This has pissed me off about CDPR for a while now. They've been two-faced about this more than once. Witcher 3 retail copies will have Online DRM for installation, despite the company's fervent support of DRM-free gaming. Seems like they're fine with games being free of DRM so long as it's not their games...
CDPR keeping Witcher 3 keys for Origin, uPlay and GOG; tell GMG to go pound sand
- Thread starter dex3108
- Start date
GrizzleBoy
Banned
Exactly, GMG are not on fucking trial for a crime. Theyre under no obligation to explain to CDPR who didn't want to do business with them in the first place where they got their keys from.
Price fixing is illegal in nearly every developed market, just saying.
You cannot dictate to retailers what they sell for, they can lose money if they want to, it's their choice.
If GOG and CDP want to go against their consumer first ethos and control who can sell their products like this then fine, go ahead but stop trying to claim that they are somehow different from other platforms and ublishers then they need to stop this sort of thing.
Regional pricing was just the start of CDP abandoning why they made GOG in the first place it seems.
How you know that is the case here and reason why CDP didn't partner up with GMG? You know something rest of us don't?
CDP rep said source part, even that is paraphrased by GameSpot, and rest is all GameSpot. CDP saying they don't know how GMG got GOG keys to sell, as CDP didn't sell them to GMG, implies just that. They don't know from where or how GMG got their keys.
lordfuzzybutt
Member
Umm, what?
Occam's Razor.
Fine Ham Abounds
Member
So basically GMG is that guy who buys 100 bottles of Coke at Walmart to resell at his gas station
I'm trying to figure out how I'm supposed to feel bad for Coke in that situation
I'm trying to figure out how I'm supposed to feel bad for Coke in that situation
http://forums.cdprojektred.com/threads/35369-The-Witcher-3-Wild-Hunt-Retail-PC-Version-FAQ
The phrasing is very weird. What copies are printed pre-launch and what copies are printed post-launch? Will people who pre-ordered the game have the DRM version?
If GMG wasn't having this sale, CDPR would not have contacted Gamespot about it. The sale price is what created the entire situation we are discussing.
You will need to connect to internet and download small file that will unlock game. They did this to prevent possible leaked copies to be played before release. Something like Steam pre-loads that are encrypted until release date.
Denton
Member
Stop lying. There is no DRM. There is missing executable in order to prevent leaks during manufacturing process, so it has to download in early retail copies. But there is no DRM.
They only had DRM in Witcher 2 because Namco insisted, and when they removed it in early patch, Namco sued them.
RipperGrim
Member
I have literally seen them saying that the Witcher 3 will have absolutely have no DRM boxed or not. Where are you getting this?
Did they contact GameSpot? To me it looks like more case of GameSpot journalist spotting this thread on CDP forums, paraphrasing quote from it and making rest shit up.
You assume CDP contacted press themselves and I think it was press spotting thread and made news out of it. We both assume.
There is no DRM version of the Retail box, you only have to download a file (make a backup if you want) to play it. The file won't be needed for the next batch of retail copies.
I believe some EU countries have stopped Below Cost Selling on certain items. Mostly to stop larger supermarkets coming into a location and selling loss leaders to starve out smaller local shops.
Just a small clarification. I don't believe GMG is doing that in this case.
MrNyarlathotep
Banned
And like I said; with zero knowledge about a subject, it is not super professional to go to the press and basically do corporate concern trolling.
"Gee, I don't know where these keys came from, but it would be terrible if they were stolen and we never get any money from them".
I don't think there is reason to be wary if a publisher/developer doesn't want their game/IP devalued. It's well within their rights to try to keep their IP as valuable as possible. Keep in mind money has little to do with CDPR direction towards GMG (their cut wouldn't change, the price reduction is coming out of GMG's pocket).
As far as i know Gamespot article was published first.
lordfuzzybutt
Member
Yes, but that is not DRM. DRM restricts your usage (installations, etc.) of your game, this only acts as a security measure so that pirate or people with prior access can't play the game before launch date.
An online activation is still far cry from what I would perceive as DRM-free.
Hard to say as GameSpot article doesn't have time, just date.
From where this "CDR went to press to spread bullshit" is coming from? I can't tell precise time when GameSpot article was published, all I can see is when CDP made their statements on their forums.
Remember, CDPR are not a greedy company, they can't do wrong in some people's eyes (even despite this anti-consumer move).
Obviously GMG is the bad guy here. /s
grandjedi6
Master of the Google Search
Looks like no one has done anything wrong in this fucked up situation. I do have to question how any of this makes financial sense for GMG. They are already taking a financial loss trying to resell keys, which is only made worse by the huge sale they are doing. And any benefits of having such a promotion has been countered by these allegations, which GMG probably should've forsaw.
Stuff like this is why I feel like we will one day wake up to find GMG having gone out of business overnight.
Stuff like this is why I feel like we will one day wake up to find GMG having gone out of business overnight.
Bony Manifesto
Member
So you don't believe any of the games sold on gog.com can be described as 'DRM-free'?
There is no online activation, you only need to download a small file to install/play it.
RipperGrim
Member
All copies of the game sold after the launch won't have this file needed.
Denton
Member
Good thing that it's not online activation then.
Which can be seen as DRM function, but personally I don't care as I take this over pre-release .torrent files that surface week before release date.
The first upadte is the "tell"-thing, the second is the forum post. So unless gamespot is playing something really tricky, the "tell" came before the forum post.
Glitchesarecool
Member
I'm super confused by this whole entire thing so forgive me if I'm making some weird error, but is this suggesting that CDPR didn't want to engage in the usual launch discount that GMG does, therefore GMG had to obtain keys from an unknown source, and is selling at a loss?
I guess this somehow makes sense with how big Witcher 3 is going to be, but it seems really weird from a business side for GMG to do so. Also, I hope those keys continue to work at launch and CDPR doesn't somehow disable them.
I guess this somehow makes sense with how big Witcher 3 is going to be, but it seems really weird from a business side for GMG to do so. Also, I hope those keys continue to work at launch and CDPR doesn't somehow disable them.
Theonik
Member
Well it matters in this case because in a scenario where every retailer sells at the same price, cutting in the other retailers dictates that CDPR makes less money if you buy it from another marketplace. Now this means that if CDPR wanted they can pricematch someone going rogue like GMG without losing money in this case because they develop and distribute their own game. The problem is that if they did that, they'd be accused of being anticompetitive towards pretty much every other retailer that isn't GMG. (They would be essentially forcing them to sell the product at a loss to compete)
This is why what GMG is attempting to do is also regulated in many countries, because it is a form of anticompetitive practice.
MrNyarlathotep
Banned
Again, from the OP:
It is not a huge leap of faith that CDP contacted GameSpot regarding the story, and GameSpot updated accordingly.
I don't percieve a retail copy requiring online connection for installation to be DRM-free
Downloading small file requires an internet connection, which serves as an obstacle. All I'm saying is that CDPR is playing it very inconsistent, preaching DRM-free gaming in PR interviews, while also implementing measures that obstruct the installation process.
razgriz417
Member
Well being a online retailer that is not stocking the biggest pc game of the month would make them look pretty bad right? I'm guessing it's a business decision and they are taking the loss to keep from becoming irrelevant
Because regardless of those matters, GMG would still hurt their reputation the most if they simply canceled everyone's orders at this point.
The only winning move they can do right now to both preserve their reputation and free themselves of those accusations is selling legitimately acquired keys at whatever loss they have to take.
Denton
Member
So according to you logic, they should have included exe file in manufacturing, thus ensuring that the game will be leaked on torrents weeks before launch.
Sorry but that is moronic.
The game is still DRM-free.
If that update is word to word quote then it's so-so for CDP rep to say.
Same time "As such, none of the revenue from Green Man Gaming's current Witcher 3 promotion will go to GOG.com or CD Projekt Red. If you'd like to buy The Witcher 3 directly from CD Projekt Red, head to the game's GOG.com page here." part of said update to me sounds like GameSpot editorializing it and adding own commentary.
Good point, and further proof that GMG is in the wrong here.
RipperGrim
Member
Why the hell does there have to be a bad guy? I don't know how many times I have said this but we don't know anything to be making judgements like GMG is in the right and CDPR is in the wrong or vice versa. From the beginning of the thread when it was just CDPR people were preaching wait for all the info to come out and the only thing that has come out is what GMG have said, still not revealing who their source is and in the eye of any publisher that makes them the same as any other key reseller and therefore they advice their customers to not take a risk with them.
It honestly looks like people just want to shit on CDPR because of their reputation as being more consumer friendly than any other major publisher out there (Which they are by the way).
thelastcrusader
Banned
I am actually with GMG on this one. CD wanted to be dicks so they went around them. Kudos to GMG.
To my logic, CDPR should practice what they preach. Other physical retail games do fine without requiring such an online activation. And said publishers don't even tout an anti-DRM business model for that matter either. By what logic is it neccessary for me to have an online connection to install a physical disc-based game that can install on its own just fine?
The rules of what DRM is become really limited when speaking of CDPR, funny enough.
But... it won't require it after the release date....
RipperGrim
Member
Like I said, copies after the launch will not require this file to be downloaded, if it's such a pain then wait a week after launch and get it then.
Shame about everyone pre-ordering the game and not hearing about this until now...
MrNyarlathotep
Banned
Again, From the OP:
Directly attributed quote telling people not to buy from a retail competitor just because they "don't know" where they got keys from.
GameSpot confirming that CDP claiming they are getting "no revenue" from these sales - the implication being that these keys are stolen - is a direct quote from CDP
razgriz417
Member
So you preordered a retail copy? Pretty sure most people preordered digital.
You're just making a mountain out of a molehill here, you can download the game from Steam, GOG or whatever and give it to your friend without any DRM processes running that's as DRM free as it gets. Does the game boxed or digital contain any DRM software? No, can you trade it, borrow it and lend it? Yes.
Denton
Member
First off, they are practising what they preach, missing exe is not DRM, and they are selling DRM-free copy from day one on GOG and other outlets.
Second, are there even any retail AAA games released that have zero protection and work without internet on day one? Care to give any examples?