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GOG reportedly suffering from staff turnover and poor management: “Current business model is likely running out of steam” (gameworldobserver.com)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] Alk 19 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

In what way? I know it's great but I don't know if I'd call it the last hope for all of gaming. It's a good store front. Their application has better FOSS alternatives and there are other pretty okay ways to buy games too. I don't follow them closely. Are they doing anything particular that warrants that description?

[+] [email protected] 182 points 5 months ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (25 children)

[deleted]

[–] [email protected] 14 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I thought itch did that too

[–] skulblaka 3 points 5 months ago

They do

[–] [email protected] 10 points 5 months ago

That's just wrong. They just sell you a license and provide a DRM free game. You are not supposed to continue playing the game if the publisher terminates your license. They just give you the ability to do it, but it has no legal value

[–] Alk 9 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Yeah I was aware of that. I don't know if that constitutes the last hope for all gaming, but it's definitely a positive. Other stores have a much better user experience, and until they rival stores like Steam in functionality and ease of use, actually owning your own game is just a very nice to have feature and nothing more. Of course, I wish all stores did that. I don't want to have to resort to piracy if my steam library goes poof, but so far I haven't had to, and piracy is still an ethical choice in that scenario.

My point isn't that steam is better, but that GOG has a couple nice features and several downsides, and it is by no means changing or saving the industry. They have a long way to go, and I don't think saving the industry is the end goal for them.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 5 months ago (1 children)

No, but saving the industry is their "hook", if not explicitly stated as such. I know that every game I buy from them will be impossible to take away from me if I backed up the installers first.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I don't know if that's true anymore. There are games on there that require login into PSN after installing.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago

Are you sure? I haven't played any of Sony's games on GOG. From reviews, it looks like Horizon still sends telemetry if you're connected to the internet, but I don't believe it's gotten the remaster update that mandates PSN. I could be out of the loop though. I do know that GOG caught flak for allowing Hitman 2016 on the store, which is technically playable from start to finish without an internet connection, but the connection to their server gates all sorts of extras, so the customers rebelled and got it removed.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 5 months ago

You never have bought a game even when buying it on physical media. You always purchase a license to the game.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 5 months ago (3 children)

You really need to look at what you're buying. Whether it's a download, a DVD, or damn floppy disk, you're still just buying a license. A very revokable license. If it's online, the publisher can cut you off.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (8 children)

GOG installer is offline:

https://www.gamesradar.com/games/valve-reminds-steam-users-they-dont-actually-own-a-darn-thing-they-buy-gog-pounces-and-says-its-games-cannot-be-taken-away-from-you-thanks-to-offline-installers/

https://x.com/GOGcom/status/1844752098145038435

A purchase of a digital product on GOG grants you its Offline Installers, which cannot be taken away from you.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

GoG isn't the publisher. Y'all don't read the shit you agree to, and know fuck all about media distribution. You've never owned a video game, a movie, or even a book that isn't in the public domain. You've only ever owned licenses for personal use, and those licenses have always been provisional and revokable. Always. Your ignorance is not change that.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Enhance your calm. I was merely pointing out that the game installers are offline for GOG, meaning there's not a physical mechanism to cut you off. As you mentioned, if it's online, then they can cut you off, which is true for Steam but not GOG.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

Those are terminologies corporations care about. But, for real life use there is a difference between a product that can be remotely taken away and products that can't. Otherwise could be argued there is no difference between a pirated copy of Red Dead Redemption 2 and a legit one, which there is once you try to play offline.

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