GI.biz has been talking to CD Projekt CEO Michal Kicinski, who reports that publishers are scared of using a DRM-free distribution system, despite cracked versions of their games being widely available on torrents. “DRM-free, that is something they are really scared of,” said Kicinski. “But on the other hand we can say ‘all of those games are available pirated widely so it’s better to sell them for small money than make the customer’s life difficult and get some more revenues’.”
The DRM-free product in question, of course, are the titles on CD Projekt’s digital distribution platform gog.com, which is currently in its closed early-access beta. We’re looking forward to this one going live.
Via VG247.
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An RPS DEMANDS! on the titles that the crew think should be considered falling within the “good” and “old” purvue of this site would be all sorts of interesting. With no consideration for publisher barriers, the entire Looking Glass back catalogue and most of the Lucasarts adventure games would seem to be a shoe-in.
I didn’t realise until now that GOG belongs to CD-Project…finally something good for gaming world that came from PL ;) (ok, ok, plus Witcher ;P )
And BTW that means GOG is in even better position to succeed – CD-Project is already responsible for a series of boxed versions of old games (as far as I can see, the same titles as on GOG, though can’t be certain to what degree, no account…), sold here for roughly the same price as GOG games, which is MASSIVELY popular from what I see around. They already know this stuff, now it’s time for online version.
GOG is superb; I’ve been playing games that I wouldn’t ever have hoped of tracking down second hand (and thus wouldn’t acquire, since I don’t pirate games). Absolutely fantastic idea well executed.
Regarding the children in Fallout2 – if I’m not mistaken you can patch their art assets back into the European version, neatly un-breaking one of the quests to find the missing child in the village on the way to Vault City, and recreating the irritating, thieving children in one of the early towns.
Another huge thumbs up for GOG. Their arrival feels like something I’ve been waiting YEARS for. Although I do have Steam on my machine I got into it grudgingly. The Half-Life 2 Steam tie-in bothered me all those years back (Voted the least consumer-friendly step that year, if memory serves) and I guess I haven’t ever warmed up to them. Impulse, well, it’s more of the same: another app installed to your PC trying to be helpful by looking after your games and selling stuff to you.
GOG, by contrast, is merely a website. They don’t want on your PC. They don’t want to watch what you install and manage that for you/watch you’re not being naughty with it. They just want to sell DRM-free goodies from the classic era of PC gaming, before the money-men – oh, those faceless, soulless accountants and shareholder lapdogs – homogenised it into ‘product’ and bled out any last trace of creativity. I’ve bought two games from them so far, got another one free as well, and will DEFINITELY be back for more. I live in the UK so for about the price of a bottle of Magners in the pub I’m getting some of the greatest PC games ever made, mine to do with as I wish, with little bonuses lovingly gift-wrapped into the bargain.
THAT, trembling gaming devs and publishers, is how you foster loyalty and open wallets. Love games, love GAMERS.
I really want to buy GOG games, but I still have all the originals, which I bought on release.
‘cept the driving games, obv. Nuts to driving games.
But the other stuff… I’d feel silly buying it again.
I recently picked up the Fallout, Fallout 2 & Tactics bundle for 7 quid in a local gamestation. Great value, and looking at your comments, GOG is a site I should check out.
Car-boot sales are a somewhat random, but good place to pick up older games too. Got Sam & Max / Day of The Tentacle pack for 1 quid !!
One of these days I’d love to get my hands of the elusive Anacronox. Pretty much impossible to find anymore, I missed the game, but from everything I’ve heard and read about it I *know* that it’d easily be one of my favourite games of all time… if only I could play it.
If GoG.com manages to capture this ellusive title I’d be more than happy to pay its original retail price for it.
Great idea for a website I say!
@Jon
You should.
I think everyone should’ve played Anachronox at least once, twice even as it can be a rather confusing game story-wise (but that’s not a bad thing, in this case) because there are so many elements to keep up with.
Overall though, it just had an absolutely brilliant sense of humour. I’ll never forget certain bits, like where I had to provide proof that a medieval-ish town on one planet was being stalked by a werewolf, and the whole Democratus thing (”They say everyone has a voice, my friend doesn’t!” [he points at his mute friend, who shakes his head sadly]), oh and who else remembers the NPC hobo complaining about being an NPC (”We are all just puppets in a play, the great writer gives us lines to speak and we can speak naught but the lines we are given! We have no minds of our own, we just dither back and forth from day to day, speakinig those selfsame lines!!”)?
Loved Anachronox.
…
Dammit, now I want to play Anachronox again. Which I have to fit between Trials 2, Spore, WAR, The Force Unleashed… gah.
Just got into GOG. I want to buy Fallout, not because I don’t have it, but because my version doesn’t play nice with XP (no sound. :(). Also, Evolva! Also also, MDK!
I took a glance at what people want. On the last page alone, seven people asked for Planescape Torment, which I would whole-heartedly agree with.
I got a copy off a friend, then discovered, to my horror, that the game doesn’t like hyperthreading. You have to do a TONNE of tampering to get it to work properly. Now, hopefully, they’ll get Planescape, then fix it up so it’ll work properly. At which point, I shall buy it, and revel in my happiness.