I wrote this little note on my website on the feeling of purchasing a DRM-free game from GOG. Now what I wonder, not knowing much about GOG - why isn’t GOG larger than it is, what’s the catch? Because this experience was rad.
I wrote this little note on my website on the feeling of purchasing a DRM-free game from GOG. Now what I wonder, not knowing much about GOG - why isn’t GOG larger than it is, what’s the catch? Because this experience was rad.
At the end of the day any PC gaming store is having to compete with Steam, which is feature-rich and has an established user-base. Steam DRM is also quite weak, and even has to be opted into by the developer. For those that do mind having to deal with Steam’s baggage, other DRM-free platforms exist too.
GOG has also had some PR problems in recent years that probably get in the way of adoption, such as their refusal to list a game due to controversy from China about an in-game stamp that combines the names of Xi Jinping and Winnie the Pooh, and their attempt to piggy-back off of a trending hashtag promoting trans awareness.
They’re also tied to CDPR, who have damaged their image through their poor launch of Cyberpunk (for which they pulled a similarly controversial Twitter stunt), and their treatment of staff during development, after previously stating they would not force them to crunch.