Well, it's official, GOG.com is relaunching (in less than 19 hours). No closure. No DRM. No download clients. No buyout/merger.
Now that is seriously annoying. Digital distribution channels need to be dependable. The idea that they can just pull the plug with no prior warning because someone thinks it makes for a nice joke.. It'll be a while before I can look at GOG as being a professional service.
Now that is seriously annoying. Digital distribution channels need to be dependable. The idea that they can just pull the plug with no prior warning because someone thinks it makes for a nice joke.. It'll be a while before I can look at GOG as being a professional service.
It's bit hard to launch new improved website as a surprise if you tell it in advance to users. From technical point of view temporary closure might be easiest way to do the upgrade. But sure they could have announced it bit earlier instead of keeping people upset (although in my case being upset only lasted something like 5 seconds, before I figured it out that they were upgrading).
Now that is seriously annoying. Digital distribution channels need to be dependable. The idea that they can just pull the plug with no prior warning because someone thinks it makes for a nice joke.. It'll be a while before I can look at GOG as being a professional service.
It does feel a little like amateur hour. This was not a well thought-out plan. Its possible they figured that because their games don't require any authentication, that they could go down without effecting their customers. I don't think they considered people who bought games and didn't download them immediately, people who don't back up anything they can redownload, and just generally pessimistic people who hate any kind of uncertainty, even if it doesn't directly effect them.
I'm going to cut them some slack because of the language barrier. It's possible that the statements in English that got everyone so panicked may be less clear than the native Polish of the company that owns GOG, CD Projekt.
Hopefully they'll learn their lesson, and a little about human nature. Until then, as long as they provide DRM-free games that work at a reasonable price, I'll keep using them. I'll just be doubly sure to backup all my games and extras.
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.
They advertise currently that their return offer is Baldur's Gate +Tales of the Sword Coast at $9.99. Other games probably follow soon.
Unfortunately I already own CD versions of all those games, so the offer doesn't make me very excited.
Comments
It's bit hard to launch new improved website as a surprise if you tell it in advance to users. From technical point of view temporary closure might be easiest way to do the upgrade. But sure they could have announced it bit earlier instead of keeping people upset (although in my case being upset only lasted something like 5 seconds, before I figured it out that they were upgrading).
It does feel a little like amateur hour. This was not a well thought-out plan. Its possible they figured that because their games don't require any authentication, that they could go down without effecting their customers. I don't think they considered people who bought games and didn't download them immediately, people who don't back up anything they can redownload, and just generally pessimistic people who hate any kind of uncertainty, even if it doesn't directly effect them.
I'm going to cut them some slack because of the language barrier. It's possible that the statements in English that got everyone so panicked may be less clear than the native Polish of the company that owns GOG, CD Projekt.
Hopefully they'll learn their lesson, and a little about human nature. Until then, as long as they provide DRM-free games that work at a reasonable price, I'll keep using them. I'll just be doubly sure to backup all my games and extras.
They advertise currently that their return offer is Baldur's Gate +Tales of the Sword Coast at $9.99. Other games probably follow soon.
Unfortunately I already own CD versions of all those games, so the offer doesn't make me very excited.