Exentryk
Member
Exactly. The game is actually more costly on GOG than it is on Steam (at least in my region).
CDPR keeping Witcher 3 keys for Origin, uPlay and GOG; tell GMG to go pound sand
- Thread starter dex3108
- Start date
Exactly. The game is actually more costly on GOG than it is on Steam (at least in my region).
Yeah all this anti-competitive BS in this thread is completely wrong and inaccurate. Hell Steam offers the game for the same exact price as GOG with loyalty discounts and everything even though CDPR gets less of a cut. They even get special features.
Whether there is a "scheme" to channel sales to GoG or not is irrelevant -- they appear to have chosen to restrict the number of retailers that will sell their product, in particular one that is known for deep discounts.
It's anticompetitive by the very definition of the word.
It's anticompetitive by the very definition of the word.
EscapeArtist
Banned
Why do people keep jumping to the conclusion that this is the case like CDPR turned in to an evil company with diabolical schemes in the last 24 hours. They've always been very straight forward and respectful to their customers and they've done nothing to make me think that that has changed.
styl3s
Member
No, it means a lot of people including myself will give them the benefit of the doubt and aren't going to throw them under the bus when all the facts aren't on the table. If GMG is in the wrong it will come out, if not people are gonna feel silly for poking them with pitchforks without knowing everything.
DealWithIt
Member
I don't think it's anti-competitive I think it's anti-Gray market. Green man gaming is buying keys where they are priced lower for countries with lower income levels. Then they are selling them at a profit to other countries' buyers without permission. All this kind of marketing is going to do is make it harder for people in low income countries to get games legitimately.
Just GMG. Everywhere else (steam, origin, uplay, and humble bundle) are all unaffected.
Steve Youngblood
Member
To be clear here, this is all speculation on your part. I'm not saying you're wrong, but this isn't proven.
Whoa, good job pulling stuff out of thin air there.
Yes? It's called business. CDPR made a business decision and GMG responded in kind. You know there's nothing stopping you from going to you local Gamestop and buying out their stock of The Witcher 3 and opening a stall in your garage where you sell they game for 50% off. It's fucking stupid but it's totally your right to do so.
Necromanti
Member
I wasn't aware that GMG operated within a grey market. As others have pointed out, they've had partnerships with publishers to directly distribute games in the past, including Witcher 2. The only notable exception is Witcher 3, since CDPR refused to go forward with the negotiations. Maybe there are other cases I'm not aware of.
People on GAF do the same thing and we all love it...
I applaud GMG and I applaud people selling games to the people for cheaper. In the end I don't care who gets the profit whether it's CDP, Valve, GMG or some random guy from GAF; I just want the best price.
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Seems accurate based on what we know so far. CDPR looks like complete dicks here to be honest.
Huh? On the contrary.
Sure, CDPR is entitled to decide "we don't want store X to sell our game", but if store X is reputable and well-liked by their customers, you really have to wonder at their motives for denying them the product.
GMG did what they had to do to better serve their customers. CDPR did what they did to better serve CDPR.
DealWithIt
Member
If CD project red isn't giving GMG the keys, where are they getting them except for graymarket?
If that's your view, that's fine it's just that CD project red i'll to have the power to keep you from buying it from GMG then. They can control the price as they want since they make the game.
Directly from GOG? Just as CDPR speculated themselves?
Ah, that good ol' ethics-free mentality of 'fuck you! I got mine!'.
GMG response indicate they got them from another retailer.
You're reversing the causality -- whatever happened afterwards doesn't change the fact that, by definition, CDPR acted in an anticompetitive manner by restricting the number of retailers that sold their keys.
In particular, a retailer that frequently drives prices down.
DealWithIt
Member
That's still graymarket.
they've already explained where they were getting their keys. Did you expect them to provide transaction sheets mailed to you for your stamp of approval?
Sure, there isn't anything wrong with that. Likewise, I wouldn't be wrong for questioning where you got them and warning others to be wary of your goods from an "unknown source".
Steve Youngblood
Member
I don't know. GMG claims to have gotten them from an authorized reseller. I'm not sure what that means. It may imply cheap "Russian keys" (for example). Or it may mean something else altogether. I don't know.
elitewillie1
Banned
This guy/gal gets it. CDPR tried to artificially create a floor on the price and GMG decided not to play ball. Well done GMG. I'll stick with the guy offering the lowest price.
Sure, but when company boasts on their own site about policies that they use to conduct business then I kinda expect them to, well, use their policies. GMG clearly had broken their own policy here and gone to middleman. GMG has long history as reliable seller, but this should make you wonder how often they have been more relaxed about own business policies.
All GMG said was "authorized reseller", basically dodging whole topic and being super vague. Explains nothing.
Necromanti
Member
But what CDPR did cannot be considered anti-grey market since GMG couldn't have been considered as engaging in said market until after they were not sold keys directly.
Buggy Loop
Member
Did you even try to fucking read the thread before accusing GMG? My guess is no.
So then why is gog the cheapest? It's very easy to see cdpr didn't want anyone selling for any cheaper than their list price. Which is why GMG got the boot. It's the only reasonable explanation given especially their reaction to the news of gmg's cheaper price.
TransTrender
Gold Member
Indeed. I like how that term is being thrown around but from everything we can see here there is nothing gray market about it
Gog is not the cheapest, for the 1000th time Steam is just as cheap. Gees people.
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
Well, glad it turns out that GMG isn't up to some foul play here.
Really makes CDProjekt look a bit shitty.
Two companies I like quite a bit, so I hope they find a way to work this all out with no resentment on either side.
They're not just going to disclose their business partner... Damn.
Really makes CDProjekt look a bit shitty.
Two companies I like quite a bit, so I hope they find a way to work this all out with no resentment on either side.
They're not just going to disclose their business partner... Damn.
At least in Finland I pay 50€ for TW3 on GOG and Steam. For me cheapest choice would be GMG.
Why CDP looks shitty? Because they wonder why GMG is selling TW3's GOG keys that were never given to them by CDP and with insane discount?
Also if it's all good and okay why not to be more detailed about source of keys? CDP even clearly implied that they just want to know if keys are legit so any slashback from CDP to GMG is very unlikely.
Its 53.99 on GOG.
Its 53.99 on Steam
Its 53.99 on Humble
Its 53.99 on Origin
I can't check uplay but should we guess how much it is?
If you own witcher 1&2 on steam already right? Not exactly the same thing. Oh you're talking about the normal price. Yes it's all the same price and GMG would have been cheaper. Do you understand?
So they are the lowest priced. GMG wanted to go cheaper obviously.
Yes GMG is cheapest and most likely why cdpr told them to go pound sand.
It is the same thing, because the same applies to both GOG and Steam, so i dont know what your point is.
You are out of your god damn mind if you think Witcher 3 has enough clout to be capable of pulling something like that.
And if it's not to funnel the money between a small selection of retailers, for what reason are they not allowing GMG to buy keys off of them?
TransTrender
Gold Member
Could be them going for the long play since they make much more money when selling the game through their site.
Like, why buy from Steam when it cost the same @ GOG Lololololl?
GOG laughs because they made at least 30% more.
if they would have dodged the question, they would have left out authorized reseller during their statement. Seems like you're on the witch hunt on GMG just like CDPR
The Witcher 3 is perhaps the biggest PC game of the year, I don't blame them if they had to go to the middle man. As mentioned, they spoke with CDPR and CDPR refused to sell them keys.
Yep, it came from an "unknown seller" but I can assure you it's legit keys. Don't believe me? Check my record.
As a consumer, it seems like CDPR made a decision not to sell to GMG so they can prevent the cheaper prices on their game. I mean, I understand where they are coming from but I ain't a stock holder.
EscapeArtist
Banned
It's the exact same on Steam, it's actually cheaper for me on Steam than it is on GOG because I own Steam copies of Witcher 1 and 2 there where I only own Witcher 2 on GOG.
(53.99 on GOG 47.99 on Steam)
Reverse the logic, you know reality, which is most people use steam and so they buy on steam because there isnt a price difference, thus giving CDPR less of a cut.....you guys are getting silly.
Does GMG require owning witcher 1&2? No so it's not the same deal. GMG offers the game for $40 without any requirements.
Yes there is a special discount on steam if you already own witcher 1&2. I don't think you are following me.
And? GMG has been around for 5 years and there are countless customer testimonials. I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt unless you have some other reason not to.
VolticArchangel
Member
The events and developments surrounding this matter are abhorrent, to say the least from a consumer's perspective.
What I don't understand is the legality of this entire scenario. Isn't an online reseller / retail outlet legally bound to a developer/publisher's terms (and vice-versa) when listing their products on the storefront ? This is how software distribution generally operates I reckon. They also list Bamco as the general publisher when they're only publishing the retail units in PAL territories like they did for The Witcher 2 (Atari did for NA IIRC). Moreover, how does CDPR get their margin from every sale that's done through GMG, if there isn't a contract at all ? Isn't this stuff illegal ?
If (a big one) indeed CDPR goes red alert (no pun intended) and tries to end their business relations with GMG after this debacle and wants to pull their games from GMG, can they do so ? Are there laws in place for these kind of instances, should they arise ? I don't even know where some illegal portals like G** operate, who sell stolen keys.
What I don't understand is the legality of this entire scenario. Isn't an online reseller / retail outlet legally bound to a developer/publisher's terms (and vice-versa) when listing their products on the storefront ? This is how software distribution generally operates I reckon. They also list Bamco as the general publisher when they're only publishing the retail units in PAL territories like they did for The Witcher 2 (Atari did for NA IIRC). Moreover, how does CDPR get their margin from every sale that's done through GMG, if there isn't a contract at all ? Isn't this stuff illegal ?
If (a big one) indeed CDPR goes red alert (no pun intended) and tries to end their business relations with GMG after this debacle and wants to pull their games from GMG, can they do so ? Are there laws in place for these kind of instances, should they arise ? I don't even know where some illegal portals like G** operate, who sell stolen keys.
Your original quote was claiming GOG was the cheapest which was wrong, and so i corrected you. Dont know why you are bringing up GMG in this exchange.
CambriaRising
Member
They had the cheapest price, no one was more cheap except for now GMG. So no I'm not wrong. The point is they cdpr wanted a price floor and that's why GMG got shut out.
Exactly... Also, presumably every retailers (including GMG) would buy the keys for the same price from CDPR. The only way CDPR would get more money than any retailers (again, including GMG) is by selling the game on GOG since they own it.
Aka they are trying to force people to use GOG as much as possible by limiting the third party resellers. If they could afford to only sell it on GOG I'm sure they'd do it but at the end of the day, they still want to sell copies so they are forced to at least support some 3rd party resellers.
TransTrender
Gold Member
People on the GAFs and whatnot will make the conscious decision to go with GOG because they feel there is some sort of social responsibility. They might have recognized that.