Soon? It seems you are teasing us in a long time ago with this pure Hichtcock's suspense style :hatsoff:
GOG just sent out an announcement about the event, and it has some additional details which they didn't announce before:
New technology can be an updater client. It really has to be open source if GOG wants to differentiate the service from Steam.
Personally I don't care as much for GOG.com then for the adventure game. (I barely visit GOG.com, but nice to see they keep evolving and expanding)
So at this event we get: CE and pre order info, The witcher: Adventure game info, TW3 trailer and info AND Another unannounced Witcher project? And all the stuff that GOG.com will release. This conference is going to be even more fun than I previously thought!
So at this event we get: CE and pre order info, The witcher: Adventure game info, TW3 trailer and info AND Another unannounced Witcher project? And all the stuff that GOG.com will release. This conference is going to be even more fun than I previously thought!
I care about GOG because they are the only completely DRM-free gaming distributor. All others have DRM in various forms. So GOG expanding is a good thing. The problem with their potential updater client is security and trust. If they'll release some closed source agent, it won't be any better than Steam.
What do you mean by an updater client? I'd hate to see any form of auto-update with GOG - to me the value is that you can choose for yourself when you want to update. And I've never used their download client, I've always just used a browser downloader.
@Dragonbird: Let's compare use cases of Steam and GOG right now:
1. Steam
User opens the client, and installs some game in it. Further management of udpates happens through the client (user doesn't need to manually figure out what to download and install to update the game).
Good - convenience of automatic management of updates. Incremental updates means less time to update the game.
Bad - DRM. No easy way to back up the game or the updates themselves (as standalone deltas).
2. GOG
User has no client, besides downloader helper which right now has an open source community alternative: https://github.com/Sude-/lgogdownloader plus of course one can download games from the browser. In case of any updates user has to go to GOG forums to check what exactly is updated, download the whole thing, and reinstall the game.
Good - No DRM. User can back up any current version and reinstall later again.
Bad - Manual process. No incremental updating means the whole game installer / package has to be downloaded in full increasing download time.
So how do you envision a better service? I'd say combine what's good in both. I.e.:
3. Hypothetical new GOG
There is an updater client which manages installation (optionally) and incremental updates. In order to be DRM free, it also gives an option to save the full package as well as update deltas (so if users saved only the first package, applying the deltas would bring them to the final version without the service needed).
Good - convenience and no DRM.
The only problem with this approach is that the client has to be open source in order to improve trust. Having any closed source code installing stuff in your system is an abysmally bad idea.
For example, Desura has an open source updater client: https://github.com/lodle/Desurium
1. Steam
User opens the client, and installs some game in it. Further management of udpates happens through the client (user doesn't need to manually figure out what to download and install to update the game).
Good - convenience of automatic management of updates. Incremental updates means less time to update the game.
Bad - DRM. No easy way to back up the game or the updates themselves (as standalone deltas).
2. GOG
User has no client, besides downloader helper which right now has an open source community alternative: https://github.com/Sude-/lgogdownloader plus of course one can download games from the browser. In case of any updates user has to go to GOG forums to check what exactly is updated, download the whole thing, and reinstall the game.
Good - No DRM. User can back up any current version and reinstall later again.
Bad - Manual process. No incremental updating means the whole game installer / package has to be downloaded in full increasing download time.
So how do you envision a better service? I'd say combine what's good in both. I.e.:
3. Hypothetical new GOG
There is an updater client which manages installation (optionally) and incremental updates. In order to be DRM free, it also gives an option to save the full package as well as update deltas (so if users saved only the first package, applying the deltas would bring them to the final version without the service needed).
Good - convenience and no DRM.
The only problem with this approach is that the client has to be open source in order to improve trust. Having any closed source code installing stuff in your system is an abysmally bad idea.
For example, Desura has an open source updater client: https://github.com/lodle/Desurium
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I care about GOG because it's one of the only things that has been keeping CDP afloat in the past. Without it we probably wouldn't have gotten a Witcher 3, so any time I can I try to support them.
As long as it isn't mandatory, because YMMV:
Steam:
Bad: Having to spend time with every game remembering to turn off auto-update and hoping it actually obeys you, because otherwise you'll find yourself being forced to wait 6 hours before continuing a game because you made the mistake of going online and it pushed an update at you.
Good: You CAN turn it off.
GOG:
Good: You choose for yourself when to update and the mechanism you use to do so. You can ignore updates completely if you don't see any benefit in doing so, for example if you're using mods.
I can see how an updater may become useful when they start having more large games, but I'd still prefer to be in full control. You only need client software for patch management when it's necessary for the end-user to relinquish control. If a patch to a game can be handled by a partial download, then it's also possible to package it in a way that can just be downloaded on-demand, with no client.
If they see a need for client software, then fine, they can do it. Just never mandatory.
@Dragonbird: Sure, having an updater doesn't mean it has to push mandatory updates without users knowing it. Letting user explicitly approve them first is perfectly normal practice.
And yes, in addition to the client, deltas can be provided the same way packages are provided by GOG now - i.e. through the site, or some kind of GOG style repo. That would all be in the spirit of keeping GOG DRM-free.
Normally, they can do both. Give full package with all the updates merged, and each delta separately for those who don't want to download the whole thing again and prefer to apply deltas in sequence to the first download.
And yes, in addition to the client, deltas can be provided the same way packages are provided by GOG now - i.e. through the site, or some kind of GOG style repo. That would all be in the spirit of keeping GOG DRM-free.
Normally, they can do both. Give full package with all the updates merged, and each delta separately for those who don't want to download the whole thing again and prefer to apply deltas in sequence to the first download.
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@GingerEffect @Kinley
Great, after this I'll also have a bounty on my head in Poland.
That sure narrows down countries for my retirement~
P.S: We are missing a maniacal laughter emoticon.
Fixed:
Great, after this I'll also have a bounty on my head in Poland.
That sure narrows down countries for my retirement~
https://twitter.com/GOGcomLive is posting some funny pictures. With more "behind the scenes" pics to follow, so keep an eye out!
Here's Marcin Iwinski wearing a towel:
Here's Marcin Iwinski wearing a towel:
Thank you for the laugh, Jupiter~
And now...
Wow...
Do we know if it's a hint at capes being confirmed for TW3 yet ?
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Mamais is nowhere to be seen on those pics.
Too bad.
I was looking forward seeing him on stage shouting «You guys pot!».
Too bad.
I was looking forward seeing him on stage shouting «You guys pot!».
https://twitter.com/GOGcomLive is posting some funny pictures. With more "behind the scenes" pics to follow, so keep an eye out!
Here's Marcin Iwinski wearing a towel:
