GOG.com

[KeighnMcDeath]

 

[pOcHa]

weaponized autism in action

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

GoG doesn't have a discord channel as dad as I know and I ain't putting galaxy on my phone. Otherwise, they'd see my ads on a regular basis.

 

[Narushima]

Please stop.

 

[ferratilis]

Another 500 word essay by GOG

https://af.gog.com/en/news/bgog_2022_update_2b_our_commitment_to_drmfree_gaming?as=1649904300

Thanks for all the feedback you gave us after the previous update. You’re awesome and it shows the GOG insights piques your interest. Today’s article is about a topic that we know is very important to you – our commitment to DRM-free gaming and what it exactly means.

GOG was built on trust, which is at the very core of our identity. It is evidenced by our 30-day refund policy or releasing games DRM-free, among other things. At the same time, we understand DRM-free might mean different things to different people, especially when modern games blend offline and online experiences.

When GOG first launched, the gaming market looked very different from what it is now – retail was the main place to buy games, and digital distribution was just taking baby steps. DRM, the copy protection software created to protect licenses against unauthorized disc copying, was a huge source of annoyance for gamers often restricting how they can access their content. From the beginning, part of GOG’s mission was to provide gamers with a simple way to access and play games, without the need to fiddle with files or deal with any DRM. Making sure you can play games purchased on GOG offline, make backup copies, and install them as many times as you need is even more relevant now, as things like game preservation become an important topic for the whole industry.

Today, while some of the most infamous DRMs of the past are thankfully long gone, it doesn’t mean the constraints are fully gone. They just have a different, more complex face.

Games are evolving and many titles offer features beyond single-player offline gameplay, like multiplayer, achievements, vanities, rewards. Many such games are already on GOG and will continue to join our catalog. But it also raises the question: is this a new frontier for DRM?

And this is the crux of the matter. Some think it is, some don’t. Some hate it, some don’t mind it. And to be fair, we didn’t comment on it ourselves for quite some time and feel this is the time to do so:

We believe you should have freedom of choice and the right to decide how you use, enjoy, and keep the games you bought. It manifests in three points:

• 1. The single-player mode has to be accessible offline.

• 2. Games you bought and downloaded can never be taken from you or altered against your will.

• 3. The GOG GALAXY client is and will remain optional for accessing single-player offline mode.

We fully commit to all those points. Aside from this, we reaffirm our continuous effort to make games compatible with future OSs and available for you for years to come.

As for multiplayer, achievements, and all that jazz – games with those features belong on GOG. Having said that, we believe that you have the right to make an informed choice about the content that you choose to enjoy and we won’t tell you how and where you can access or store your games. To make it easier to discover titles that include features like multiplayer, unlockable cosmetics, timed events, or user-generated content, we’re adding information about such functionalities on product pages. In short, you’ll always know.

We always took a lot of pride in the freedom we provide gamers. While we know DRM-free may have a different meaning to everyone, we believe you have the right to decide how you use, enjoy, and keep the titles you get on GOG. With games evolving towards adding more online features, we want you to understand our DRM-free approach and what it means to us. It is an important topic – let us know what you think.

 

[racofer]

Another 500 word essay by GOG

https://af.gog.com/en/news/bgog_2022_update_2b_our_commitment_to_drmfree_gaming?as=1649904300

Thanks for all the feedback you gave us after the previous update. You’re awesome and it shows the GOG insights piques your interest. Today’s article is about a topic that we know is very important to you – our commitment to DRM-free gaming and what it exactly means.

GOG was built on trust, which is at the very core of our identity. It is evidenced by our 30-day refund policy or releasing games DRM-free, among other things. At the same time, we understand DRM-free might mean different things to different people, especially when modern games blend offline and online experiences.

When GOG first launched, the gaming market looked very different from what it is now – retail was the main place to buy games, and digital distribution was just taking baby steps. DRM, the copy protection software created to protect licenses against unauthorized disc copying, was a huge source of annoyance for gamers often restricting how they can access their content. From the beginning, part of GOG’s mission was to provide gamers with a simple way to access and play games, without the need to fiddle with files or deal with any DRM. Making sure you can play games purchased on GOG offline, make backup copies, and install them as many times as you need is even more relevant now, as things like game preservation become an important topic for the whole industry.

Today, while some of the most infamous DRMs of the past are thankfully long gone, it doesn’t mean the constraints are fully gone. They just have a different, more complex face.

Games are evolving and many titles offer features beyond single-player offline gameplay, like multiplayer, achievements, vanities, rewards. Many such games are already on GOG and will continue to join our catalog. But it also raises the question: is this a new frontier for DRM?

And this is the crux of the matter. Some think it is, some don’t. Some hate it, some don’t mind it. And to be fair, we didn’t comment on it ourselves for quite some time and feel this is the time to do so:

We believe you should have freedom of choice and the right to decide how you use, enjoy, and keep the games you bought. It manifests in three points:

• 1. The single-player mode has to be accessible offline.

• 2. Games you bought and downloaded can never be taken from you or altered against your will.

• 3. The GOG GALAXY client is and will remain optional for accessing single-player offline mode.

We fully commit to all those points. Aside from this, we reaffirm our continuous effort to make games compatible with future OSs and available for you for years to come.

As for multiplayer, achievements, and all that jazz – games with those features belong on GOG. Having said that, we believe that you have the right to make an informed choice about the content that you choose to enjoy and we won’t tell you how and where you can access or store your games. To make it easier to discover titles that include features like multiplayer, unlockable cosmetics, timed events, or user-generated content, we’re adding information about such functionalities on product pages. In short, you’ll always know.

We always took a lot of pride in the freedom we provide gamers. While we know DRM-free may have a different meaning to everyone, we believe you have the right to decide how you use, enjoy, and keep the titles you get on GOG. With games evolving towards adding more online features, we want you to understand our DRM-free approach and what it means to us. It is an important topic – let us know what you think.

Yet, GOG treats offline installers like an afterthought.
Yet, Cyberpunk 2077 has content locked behind Galaxy authentication.
Yet, there is a whole thread on the GOG forums for tagging games sold on GOG with DRM.

Again, words words words...

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

That's why I use ads with pictures.

 

[Bad Sector]

Yet, GOG treats offline installers like an afterthought.
Yet, Cyberpunk 2077 has content locked behind Galaxy authentication.
Yet, there is a whole thread on the GOG forums for tagging games sold on GOG with DRM.

Again, words words words...

There is also Zoom Platform if you want to support an alternative for DRM-free games, AFAIK they take a stricter stance on what is allowed there in that games with online elements are allowed only if those online elements can be set up by the players (so, e.g., a multiplayer game would be allowed if it comes with an executable to run your own server).

They obviously do not have GOG's selection or size (and AFAIK they even run the site completely remotely - then again this means they do not have much running expenses :-P) but they do have some exclusive games they have managed to get running in modern systems themselves.

I posted about it some time ago here.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Yet, GOG treats offline installers like an afterthought.
Yet, Cyberpunk 2077 has content locked behind Galaxy authentication.
Yet, there is a whole thread on the GOG forums for tagging games sold on GOG with DRM.

Again, words words words...

There is also Zoom Platform if you want to support an alternative for DRM-free games, AFAIK they take a stricter stance on what is allowed there in that games with online elements are allowed only if those online elements can be set up by the players (so, e.g., a multiplayer game would be allowed if it comes with an executable to run your own server).

They obviously do not have GOG's selection or size (and AFAIK they even run the site completely remotely - then again this means they do not have much running expenses :-P) but they do have some exclusive games they have managed to get running in modern systems themselves.

I posted about it some time ago here.

Their support crew is also responsive, for what it's worth.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

11 free games to start.
Easy to DL
Next will be an actual purchase.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

I saw quite a few titles in their limited catalog that interested me. Obviously a Postal, Duke 3D, and Hatred being on top of the list. The bios are very interesting:

"ZOOM Platform and Jordan Freeman Group
ZOOM’s mission is to design, create, and publish traditional and interactive entertainment with a Generation X trans-media appeal. ZOOM’s products are distributed digitally via, ZOOM Platform, along with non-exclusive third party content from both major publishers and indies with a catalog spanning the classics to new releases.

ZOOM has a world-class veteran management team representing all facets of the entertainment and technology industries.

ZOOM’s Executive Chairman:
Bernie Stolar has been a leader in the interactive and video game industry for over 40 years. As the first EVP of Sony Computer Entertainment America, Bernie helped introduce the PlayStation to the gaming world. As President/COO of Sega, Bernie led the launch of the Dreamcast console, the most successful console launch in the history of the industry. Prior to the aforementioned positions, Bernie served as President of Atari where he led the development of the Lynx handheld. Stolar was also President of Mattel Interactive and was Google’s Games Evangelist after the acquisition of his Firm, AdScape Media.

ZOOM’s Chief Executive Officer and Founder:
Jordan Freeman conceived the ZOOM Platform project and built its first prototype. He also formed the Jordan Freeman Group development arm of the Company, which focuses on building franchises around ZOOM's technology. These franchises are published and distributed on ZOOM Platform. Prior to ZOOM's founding, Freeman was Founder and Chief Technical Officer at Head 2 Head Gaming.

ZOOM’s Chief Financial Officer:
Bernie Gilhuly, CPA, was previously SVP at One World Networks, CFO at Tribe Management Partners, and at present is a Managing Partner at LL Business Management. Bernie brings 20+ years of experience in entertainment industry finance to ZOOM.

ZOOM’s Chief Technical Officer:
Adam Hillson is a 20+ year veteran of the hard/software configuration and design industries. While formally training in Metrology systems, his wealth of knowledge and broad skill base are unmatched. Mr. Hillson’s former positions include Atom Interactive’s Chief Technologist. He was also, initially, Senior CMM Service & UKAS Calibration Engineer at Status Metrology. However, due to Mr. Hillson’s increasing value, the Company was compelled to create a new position specifically for him. In this elevated position, Mr. Hillson was asked to train and manage Status Metrology’s entire technical staff.

ZOOM Platform Media
ZOOM Platform Media is an exciting new venture, whose sole purpose, is to create original video game centric trans-media content.

The Firm has been established to support ZOOM Platform's current momentum and facilitate further growth. The entity's primary initiative is to create and incubate original intellectual property for the video game and film markets in cooperation with well-known Hollywood stars. Additionally, the Firm has strong interest in established film and TV based intellectual properties."

 

[Eisen]

ZOOM still alive? i thought they were dead

 

[markec]

Just bought Shadow Empire that is 75% off, which is far lowest then anywhere before.

 

[Bad Sector]

There is a big sale going on (GOG Games Festival). Had a bit of money available so i got a bunch of games that were on my wishlist for a long time :-P.

 

[Melcar]

Meh indeed. All worthwhile games I got ages ago (and if they are worthwhile I don't usually wait for big sales). What is there left to buy? Hentai shit?

 

[markec]

Shadow Empire was either a flash deal or a mistake at pricing, either way Im glad I grabbed it.

 

[Wyatt_Derp]

There is a big sale going on (GOG Games Festival). Had a bit of money available so i got a bunch of games that were on my wishlist for a long time :-P.

Just a Games Festival? What, no Ukrainian Wounded Lesbian Gamer Refugee donation fund? Fuck you, gog. Insensitive assholes.

 

[Bad Sector]

All worthwhile games I got ages ago (and if they are worthwhile I don't usually wait for big sales). What is there left to buy?

I have more than 300 games wishlisted there, so for me there is a ton of stuff to get :-P.

In this round I got Wizardry - Labyrinth of Lost Souls. I've only played it a little but looks like a solid game.

 

[Baron Dupek]

Snatched remains from my wishlist, one game remains.
The promo page is a mess - 85 pages but a lot of the offers repeats.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Ah. I just saw a link to Gman's gog choices: HERE

Saw that from this vid:


bah! Won't be available on gog.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Whoa! The vid is private now? Wtf?!

 

[KafkaBot]

ELEX is on sale right now; just grabbed it, alongside the Guacamelee games. I probably won't be able to play it for a while, but there's no way I won't buy a Piranha Bytes game when it's being sold for peanuts.

 

[Bad Sector]

Got the remastered Bard's Tale Trilogy too, after playing a bunch of Wizardry - Labyrinth of Lost Souls i am in mood for some dungeon crawling. Of course chances are i'll end up playing it in 5 years or something :-P.

 

[Alienman]

You okay KeighnMcDeath

 

[pOcHa]

You okay KeighnMcDeath