DoomSooth: If I like Steam so much that I'd link accounts then why wouldn't I just stick with Steam?
Well clearly you are speaking for yourself and your take on things.
I don't like Steam at all, but have plenty of games on there, mostly free ones. I was quite happy to have a few of the same games at GOG via GOG Connect instead, as it meant I could avoid Steam and any client issues with those.
GOG was doing a good thing with GOG Connect, and the same with those developers who supported it. Why pay for the same game twice. In a fair world you would never have to do that.
And it is absolute nonsense to see it as harming GOG. It is no different to any other kind of promotion. Free games are given away all the time, and at least in the GOG Connect scenario, the game has been bought once, unless it was a freebie .... but then a freebie is a freebie no matter where you get it.
Just because you get a game for free via GOG Connect, does not mean that GOG has lost a sale. Sure it might be for those who don't mind buying their games more than once, but many never do that. In very real terms, you are being taken advantage of if you have to buy a game twice, to have it at more than one store. There is something quite shonky and unethical about enforcing that dichotomy.
GOG Connect is one way for the store and DEV/PUB to give back to the gaming community, who after all finance their continuing existence. They wouldn't be anything without customers.