GOG thread (2) - DRM free games to consider.

[Zak Gordon]

The old thread got 'time-locked'(?) here:

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...read-of-wonderful-DRM-free-games-to-check-out

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So they had a re-design (not sure i like it in truth) but the main reason i wanted to add a post to the old thread was to say that Paradox have just released Stellaris on GOG (!):

https://www.gog.com/game/stellaris

A quick calculation told me that for about £60 i can get the game and all the current DLC. Not sure i'll jump right now, but the base game is under £20 on 'sale' and this is a DRM free version (i.e you can own it forever).

Perhaps the bigger interest is this is the first current game that Paradox have put up for the DRM free treatment, could we see CKII here sometime soon?

 

[Backer42]

this is a DRM free version (i.e you can own it forever).

Sorry, but I have to correct your misconception. DRM-free means you can play it without being bothered by activation servers or mandatory logins (so-called DRM). You still don't own anything you pay for in digital form. This is due to copyright law. The legal situation has absolutely nothing to do with DRM.

All you can actually own in the domain of copyright and software is:

1. a physical item (storage media) created by the copyright holder (you own the storage media granting you access to the content on it)
2. access to a download via digital account (you own the digital access, not the downloaded file)

That law is quite old and simple: Legally you're allowed to use your DRM-free downloads as long as you have access to those on your GOG account. If your account gets closed or the service discontinued, you have to destroy all your local copies and stop using them. Same goes for physical media: If you lose those, you have to delete your (installed) copies and stop using the software, the access is bound to the physical item.

So in the end, buying digital access on GOG is not special or different from any other digital store. There are just no provisions in place to ensure you don't break the law. The only permanent solution is a physical item created by the copyright holder (You can't create one yourself, that copy doesn't acquire the same legal status.)

 

[Snarfbuckle]

Sorry, but I have to correct your misconception. DRM-free means you can play it without being bothered by activation servers or mandatory logins (so-called DRM). You still don't own anything you pay for in digital form. This is due to copyright law. The legal situation has absolutely nothing to do with DRM.

All you can actually own in the domain of copyright and software is:

1. a physical item (storage media) created by the copyright holder (you own the storage media granting you access to the content on it)
2. access to a download via digital account (you own the digital access, not the downloaded file)

That law is quite old and simple: Legally you're allowed to use your DRM-free downloads as long as you have access to those on your GOG account. If your account gets closed or the service discontinued, you have to destroy all your local copies and stop using them. Same goes for physical media: If you lose those, you have to delete your (installed) copies and stop using the software, the access is bound to the physical item.

So in the end, buying digital access on GOG is not special or different from any other digital store. There are just no provisions in place to ensure you don't break the law. The only permanent solution is a physical item created by the copyright holder (You can't create one yourself, that copy doesn't acquire the same legal status.)

There is one difference. GOG games that are DRM free will still function even if you uninstall GOG.

STEAM games for example cannot (usually) run without STEAM (some games can, Paradox games for example AFAIK).

 

[Fishy]

Thought I'd chime in here: they're having their anniversary sale, and amongst other things they have 3 bundles. The $25 bundle feels insane, as it contains Battle Chaser Nightwar (err, ok I guess), Shadow Tactics (old school styled stealth commando set in feudal Japan) and... Kingdom Come Deliverance! I know I had an eye on KCD for a while now, but it was just too pricey. That's the lowest I've ever seen it at, and it comes with bonus games.

 

[hunvagy]

Thought I'd chime in here: they're having their anniversary sale, and amongst other things they have 3 bundles. The $25 bundle feels insane, as it contains Battle Chaser Nightwar (err, ok I guess), Shadow Tactics (old school styled stealth commando set in feudal Japan) and... Kingdom Come Deliverance! I know I had an eye on KCD for a while now, but it was just too pricey. That's the lowest I've ever seen it at, and it comes with bonus games.

I'm eyeing the aging gracefully one myself. Owlboy and Homeworld Remastered at a 9 EUR price point sounds really good. Dragon Age I already own, but oh well.

 

[Jezzah]

Shadow tactics is a brilliant game by the way. It wasn't one I'd normally pick up but I was so glad I did.

 

[Zak Gordon]

Sorry, but I have to correct your misconception.

No misconception. At all. I OWN my games from GOG, you or anyone try to stop me playing them from the moment i have them installed. You can't.

Not only can you NOT stop me playing them until the day i die, but you won't be able to stop my kids playing them, or their kids into perpetuity. When you buy a game from GOG it is for 'life', as i like to think it.

However i do concede that down to the letter of the law and the whole copyright thing 'technically' this should not be, but it does not stop the above scenario from being a thing, so yeah. Enjoy the lawyering or something?

 

[Backer42]

No misconception. At all. I OWN my games from GOG, you or anyone try to stop me playing them from the moment i have them installed. You can't.

Not only can you NOT stop me playing them until the day i die, but you won't be able to stop my kids playing them, or their kids into perpetuity. When you buy a game from GOG it is for 'life', as i like to think it.

However i do concede that down to the letter of the law and the whole copyright thing 'technically' this should not be, but it does not stop the above scenario from being a thing, so yeah. Enjoy the lawyering or something?

Ownership is a strictly legal term, so if you use that term and spread false information, expect to get corrected.

Obviously you can do whatever you want with the files being downloaded, even without paying before. But that's not the matter of the discussion. You pretend that GOG's files are something special, but DRM-free only means, you don't get bothered by DRM, it doesn't change anything else about the disadvantages of "buying digital".

As a matter of fact, you cannot inherit the digital access you paid for, as it's bound to your person and dies with you, so your kids go empty-handed. If you want to inherit video games, buy them physically.

 

[EUS]

Steam had a huge discount on paradox games early sept where I got the base game, utopia & apocalypse for $40 CAD, which is something like 2£ (actually it's 24£).
I've been revisiting GOG, and stardock, but limited, or no linux support means steam is now my go to supplier.

 

[Zak Gordon]

As a matter of fact, you cannot inherit the digital access you paid for, as it's bound to your person and dies with you, so your kids go empty-handed. If you want to inherit video games, buy them physically.

I don't think you use GOG do you? Anyway my kids ARE getting ALL the games i have installed from GOG, because nothing stops me (the no DRM thing).

IF you really don't believe me, well you'll just have to take my word for it (as a long time GOG user that knows what i get). It is just the way it works. So while i appreciate your lawyering (as others no doubt do also), you seem to be lacking key experience on the no-DRM thing that GOG does and what it 'actually' means in the real world.

Will i insist my kids only play the games i've already bought during my lifetime, and never buy other games? No. I like GOG so like to support them, and will encourage my kids to buy as many of the DRM free games as they feel they want to, which they are then free to pass on to their kids as they see fit

(Do we need to keep doing this?)

 

[Kaocraft]

Ownership is a strictly legal term, so if you use that term and spread false information, expect to get corrected.

Obviously you can do whatever you want with the files being downloaded, even without paying before. But that's not the matter of the discussion. You pretend that GOG's files are something special, but DRM-free only means, you don't get bothered by DRM, it doesn't change anything else about the disadvantages of "buying digital".

As a matter of fact, you cannot inherit the digital access you paid for, as it's bound to your person and dies with you, so your kids go empty-handed. If you want to inherit video games, buy them physically.

"Possession is 9/10ths of the law"
etc.

 

[Henkka77]

I dont care about DRM, i just want to throw money for CD Projekt Red so they can make the best Cyberpunk game ever, so i buy my games from GoG.
Gabe has enough already.

 

[Backer42]

I don't think you use GOG do you?

I use many digital stores and I'm fine with GOG and how convenient their offline backup installers are, but I don't indulge in illusions about ownership. So for example I don't pay more on GOG just for that reason.

Anyway my kids ARE getting ALL the games i have installed from GOG, because nothing stops me (the no DRM thing).

You're confused, the right to access content has nothing to do with its enforcement (DRM).

IF you really don't believe me, well you'll just have to take my word for it (as a long time GOG user that knows what i get). It is just the way it works. So while i appreciate your lawyering (as others no doubt do also), you seem to be lacking key experience on the no-DRM thing that GOG does and what it 'actually' means in the real world.

It means, once the downloaded GOG files go to someone else, they turn into a mundane pirates copies. No exceptions.

If you purchase something digital, only you have access it. That's why Steam has set up a "family sharing" service, so you can actually grant access to your content to family members. By default they're not even allowed to use it.

And still, if the person owning the account with the digital licenses leaves this planet, all accounts go with them (get closed). There is no legal way to resell, gift or inherit digital accounts and the content on it. People still do it though, but it's a ToS violation and service gets terminated, once found out.

"Possession is 9/10ths of the law"

For digital purchases, you don't possess anything. Your game sits on GOG's servers. When you download it, you get a backup copy for installing it even without checking back with the servers (DRM-free), but the right (license) to use your backup is still bound to your active GOG account - just as with any digital store.

 

[Zak Gordon]

Ok, you DO still need to do this (the 'lawyering' thing). Well carry on enjoying yourself, as I and my family will (into perpetuity) with our DRM free games that NO ONE or NOTHING can stop us from playing.......ever, until the end of time (or the family line).

In other actual GOG related stuff, i think i'm not enjoying the new re-design? Now it might be the 10th Anniversary thing is getting in the way, but it makes that front page of the store less useful somehow, like information is getting hidden or pushed out of view. Where is the 'News' stuff for example now? How can i quickly see what the 'latest' offerings are vs how the site was before etc?

Anyone else having a hard time with the re-design?

 

[hunvagy]

Ok, you DO still need to do this (the 'lawyering' thing). Well carry on enjoying yourself, as I and my family will (into perpetuity) with our DRM free games that NO ONE or NOTHING can stop us from playing.......ever, until the end of time (or the family line).

In other actual GOG related stuff, i think i'm not enjoying the new re-design? Now it might be the 10th Anniversary thing is getting in the way, but it makes that front page of the store less useful somehow, like information is getting hidden or pushed out of view. Where is the 'News' stuff for example now? How can i quickly see what the 'latest' offerings are vs how the site was before etc?

Anyone else having a hard time with the re-design?

Yup, I keep trying to scroll down for the new releases, only to realize the news section isn't there anymore xD

 

[Backer42]

Ok, you DO still need to do this (the 'lawyering' thing). Well carry on enjoying yourself, as I and my family will (into perpetuity) with our DRM free games that NO ONE or NOTHING can stop us from playing.......ever, until the end of time (or the family line).

In other actual GOG related stuff, i think i'm not enjoying the new re-design? Now it might be the 10th Anniversary thing is getting in the way, but it makes that front page of the store less useful somehow, like information is getting hidden or pushed out of view. Where is the 'News' stuff for example now? How can i quickly see what the 'latest' offerings are vs how the site was before etc?

I just looked into my account and they now hide away the backup installers and the big "DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL NOW" button just gives you an 1 MB GOG Galaxy Launcher.

I can already see where this is going.

I still remember the times, when my library was just a game list on the left, while offline EXE installers and goodies appeared on the right. And GOG Downloader was nice, too. I also don't like how they unbundled all DOS game collections into separate entries, each one being a floppy disk worth of game bloated by a 12 MB installer.

 

[Zak Gordon]

https://www.gog.com/game/adom

nearly £15?! I love a good rogue, but i thought this was once a free game, and you could add the graphics stuff for free as well? I might not have that right (like how many old rogue-likes are there!?). Still with a bit of a bigger sale price reduction, i can see this going into my collection at some point

 

[Leper Messiah]

Well I finally got off me butt and signed up to GOG (I noticed (via Steam LOL) that Shadow Warrior 2 was free). Does GOG have sales like steam?

 

[Fishy]

Well I finally got off me butt and signed up to GOG (I noticed (via Steam LOL) that Shadow Warrior 2 was free). Does GOG have sales like steam?

Yes, pretty much around the same periods, just shifted a bit to happen before/after rather than exactly the same time.

 

[Backer42]

https://www.gog.com/game/adom

nearly £15?!

Oh look, regional pricing on GOG! It's literally on every game now. Well, this game is on Steam too and there it is £10.99:

https://steamdb.info/app/333300/

I love a good rogue, but i thought this was once a free game, and you could add the graphics stuff for free as well? I might not have that right (like how many old rogue-likes are there!?). Still with a bit of a bigger sale price reduction, i can see this going into my collection at some point

At this price level (Euro being the most expensive as always), it needs to live up to Hollow Knight. And it cannot.

And that's the problem with all these self-published hobby projects: I have no time left to bother with those. I would have to cut playtime from really great games to wade through this kind of stuff. And I won't, sorry.