If they are really asking how important is DRM-free, they've lost the plot completely. I guess we do have the odd Skyrim here or there to look forward to but I've made a conscious effort that if a desired game is available at a smaller, purely DRM-free store, to buy it there instead of here. No more funding Galaxy and CDPR (I don't want to support your dream of becoming a Rockstar) if I can help it.
Nobody would use gog anymore if drm games would land here
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionGog Survey(400 posts)(400 posts)
(400 posts)