Incline [Poll] Steam vs GOG. Which one do you prefer?

[Trithne]

I liked GoG back in the day, but these days it kinda sucks. Was great when it was just Good Old Games and provided a handy source for all the shit I had in the past but lost over the years. Ever since the switch to just being GoG it's been downhill. gog-games is useful though. I'm sure eventually they'll find a way to get around the old "no DRM" policy.

The need for Linux support has pushed me to Steam pretty much exclusively now - I make use of stuff like Minigalaxy to access my GoG games but currently, if given a choice between the two platforms to get something on, I'd pick Steam.

 

[†††]

I'm sure eventually they'll find a way to get around the old "no DRM" policy.

They sold nu-Hitman games which require always online. "No-DRM" was always an optimistic outlook.

 

[Junmarko]

If it's something multiplayer/co-op: Steam
If it's something single player: GoG

 

[Joined on the 4th of July]

One extra Gog annoyance: DOS games that used to be available on abandonware sites as zip files that included only the game files are now on Gog where they are bundled with all kind of shit and wrapped in windows executables.

 

[Melcar]

Most of my library is from GOG and I already have the offline installers on my HDD. Lots of nostalgia shit in there that I like playing from time to time. However, most of the games I do play regularly (as regularly as I can anyway) are on Steam and I do launch everything from the Steam launcher as the Steam runtime makes everything easier, even for non-Steam games (gamepad support mostly).
I prefer getting things on GOG, even if Steam is usually cheaper. If it's a modern game and one of those AAA monstrosities I usually just get them on Steam (if I happen to like the game anyway), mostly out of convenience. GOG offline installers for those types of games are ass and fuck Galaxy.

 

[BrotherFrank]

Steam by far.

It ain’t perfect but at least when they ban/remove games it’s due to sudden public pressure (usually caused by journos making an artificial fuss about it) rather then a philosophy of being a parent who prescreens what games are acceptable for you and what is not.

Remember GoG didn’t let grimoire in for a longest time, need i say more?

I concur with Trithne GoG was far better back in its early days where it had a simple no nonsense premise but success has corrupted them.

 

[Lucumo]

On the one hand, screw DRM. On the other hand, GOG has gone down the drain in several regards. So, fuck them both. The only games I have bought the last few years were a couple on DLsite but mostly physical imports from Japan (for the PC, of course).

 

[Vic]

GOG, their DRM free games have been a game changer for me. I feel like I actually own the games instead of them being tied to an online service.

I use Playnite to have all of my games in one place

 

[Falksi]

Steam just edges it for me, because when I tell the missus I'm going to play a game on it I start singing the utterly shite East 17 song "Steam" during the desciption.

"Yeah babe, I'm gonna check out those new games I bought on.....Steam....Steam! There's no need to be afraid....Steam!...."



Does her fucking head in.

 

[Dodo1610]

I own games on Gog, Ms Store, Epic, Steam, Ubisoft, EA and Battlenet. And the only one of those that actually allways 100% works is Steam.

So Steam wins by default.

 

[Anthedon]

GoG/CDPR appears to be well on its way to becoming a woke clownshow, the Polish version. One can only imagine what will happen to Steam when GabeN keels over dead.

 

[Catacombs]

I use both but prefer GOG.

In principle GOG because DRM sucks ass but what good is DRM-free gaming if you're at the mercy of a Windows operating system? I'll start using GOG again when they get their act together and give everyone the Linux client they've been requesting for over a decade.

GOG, but the switch to Linux made me use Steam more.

Lutris makes it easy to install and play GOG games. I haven't missed Galaxy.

 

[Jenkem]

Steam is a private company and not subject to ESG, Blackrock or Larry Fink.

Simple as.

 

[racofer]

GOG. I don't have a humongous game library with over a 1000 titles like some people do. I tend to be selective on what I consider worth keeping, and most of what I like is currently available on GOG. If whatever game I want is not available on GOG, then just pirate it, simple as.

I like having my installers and everything available 100% offline, not dependent on an online account nor "the cloud" to access my stuff. Linux gaming would be awesome to get away from Windows entirely, but in the last 20 years alone all Linux folks have managed to accomplish is over 10000 distros and two dozen forks of every library in existence instead of building something robust with the clear goal of dethroning Microsoft. Then you have clowns demanding every game to be open source or else they can fuck off, and fuck off they did. It got kind of tiresome after a while so whatever.

 

[perfectslumbers]

Friendly reminder this piece of shit was accepted on GoG:
https://af.gog.com/en/game/yiik_a_postmodern_rpg?as=1649904300

While several much better games were rejected around the same time (they now have been accepted, like Vigilantes, Legends of Amberland, Grimoire... but only AFTER they had success on Steam).

This genuinely says a lot about the kind of service gog is becoming.

 

[Shadowfang]

I use both but prefer GOG.

In principle GOG because DRM sucks ass but what good is DRM-free gaming if you're at the mercy of a Windows operating system? I'll start using GOG again when they get their act together and give everyone the Linux client they've been requesting for over a decade.

GOG, but the switch to Linux made me use Steam more.

Lutris makes it easy to install and play GOG games. I haven't missed Galaxy.

I prefer installing my gog games myself since Lutris has let me down.

I don't know why but everytime i install a game through Lutris, i can only run it through Lutris once.
I also didn't find a way to install the dlc's i had for Fields of Glory, so i downloaded them in separate for them to complain they could find the main game installed.
Problems that i didn't have by using only wine myself.

Still i ask you, can you play games online, that would need gog galaxy, through Lutris instead?

 

[Bad Sector]

GOG because DRM-free and downloadable installers. I only buy from Steam games that aren't on GOG and i *really* want them and there isn't any other alternative - even then i wait for a steep price cut.

Note that this is between GOG and Steam. If the game isn't on GOG but it is, e.g., on Zoom Platform or itch.io i might buy it there instead (which, like GOG, has DRM-free games and downloadable installers). Actually if the game is on both GOG and Zoom Platform i'll most likely buy it on the latter instead to support the smaller store (either way it is DRM free so i don't really lose anything myself).

In principle GOG because DRM sucks ass but what good is DRM-free gaming if you're at the mercy of a Windows operating system?

GOG, but the switch to Linux made me use Steam more.

I appreciate the philosophy of GoG, but I use Steam because it's the only viable option for Linux gayming.

The need for Linux support has pushed me to Steam pretty much exclusively now

GOG games run perfectly fine with Wine-Staging, DXVK and VKD3D-Proton. 99% of the games i play these days are from GOG under Linux.

 

[Hagashager]

I don't play or buy too many games often anymore. I do plan to get the Masters of Magic remake when it comes out though, and I will do so on Steam.

GoG used to be my go-to for all the old '90s shit I played, but just about everything GoG has done since 2010 has been designed to make me hate them.

Their Galaxy launcher is hard to navigate.

Their library always seems to be missing the games I actually want now.

The games they do have are all "enhanced" in some way, either by modders or by GoG themselves. (Most recent being that atrocious Daggerfall Unity Mod-list they peddled as a stand-alone product, or how they *sell* Casters of Magic as a standalone product from MoM.)

Lastly, CDPR, in typical desparate-to-get-food-on-the-table Eastern European mindset, has sold their souls to American corporate interests, IE: censorship and pushing narratives (narratives which appear to be statk contrast to their home country's policies of which they make no effort to protest and seem perfectly okay to endorse.)


It all puts such a nasty taste that the no-DRM shtick isn't worth it anymore. Especially when you consider half their games now force their client, which is a DRM of sorts.


Steam just works, and they haven't capitulated to any monied interests beyond their personal coffers.

That all said, even Steam is receding in the background of my life. Entering into my 30s, video-games outside the ones of my childhood just don't do it for me. There is almost **nothing** AAA studioes have developed that intersts me and I don't have the time or patience to keep playing shitty games or follow their drama, even if it's socially expected.

Knowing that Steam does have DRM just further cements that it's time to grow up now...

 

[ferratilis]

Steam has Redaxium, GOG doesn't. The choice is easy.

 

[flyingjohn]

Steam for many reasons:

-A bazillion features. Personally use remote play quite a lot.
-Tags and library are much more advanced and you can suit it to to your autistic needs.
-Gog installers are garbage.
-Gog is trying to become steam with galaxy and failing hard
-Steam is a private company doing well and gog is reliant on tranny loans
-Making Linux better for gaming
-Steam drm is easily bypassed and if there is something more advanced you won't see it on Gog anyway.

 

[flyingjohn]

One extra Gog annoyance: DOS games that used to be available on abandonware sites as zip files that included only the game files are now on Gog where they are bundled with all kind of shit and wrapped in windows executables.

Also any versions of the game that weren't dos are also caught in this.GOG pretty much refuses to even attempt to go for Amiga or old computer stuff except dos.And when they do,you get mixed results.

 

[luj1]

Steam is usually cheaper

True as well

 

[luj1]

GoG was far better back in its early days where it had a simple no nonsense premise but success has corrupted them.

Yeah fuck em

 

[Catacombs]

Shadowfang

I don't know why but everytime i install a game through Lutris, i can only run it through Lutris once.

I don’t understand what you mean by you only running the game “through Lutris once.” Are you saying that the game refuses to run after you install it on the platform?

I also didn't find a way to install the dlc's i had for Fields of Glory, so i downloaded them in separate for them to complain they could find the main game installed.

You can use `wine` to install the DLCs. Have you tried putting the DLCs in the game directory then running the executable?

Still i ask you, can you play games online, that would need gog galaxy, through Lutris instead?

I can’t help you with that because I don’t own or play multiplayer games through GOG.

 

[Kev Inkline]

I use *gasp* GoG galaxy, because in addition to both GoG and Steam games, it lists all my freebies or bundle accidents from Epic, Ubisoft, and Origin under the same UI. Most often I launch Steam from Steam only, though. So it's FC Gabe - Poz-nam united 5:2