Keep away from steam, at least on this one, really! GoG is cheaper. It gives out digitally ALL collector edition extras (well, obviously only those that can be given out digitally, not real items like the medallion). So, essentially, the GoG version is effectively, a digital collector's edition. The hardware, physical collector edition, is at 139 euros here at my place. While the GoG is at 43 only. Plus the refund in the future. Yes, that's right! GoG, upon release, will give us out a small refund (probably to tempt us grab another small game)! Also, at gog's, you can get exclusive bonuses, like the 4 extra soundtrack parts. Or the witcher adventure beta keys, among other things. But most importantly, there are THREE reasons why you SHOULD choose GoG:

1) DRM-FREE! Completely, and totally!
2) FAIR PRICING!
3) You support directly the guys who made this game and this series. CDProject Red owns GoG.
Extra: If you happen to own the previous games on GoG, you get a serious discount. And even if you bought the previous titles in retail, you can redeem and secure a free copy/backup, of their gog version, upon inputting there their serial number.

Steam sucks for many reasons. Get your game there, ONLY IF you happen to own the previous witcher titles there, too. Unless this is the case, you harm yourself as a customer and you insult your own intelligence, by choosing to buy THIS, and ANY other product, in Steam. And finally, unlike GoG, Steam won't gift you with any other game, such as gog did with neverwinter nights, for preferring them...

Games here get updated either automatically, or with patches. You can found patches inside your game catalogue, in your account, or it is already applied, when you finish downloading it. You can keep it, burn it, play it from any computer, without registrations, restrictions, ANY form of DRM. You have to reward those who give their all.

GOG because -30% profits go to gaben if steamed.

Ah, and keep in mind, that GoG, especially in the Witcher's case, they give out ALL DLCs for FREE! As well as enhanced edition, if you bought the normal one. Most other companies (actually all of them), Steam included, charge DLCs and charge them for unexplainably large price, and if a new edition of the same game is out, they NEVER give you for free update of your vanilla game into it. You have to either buy all pieces separately, or repurchase the whole compilation as a whole.

GoG always puts all the pieces together, and happily offers you for free, under the same price you pay ONCE, to get one game and own it, FULLY and WHOLLY!

There was really cheap stuff for being Putin.

I'll buy it but is it really OK for being fuckers on EU.

I know why people mention that GOG is DRM free, but that makes it sound like the other versions have DRM like the physical one.

Mind you it is *extremely* likely that later on you will be able to activate your Steam bought (or elsewhere) copy of Witcher 3 on GOG as well. They did it with 1 and 2 already. (A year after release I think for 2).

They're just not advertising it yet since they want to sell as many copies on GOG as they can. If people know they can get both a Steam copy *and* a GOG copy for roughly the same price it's less likely people will buy here.
That doesn't seem right? I'm pretty sure the Russian price was low, even on GOG. Though I have seen other Russian's complaining about it. I'd hit up support, it could be an error.

I remember reading about the price for certain games was a more expensive depending on the country you buy it from, but GOG does give you the difference in store-credit so you can buy some extra games with your bought copy. Not perfect but works. And The Witcher 3 pre-order was one of the titles affected by this if I remember correctly. Also, by owning Witcher 1 and 2 on GOG (or submitting a key from Steam on GOG) you can lower the Witcher 3 price like 20% I believe.

Directly supporting CDPR is the only reason I need to buy TW3 here :P

Fair pricing does not really holp up on this one, since it costs more for me than to my russian neighbors, for instance. Sure, GOG gives codes for "free" games, but I would really prefer the same price for everyone instead of those codes. It is not fair, but then again, what is in this industry.

The GoG deal has more bling and I get to support the dev team directly.

Not every game plays nice with their own data though... A game like Child of Light gets updated and your saves get corrupted and you lose all progress... A good reason not to be forced into an update unless you're ready for it, or at least have a chance to backup your files...

Backup of save files is just as possible on Steam, just find the savegame folder.

Getting an update and saves being corrupted, that can happen just as well with manual updating unless you research every patch before you download it.

Granted, you have the option not to update before doing that unlike most games on Steam (although some games allow you to choose different builds, most devs opt not to though). Updates that actually corrupt save files are pretty damn rare though.

I can tell you how it was for Witcher 2. Before release there was a bit of confusion how updates were handled but later it was like this:
Directly after program start there was a button "check for updates" which would download updates and start installing them. However you could also manually download and update. From time to time they would even update the whole installer on GOG so that you had a backup if necessary.

In my eyes this was good enough although I also waited a bit (also needed better hardware) and I always disliked the forced automatic updates of Steam that always kick in and take your time away when you really just wanted to play.

Having said that I hope that GOG implements a true optional automatic updater, maybe in conjunction with the Galaxy client, because that would make them quite a bit better than Steam in my eyes (taken everything together including the DRM).

All in all it's probably a matter of taste.

Not true.
We have 3 cases here
1) Game gets extra content added for free. The Whispered World, The Witcher, FTL, Trine as example. All stores had the vanilla game updated to the enhanced edition.
2) Game gets paid DLC. Sword of the Stars: The Pit, Shadowrun Returns, Don't Starve, Blackguards, Smugglers V, Democracy 3. All stores give you the option of buying the vanilla game and buying the DLCs.
3) Game includes DLCs that other stores have you paying for them. So far I think only Omerta falls in this category, and it doesn't include all the DLCs.

Just get the Gog one.DRM free plus all goodies.Despite whatever Pheace says about the backup thing, there is no 100% guarantee it will happen for 3 despite it offered for 2 (was that even an option for 1?).