good old games (gog.com) collapses
the online old game distributer gog.com has gone down. permanently. They left only this message on the site:
" Dear GOG users,
We have recently had to give serious thought to whether we could really keep GOG.com the way it is. We've debated on it for quite some time and, unfortunately, we've decided that GOG.com simply cannot remain in its current form.
We're very grateful for all support we've received from all of you in the past two years. Working on GOG.com was a great adventure for all of us and an unforgettable journey to the past, through the long and wonderful history of PC gaming.
This doesn't mean the idea behind GOG.com is gone forever. We're closing down the service and putting this era behind us as new challenges await.
On a technical note, this week we'll put in place a solution to allow everyone to re-download their games. Stay tuned to this page and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updates.
All the best,
GOG.com Team"
" Dear GOG users,
We have recently had to give serious thought to whether we could really keep GOG.com the way it is. We've debated on it for quite some time and, unfortunately, we've decided that GOG.com simply cannot remain in its current form.
We're very grateful for all support we've received from all of you in the past two years. Working on GOG.com was a great adventure for all of us and an unforgettable journey to the past, through the long and wonderful history of PC gaming.
This doesn't mean the idea behind GOG.com is gone forever. We're closing down the service and putting this era behind us as new challenges await.
On a technical note, this week we'll put in place a solution to allow everyone to re-download their games. Stay tuned to this page and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updates.
All the best,
GOG.com Team"
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Comments
I was pretty shocked when I first discovered this, but now I'm having some suspicions. What if this is just a quasi-hoax and they're about to go out of beta? The phrases "in its current form" and "the way it is" are interesting, and with the new and upcoming games I read about just yesterday this feels a bit too sudden.
http://www.nooooooooooooooo.com/
RIP Gog.com ... you will be missed more than you know.
Their exact words were "Sometimes it's really hard being DRM-free... hard to keep things the way they are and keep management and publishers happy
the message on the site says, this doesn't mean GOG is gone. We'll have
more to share in the coming days. No need to jump to conclusions
Source: http://www.neoseeker.com/news/14926-digital-pc-classics-service-good-old-games-closes/
Yeah I saw that as well, it sounds somewhat plausable, but this kind of PR be bad mojo
Their Twitter feed notes that "sometimes it's really hard being DRM-free."
Sounds a bit fishy. Something's up.
I'll stick with my hard copies of games for now, the DD future is freaking me out.
So, the effect of this stunt is that "DRM GOG" is better than "No GOG at all"
I really hope not, but considering the rumour that the company that owns CD Projekt, Optimus, was bought out recently, possibly by a publisher, it would not surprise me if they are being forced to change company policy on DRM.
But I guess not
I wouldn't have bought Psychonauts from GOG if it had DRM. I'd have gotten it from Steam instead. If both versions have DRM, then the only thing GOG has to offer is the extras, and I don't care much about wallpapers. Soundtracks, on the other hand, can be awesome (like Beyond Good & Evil), but GOG doesn't have the Psychonauts soundtrack. If GOG does add DRM, they're going to have to step-up the bonuses to lure me away from other services.
Oh, and minor update from GOG:
source: http://www.gram.pl/news_8QjrH,m6_GOG_wykupiony_przez_konkurencje.html
I don't think so even though it would be great to get some of these games on steam. I'm looking at you Phantasmagoria 1+2!
A contingent forum in place of the original GOG.com General Discussion board has been set up. If you miss the GOG folk, sign up.
I sure hope that's false. If true, that's the end of the "no-drm" thing, which was the main reason I loved GOG so much.
Why would Valve buying GOG automatically end DRM-free games? I know that Steam is DRM, but that doesn't preclude them from selling some game with DRM, and some without. Direct2Drive has some games that are DRM-free. Has Valve Software made some comments about DRM that I'm not aware of?
Also, I've heard a lot of rumors about what happened: "OnLive bought GOG", "One of the major publishers bought GOG", "Impulse and GOG are merging", "Mircosoft bought GOG's parent company", "This is an ARG for the release of System Shock 2, 'SHODAN hacked GOG'"...
EDIT: Best rumor yet, someone is claiming this is a still grabbed from their teaser:
edit: I know this is not the most decisive of proof, but here:
One, they never sold Baldur's Gate. It was one of their most requested games, though.
Two, even today, the game is somewhat expensive used. Having it on GOG means it'll likely cost less than $10 total.
As Harald B said, GOG never sold Baldur's Gate. In fact, for the last year there hasn't been any digital distribution site with the game (since Gametap lost it last June or so). For a while no one knew who had the rights to Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment and, I think, Icewind Dale. It wasn't clear who owned the IP. There was a re-release on DVD in Europe, but nothing in the US or elsewhere in the world, and certainly nothing on Steam, D2D, GamersGate, etc.
If GOG.com managed to get rights to Baldur's Gate, that is a big win for them. If they managed to get BG, PS:T, etc and release them DRM-free, that will be huge.
Who knows, maybe top price-point is one of the things that will change with GOG in the future. Or maybe they'll charge $10 each for BG, Tales of the Sword Coast, BG2 and Throne of Bhaal... Well, $40 does seem excessive for all of them. I hope not.
I'd pay $10 for Planescape: Torment, though.
There is a weird and boring video though! Two guys pretending to be monks apologizing to the camera and very slowly doling out information. More videos in the future will say what big games are being added, and talk about new features for the site.