Buying a Steam game when it's on GOG. Why?

[Deleted member 3534]

I'm guilty of this and I'm trying to stop. I was buying Steam versions of games just because basically... I just wanted to add to my game count and look at it in my library. Looking at my vast Steam library now, I dread the day when all of it just goes away or becomes unplayable. I realize the major issue with a lot of DRM isn't just that it's a potential drain on resources, it's rolling the dice on the longevity of the product.

I bought Crysis twice on Steam. Both times I got locked out of the game forever because I hit my max install limit. Mind you, I'd only ever installed it on one PC. I just uninstalled and reinstalled every once in a while... on the same computer. The first time was a complete surprise since I had no idea that the game that fucking horrible implementation of DRM. But I wanted to replay Crysis so I bought again and the same thing happened. Since buying it on GoG I don't have any of those fears.

I did it because the games looked good on my "virtual shelf" and they were all in one space. Now, I'm going GOG if the option is available. Pulled the trigger on Dying Light and about to do the same with Shadow Warrior 2. It might feel a little weird since I have Shadow Warrior 1 on Steam but I guess that's a problem I'm just going to learn to live with.

 

[Kyuur]

It's a pain to have multiple places to look for games. I never keep stuff installed or make backups so its not like I'd be any better off when GOG goes down.

 

[Goldfishking]

Honestly i've never had any problems with Steams DRM.
With a bigger libary and good sales. I dont see any reason to pick GOG over Steam.

 

[low-G]

I know that feel, but think of it this way: A world where Steam dies will probably kill PC gaming and take GoG with it and also make PC gaming hardware extremely rare and expensive so you won't be able to maintain your hobby anyways and you'll probably have to just read physical books as you relax from a hard day roaming the Wastes for scraps of non-spoiled food.

 

[Deleted member 26104]

"No steam no buy" is a thing for a seemingly large portion of the PC gaming crowd. It's basically console war stuff but for PC.

 

[inner-G]

I don't have an account on GoG

I found out the Witcher ppl own gog so that interested me, but I haven't had a reason to shop there.

 

[Plumpbiscuit]

The excuse most people say is "because I want it all in one place", to that I say create desktop icons for games you regularly play and there ya go. It really is sad people prefer DRM + license agreements over DRM-free with full control and ownership just because the games aren't on 1 singular client. GOG now has Galaxy, with cloud support, achievements and time spent in the game, so there's no excuse.

 

[ZanderEzekial]

I understand a lot of folks just default to Steam, and it's often still the cheapest way to get most games. Still, I agree, if you're buying games at full price and they're on GOG, it's probably worth it to pick up there. GOG Galaxy is easy to use if you still want a client for easy updates.

GOG Connect continues to be a thing as well, they add new titles most every sale so it's always worth keeping up with what you can add to your DRM-Free library.

 

[EdgeXL]

Because I can get the game on both if it becomes available on GOG Connect.

 

[woodcutter]

gog is cool. it's like steam minus steam. they are having a st patties day sale now!

 

[StereoVSN]

Here is one reason - patching. Steam version usually gets patches for games earlier and more reliably. Sometimes GOG versions don't get later patches at all or it may take months. Also, folks need to disassociate Steam Client with DRM. There are many games that are DRM free on Steam and can be just run fine without Steam client after downloading.

Because I can get the game on both if it becomes available on GOG Connect.

Click to shrink...

Oh yeah, and this as well. That said, all the older games I buy on GOG as generally often there will be performance fixes on GoG version. For example, Crysis works much better on GoG vs Steam.

 

[Zukuu]

Convenience of steam's install, auto-updates and cloud save paired with having a "single place" for ease of access purposes.

 

[timmbp]

People value different things. I'm with you in preferring DRM free and no client installers.

 

[Iadien]

I always search GOG for a game I want before buying it on Steam. I'll even go out of my way to try to find out if a game is expected to release on GOG sometime in the future, and just wait for it. Mainly because I just want to support what GOG does with older games.

 

[AshenOne]

"No Steam no buy" here mostly because..

• Well established community
• Steam Achievements
• Trading Cards
• Circle of friends only on steam
• Most third party releases are still on Steam
• Many steam-related features that are given to consumers for FREE so only buying a few games gets you into that ecosystem
• No question asked Refunds(big influence)
• Finally i actually prefer investing in a steam version of a game than a DRM-FREE version of a game on GOG cause of all the above things come with it so much that i can just ignore the usual Steam DRM that comes along with it.

So, yea Valve's long term commitment is a big deal and has a big influence on me as a consumer, until GOG reaches that point and as a wide array of third party releases i don't see myself using it often though i do believe that GOG is the ONLY real competitor to Steam for the consumers as it offers unique incentives that neither of the big boys offer. DRM Free is a big enticement.

PS: Forgot to mention Steam's Controller support. Its outstanding. Basically i can use any sort of joystick nearly to play any game. Its amazing and it offers native support for playstation and xbox controllers.

 

[Plumpbiscuit]

Here is one reason - patching. Steam version usually gets patches for games earlier and more reliably.

Click to shrink...

The game shouldn't release broken in the first place, this is the devs/pubs fault and not the platform to which it releases on.

Sometimes GOG versions don't get later patches at all or it may take months. Also, folks need to disassociate Steam Client with DRM. There are many games that are DRM free on Steam and can be just run fine without Steam client after downloading.

Click to shrink...

If you need to open additional software, like the client, in order to play your games well that's DRM. Every Steam game needs to be activated with an internet connection at least once, that's DRM. If the game needs to be downloaded with a client, that's DRM. If the game needs to be installed/uninstalled with a client, that's DRM. If you need an account to do all of the aforementioned, that's DRM.

 

[newmoneytrash]

i keep trying to visit god first but i've been using steam for so long it's a hard habit to break

 

[Htown]

Steam is more convenient.

Also sometimes you get games from your Steam account unlocked on GOG for free, and the opposite is not true.

 

[Arulan]

Steam has some of the best features of any platform, for both consumers and developers. GOG is competitive as well, especially with regards to DRM-free content, and pre-configured (DOSBox mostly) game packages.

Notice how both of these platforms compete by means other than exclusivity nonsense. People want to use these platforms, they're not forced to. I can't say the same about the others.

 

[Deleted member 15227]

Some GoG games can also be redeemed/linked on Steam.

 

[deftones r cool]

I use a Steam controller so storefronts like GoG, Uplay, and Origin become a hassle for me.

No Steam, no buy. Helps me save money.

 

[UltraMav]

This is like a weird idiosyncrasy of mine, but I tend to purchase most new stuff on Steam and use GOG for, well "Good Old Games," and use it as a classics library. It also depends on if I have previous titles in a series on one service or another, as I like to see them all together on my virtual shelf. Logically, there's probably no good reason not to get everything I can on GOG, of course.

 

[Deleted member 1759]

It's a mix of friends/community and habit for me. I love the idea behind GOG but I still end up buying most of my games on Steam. I don't mind using other clients/stores but Steam is just more convenient :/

btw. does GOG allow you to change your username?

i keep trying to visit god first but i've been using steam for so long it's a hard habit to break

Click to shrink...

You don't need God when you have Gaben.

 

[Redhead On Moped]

GOG versions of some titles do not always play friendly with Big Picture mode, which is one of my stringent requirements.

1. It must be completely controller friendly or even better, native.

2. Must have a 10 foot UI.

3. Must be able to be played, start to finish, without use of keyboard or a mouse.

4. Must be able to be launched form Big Picture mode.

Regrettably, I've had cases of 3 and for being no-goes on GOG versions of even popular games, like Tales of Monkey Island.

 

[SaberVS7]

Also, most games that are mutually on GOG and Steam are also DRM-free on Steam anyway. Kiseki series games run on the exact same executable between GOG and Steam and will attempt to make API calls with both Galaxy and Steam if both are running.

 

[Quad Lasers]

At this point, the majority of games I buy are either on sale or release with a discount through 3rd party vendors like GMG/Gamesplanet/Fanatical/etc which supply Steam keys. And when there isn't a good 3rd party option, there's not much point for me to veer from the Steam market when the majority of games are on and easily managed through that client. I also can't remember experiencing any DRM related issues with any of my games.

Buying games through GOG for me would pretty much purely be about the principle of owning a DRM-free copy, despite it having no real tangibly positive affect on my gaming habits.

 

[cowboyblobemoji]

I never look at gog

 

[Thrill_house]

I have a gog account. Love their store. So nice having access to old games. I guess I just buy on steam out of convenience? I really don't care what storefront I have to use to buy a game honestly...other than the windows store. I won't touch anything there with a god damned barge pole.

 

[BoosterDuck]

potential GOG Connect support

 

[Jaded Alyx]

...Because it's on Steam.

I have a Steam account, I don't have a GoG account.

That's pretty much it.

If I want a game that's only on Origin, I make an Origin account and download Origin.
If I want a game that requires Uplay, I make a Uplay account.
Blizzard game, Epic Games game, etc etc same thing.
So far, I have had no reason to buy a game from GoG.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Not interested in dividing my catalog between libraries.

 

[GLHFGodbless]

Been using steam for an eternity and literally have not had a single issue with any game ever. Why use something else?

 

[super moustique]

Looking at my vast Steam library now, I dread the day when all of it just goes away or becomes unplayable.

Click to shrink...

Aren't most steam games preserved by now ?

 

[Rhaknar]

people like non-drm things.

I dont get it either (especially as im getting older and older, I realise that the idea of preserving shit is completely pointless, Ill never in my lifetime play my backlog, let alone replay games, but thats another whole can of worms) but leave them be.

edit: wait I read the topic the other way around lol.

Looking at my vast Steam library now, I dread the day when all of it just goes away or becomes unplayable. I realize the major issue with a lot of DRM isn't just that it's a potential drain on resources, it's rolling the dice on the longevity of the product.

Click to shrink...

trust me, this will pass, for the reason I just stated above. And that shit wont ever be gone in your lifetime anyway.

 

[sredgrin]

Patching for new stuff, plus ease of use + the fact like there's 30 sites selling steam versions so a good chance it's cheaper.

Crysis would be one of the few ones I might have considered it due to the ridicukous DRM but it wasn't available on GoG when I bought it (another big problem form GoG).

Wouldn't be buying any MP versions on GoG like you are though that's for sure. Shadow Warrior 2 can be played with Steam but Dying Light cannot.

 

[Syril]

The main thing that's nice about steam still is the family sharing. I usually like buying on Humble because when something is available DRM-free they sell that and a steam key together.

 

[Aeana]

If it's a new game that I expect to get patched a lot, I'll prefer Steam because it seems easier for devs to get patches out quickly on Steam compared to GOG. Otherwise, yeah, I like to have stuff on GOG.

 

[StereoVSN]

The game shouldn't release broken in the first place, this is the devs/pubs fault and not the platform to which it releases on.

If you need to open additional software, like the client, in order to play your games well that's DRM. Every Steam game needs to be activated with an internet connection at least once, that's DRM. If the game needs to be downloaded with a client, that's DRM. If the game needs to be installed/uninstalled with a client, that's DRM. If you need an account to do all of the aforementioned, that's DRM.

Click to shrink...

Patching is partially the platform. Steam has very well developed automatic patching infrastructure with a host of free dev tool on top of that. It's very robust, well implemented, commonly used, etc... It's pretty great. GoG has issues with patching simply said.

For DRM - not sure what you are saying here. You can download the game through a Steam Client and afterwards you never have to use that said client again to launch the game (you can run .exe directly). Steam is NOT DRM. Steam can include light DRM but Steam Client is not the same as DRM implementation through Steamworks. It's a large distinction. You are mistaking delivery method (steam client) with software DRM.

 

[StereoVSN]

Aren't most steam games preserved by now ?

Click to shrink...

Define "Steam Games". If a game is utilizing Steamworks based DRM, it's trivial to crack or the game may not use DRM on Steam at all. If it's Denuvo, YMMV.

 

[Kilbane65]

I have hundreds of GoG games, but I still don't trust them 100%, ever since that "We're shutting down!!" prank. Made me realize how fragile these digital storefronts can be (and yeah I include Steam here). It only takes a single day to lose access to all your stuff if they decide to shut it down, and the more games you have on a store/client, the more screwed you are in regards to downloading all that stuff and saving it before it happens.
Which is why I stopped collecting games like I used to and now I buy like 3-4 games every major sale that I'm gonna absolutely play as soon as possible.

 

[woodcutter]

Been using steam for an eternity and literally have not had a single issue with any game ever. Why use something else?

Click to shrink...

it's nice to taste other waters? gog is cool. you are missing out with diablo 3.

 

[Plumpbiscuit]

For DRM - not sure what you are saying here. You can download the game through a Steam Client and afterwards you never have to use that said client again to launch the game (you can run .exe directly). Steam is NOT DRM. Steam can include light DRM but Steam Client is not the same as DRM implementation through Steamworks. It's a large distinction. You are mistaking delivery method (steam client) with software DRM.

Click to shrink...

You don't realise every Steam program is tied to applicable license agreements and can get your account or in-game account terminated should you break this/these. With GOG, this doesn't apply.

Steam IS DRM beyond the infrastructure because of the digital license(s).

 

[Flabber]

I bought The Witcher from GOG and I can't remember where I bought GTA V but it wasn't Steam. I just set up the shortcuts and run them from there anyway.

Thing is it does bug me slightly that if I delete them I'll have to remember to go somewhere else to redownload them and can't just do it from in Steam. That said if there was a good offer on from somewhere else I'd probably do the same thing again.

 

[Hate]

PC Wars.

Basically convenience of platform use. If you have a lot of steam or gog games in a single account, you're looking to stay there.

 

[Dinjoralo]

Occasionally I get games on GOG, partly because it means I can share a bit of my library with my boyfriend without the stupid hoops Steam has for a similar process. That, or GOG has a better sale, but even then, I'll still add some of them to my Steam library for the extended controller support, like with The Witcher 3.

 

[CountAntonio]

I like my stuff conciliated, have never had any issues with steam and it has a good refund policy.

 

[Mozendo]

I actually prefer GoG, but sales.
Games I want usually go on sale more on Steam :C

 

[Epilexia]

To boycott a company that does a terrible work supporting indie developers, that is.

And not, that they finally allowed the game in the store, after all of the backslash, doesn't change this reality for me. I know a lot of great developers who faced this same problem.

One thing is curation, to prevent shovelware, I applaud this. And other thing is judging the artistic or entertainment qualities of a game based in its production values or the conscious decision of a certain artistic design.

Same thing can be said of how they didn't allow most of the visual novels submitted, because they don't consider them video games.

All of my Mac purchases will remain in Itch.io and in Steam, while they continue rejecting most of the indie developers or Japanese niche games from their storefront.

So I'm proud of not spending a single cent in GOG.

They are the last company that I want to see triumphing in the industry, because their polices are against my own vision of the video game medium.

 

[Deleted member 14377]

I've already invested in the steam eco system and GOG allows you to transfer library sometimes

 

[Mobyduck]

Steam accepts my currency, GOG didn't when I last tried. Same reason I don't buy games at itch.io.