Support NeoGAF

[IbizaPocholo]

GOG now using AI generated images on their store

AI continues to be everywhere, and now it's appearing on the GOG store too most recently a big banner for their New Year Sale.

www.gamingonlinux.com

GOG's use of fully AI-generated promotional artwork, confirmed by a staff member, has sparked strong backlash from its community, raising concerns about quality, artistic integrity, and the broader normalization of AI replacing human creators.

Summary

• GamingOnLinux reports that GOG has begun using AI-generated images on its storefront, most visibly a large banner for its New Year Sale.
• The issue was first highlighted by a Reddit post pointing out visual flaws in the banner image, such as a "melting" console and inconsistent design details, suggesting AI generation.
• The choice of imagery was criticized as thematically odd, featuring a console resembling a Nintendo-style device despite GOG being a PC-focused store.
• A GOG staff member, using the handle "KosmicznaPluskwa," responded on the official GOG forum, explicitly confirming that the current sale banner is fully AI-generated and not their own work.
• In a lengthy personal statement, the staff member emphasized their appreciation for human-created art and expressed concern about the growing acceptance of AI-generated content.
• They argued that normalizing AI use for "small" creative tasks contributes to the gradual replacement of human artists and leads to lower-quality, less intentional visual culture.
• The article links this controversy to other recent GOG developments, including:
  • The launch of the GOG Patrons program, intended to directly support GOG's mission of reviving and preserving classic games.
  • GOG's acquisition by one of its original co-founders.
  • A recent job listing for a senior software engineer that explicitly requires active use and promotion of AI-assisted development tools, including interest in AI adoption.
• The author suggests that these combined signals may erode goodwill among customers and developers, especially given GOG's history as a smaller store that has struggled financially.
• Community reactions in the comments are largely negative:
  • Many users express disappointment that patron funding may not support artists.
  • Some argue that simple text-based or community-created banners would be preferable to AI-generated art.
  • Others worry that GOG's increasing reliance on AI is part of a broader cost-cutting strategy that could hurt quality and trust.
  • A few commenters defend GOG pragmatically, suggesting financial pressure may be driving the decision.
• Several commenters propose alternative approaches, such as community art contests, which could build goodwill while avoiding AI-generated content.
• The author concludes that, regardless of intent, the move is "not the best look" for GOG and risks alienating parts of its core audience.
• GamingOnLinux has contacted GOG for an official statement and notes that the article will be updated if a response is received.

 

[IAmRei]

it's kind of sad, one has fallen already, the idea of community contest is cool tho

 

[jshackles]

Since I had to go looking for it, I saved the image in question so you don't have to hunt it down like I did

 

[BennyBlanco]

OhNoAnyway.gif

 

[bighugeguns]

AI witch hunting is going to get old, fast.

 

[Lokaum D+]

waiting for the usual "AI is bad riot"

 

[Lord Panda]

GOG needs all the help they can get, and if AI helps them save on costs then all the power to them.

The outrage and hand-wringing is just absurd.

 

[dottme]

Yeah, it's really a big don't care.

 

[neo raider]

 

[Sephimoth]

HUGE shrug

 

[MiguelItUp]

I mean, it's not a big deal. But it's also funny to me cause for what it is, any artist could've put that together in no time.

 

[BennyBlanco]

GOG needs all the help they can get, and if AI helps them save on costs then all the power to them.

The outrage and hand-wringing is just absurd.

To be fair the image is very bad, and would've been very easy to fix with AI. Just looks like amateur hour slop.

 

[Lord Panda]

To be fair the image is very bad, and would've been very easy to fix with AI. Just looks like amateur hour slop.

Yeah that's another thing entirely - if you're going to use AI and get raked over the coals for it, then at least git gud at it

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

They've been doing this for some of their short videos on Youtube where they're basically like "hey, remember this?"

It's a little dumb and I don't particularly like it, but... I don't really care that much.

 

[uncreativename]

I'd rather they didn't do that because I don't like AI, but I find it hard to get too worked up about promotional art for a store that needs to save money wherever it can.

 

[Syphon Filter]

I don't think this is a big deal, and I am usually against a.i.

 

[Magic Carpet]

What was the going rate to hire an human artist to do a banner like that? I assume you buy a dozen or more different ones as a package.

 

[Senua]

Slow news day, Kent?

 

[The_hunter]

GoG is not financially doing well, I don't think they can hire an artist.

I hope they don't close.

 

[ZehDon]

That feels really off-brand for GOG, for some reason.

 

[BennyBlanco]

What was the going rate to hire an human artist to do a banner like that? I assume you buy a dozen or more different ones as a package.

GoG is actively losing money and I don't think they've ever made profit. The CDPR cofounder buying it out was an act of sheer altruism. Any amount of money paid to an artist for a banner is money better spent getting more games on GoG.

 

[bighugeguns]

The funniest thing is that the endless comment threads railing against AI on Reddit is likely majority AI generated.

 

[YCoCg]

Someone else said it best, I'd rather a basic ass image and text than GOG use AI for this meager not even good thing.

 

[xrnzaaas]

GoG is actively losing money and I don't think they've ever made profit. The CDPR cofounder buying it out was an act of sheer altruism. Any amount of money paid to an artist for a banner is money better spent getting more games on GoG.

I still think they could've done it the right way, not even have someone working full time, but maybe a trusted freelancer artist or two. It's not like there's going to be hundreds of artworks to be made. Allowing anything creative-related to be made by AI is just asking for bad PR for a company like this, especially now when GOG should be trying to score as many positive reactions as possible after changing ownership. They could even spin it by asking their community to send stuff and just publish it, crediting her work and making all parties happy.

 

[jshackles]

To be fair the image is very bad, and would've been very easy to fix with AI. Just looks like amateur hour slop.

I think that's what bothers me the most about this, as I personally couldn't give a shit if they used AI to generate the image or not.

This sort of low-quality generative AI stuff is being pushed hard recently on a lot of scam websites - to the point that "low quality AI slop" used in a product's marketing is an indication that the thing you're buying is from an untrustworthy source. Its such a huge red flag that many corporate training programs are actively telling their employees that if you see banners like this on a website to treat it with extreme caution. Ask me how I know...

I get that they need to cut costs, but this isn't the way to do it.

 

[bighugeguns]

GoG is actively losing money and I don't think they've ever made profit. The CDPR cofounder buying it out was an act of sheer altruism. Any amount of money paid to an artist for a banner is money better spent getting more games on GoG.

If they paid a graphic designer, they'd use Photoshop, which integrates AI too. There's no running from this shit the "pushback" is fucking looney tunes shit.

 

[IntentionalPun]

I like the quote from the art connoisseur who shops for stuff and admires the marketing materials:

Maybe it doesn't matter some store put out sloppy work on promo banner - in the end everyone is just there to buy the product - but I know I enjoy seeing cool new artworks out there, when I'm out to buy new products as well.

 

[bighugeguns]

I think that's what bothers me the most about this, as I personally couldn't give a shit if they used AI to generate the image or not.

This sort of low-quality generative AI stuff is being pushed hard recently on a lot of scam websites - to the point that "low quality AI slop" used in a product's marketing is an indication that the thing you're buying is from an untrustworthy source. Its such a huge red flag that many corporate training programs are actively telling their employees that if you see banners like this on a website to treat it with extreme caution. Ask me how I know...

I get that they need to cut costs, but this isn't the way to do it.

If you physically cannot afford expensive professional services you make due with what's available. There's zero point in going into debt to appease a bunch of entitled theater kids who can't adapt to rapidly changing industries.

I'm with you that slop sucks but this line "but this isn't the way to do it." makes fuckall sense.

 

[Durin]

Literal luddite response, call me when they actually do something bad with AI.

Transient promotional art is the most obvious use-case for AI image generation, just like youtubers using it for news videos that will be consumed for a short period, and then forgotten making paying for art a waste. This isn't a big job killer, because most companies their size often opt for generic simplified vector art templates than hiring a person.

Only downer is this AI generation was poorly done, you can get plenty of still images now that don't melt basic parts. I'll take it over companies doing corporate memphis vomit like this though:

 

[StereoVsn]

I think that's what bothers me the most about this, as I personally couldn't give a shit if they used AI to generate the image or not.

This sort of low-quality generative AI stuff is being pushed hard recently on a lot of scam websites - to the point that "low quality AI slop" used in a product's marketing is an indication that the thing you're buying is from an untrustworthy source. Its such a huge red flag that many corporate training programs are actively telling their employees that if you see banners like this on a website to treat it with extreme caution. Ask me how I know...

I get that they need to cut costs, but this isn't the way to do it.

Yep, I mean have an intern spend extra couple of hours in it. There are fairly inexpensive AI based products that can produce much better work with not much $.

It's the sloppiness and low effort shit they makes you give it a side eye.

 

[xrnzaaas]

If they paid a graphic designer, they'd use Photoshop, which integrates AI too. There's no running from this shit the "pushback" is fucking looney tunes shit.

That's quite a big difference. Graphic designers don't write prompts in Photoshop for the AI to complete all the steps for them, they wouldn't even need this expensive software for that. AI features are tools used to speed up the process with things like polishing the final image and the human can still be considered the author.

 

[bighugeguns]

That's quite a big difference. Graphic designers don't write prompts in Photoshop for the AI to complete all the steps for them, they wouldn't even need this expensive software for that. AI features are tools used to speed up the process with things like polishing the final image and the human can still be considered the author.

Trust me dude, don't lecture me on anything to do with visual communication.

 

[MayauMiao]

Getting upset about this is retarded.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

These crusades are already so tiring.

 

[Bark]

Fuck GOG. There, i said it. Clearly its all about money.

 

[bighugeguns]

Fuck GOG. There, i said it. Clearly its all about money.

What the fuck in video games isn't?

 

[Draugoth]

Since I had to go looking for it, I saved the image in question so you don't have to hunt it down like I did

Lmao at that NES merging with the table.

It looks like trash, but people will use this as long as it's cheap enough to generate.

 

[jshackles]

If you physically cannot afford expensive professional services you make due with what's available. There's zero point in going into debt to appease a bunch of entitled theater kids who can't adapt to rapidly changing industries.

I'm with you that slop sucks but this line "but this isn't the way to do it." makes fuckall sense.

You don't have to go into debt to make a nice looking piece of AI generated promotional material. You'll notice in my post I specifically mentioned that I don't give a shit whether they use AI to make these or not, just that they should put a tiny amount of effort into making them in a way that doesn't convey "untrustworthy" to the average consumer.

 

[Bark]

What the fuck in video games isn't?

Nah, their high and mighty attitude is gone. They are not doing anything for the good of the hobby, but to make money. Fuck GOG

 

[Draugoth]

AI witch hunting is going to get old

Should I remind you about the RAM and NAND prices?

 

[BlackTron]

Nah, their high and mighty attitude is gone. They are not doing anything for the good of the hobby, but to make money. Fuck GOG

Isn't selling DRM free old games all they really did that was "good for the hobby"? Aren't they still doing it?

 

[ResilientBanana]

Sometimes gamers complain about dumb shit that doesn't matter

 

[Bark]

Isn't selling DRM free old games all they really did that was "good for the hobby"? Aren't they still doing it?

I don't fucking care. Fuck AI, and fuck them for using it, no matter the cope

 

[BlackTron]

I don't fucking care. Fuck AI, and fuck them for using it, no matter the cope

lol you guys are gonna fuck water because someone drowned in it

 

[bighugeguns]

I don't fucking care. Fuck AI, and fuck them for using it, no matter the cope

Agreed, everything should be hand illustrated, fuck digital tools.

LOL

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

 

[Draugoth]

lol you guys are gonna fuck water because someone drowned in it

Idk man, without AI I would have been able to upgrade my PC last Christmas. So I'm on the 'Burn it all to the Ground 'team

But I can understand why people like it. It's seriously impressive you can generate images using a graphics card (despite only being possible thanks to plagiarism).

I still wouldn't trust a store or product that uses AI as a form of advertisement. If they are cheeping out on artists, what else are they cheaping out? Can I trust the quality of their product if they don't care about the quality of their art?

 

[TommyCronin6969]

 

[Durin]

Agreed, everything should be hand illustrated, fuck digital tools.

LOL

No reference photos either, pure human imagination or get the fuck out.

 

[bighugeguns]

No reference photos either, pure human imagination or get the fuck out.

A real banner should have original hand crafted fonts, perfect to print Pantone, take two months of dedicated 14 hour a day work, reference research and cost $25k. Anything less is treason against the human race.