Generally i don't like when publishers/developers are showering us with trailers and videos. I know that W3 i huge game but in last month we got more W3 videos then we needed in my opinion. Often we are getting videos on daily basis. They need to find balance that is it.
CDPR keeping Witcher 3 keys for Origin, uPlay and GOG; tell GMG to go pound sand
- Thread starter dex3108
- Start date
Generally i don't like when publishers/developers are showering us with trailers and videos. I know that W3 i huge game but in last month we got more W3 videos then we needed in my opinion. Often we are getting videos on daily basis. They need to find balance that is it.
publicpwnerer
Member
No no no. I was quoting the CD Projekt forum that was linked / discussed on the last page. The OP there was trying to defend CDP's pricing, and talking about how they'd love to pay more for the game, "because The game is so epic".
Just a shill with a lack of understanding of the GMG V. CDP issue, and defending a company trying to control prices.
Ok, but I don't get it why did GMG cave in in the end? CDPR couldn't make them change their prices since they weren't in a business agreement anyway and GMG couldn't care less about CDPR and other prices since they were most probably undercutting their own profits anyway with this one. Maybe, and forgive me for wildly speculating here, maybe there WAS something wrong with GMG keys and their latest agreement was "we'll let it go if you raise the price"? Either that, or CDPR bullied them into submission with good old "do as we want or no more deals with us ever".
-tetsuo-
Unlimited Capacity
Wut
MarcoZombieCannon
Member
I've been thinking that this whole stink reopened talks between them and they maybe are getting keys from CDPR now, unfortunately.
I live in Finland and this is what GMG, GOG and Steam says about price. GOG and Steam are with owning both previous Witcher games. To me price difference is so negligible that I just would pick outlet I like most and just roll with it. Maybe I'm just weird :b
Most of those "daily videos" were pushed by youtubers that attended in that CDPR hosted event. It did create some media bloat for sure.
Edit:
GMG in their own statement say that they did long negotiations with CDP about selling TW3 GOG keys on GMG and CDP turned them down in the end. <insert GMG saying that it was so CDP can push GOG hardcore> Then they straight out say that TW3 GOG keys that they are selling are coming from 3rd party, CDP authorised retailers. They didn't gain those keys from CDP/GOG, but worked around them and went to 3rd party. While proudly saying all games on GMG are there because of direct partnerships with pubs/devs. See below;
http://www.greenmangaming.com/about/
Well, they are free to choose whichever service they want to be partners with. Besides GOG, which is from them, they are also selling the game on Steam, Origin and uPlay. I really, really don't see the problem here.
As for DRM, no, this game doesn't have it. Getting the key to only launch it when the game releases is like pre-ordering a game with a CD-key and only getting both the CD and the key as soon as the game releases. The only difference is that here the key is digital. There's no restriction in terms of sharing the game with hundreds of people if you want to after that.
As for DRM, no, this game doesn't have it. Getting the key to only launch it when the game releases is like pre-ordering a game with a CD-key and only getting both the CD and the key as soon as the game releases. The only difference is that here the key is digital. There's no restriction in terms of sharing the game with hundreds of people if you want to after that.
Why wouldn't they is the better question? GMG has an opportunity to remain true to their own policy of only dealing directly with publishers. Secondly, why would they want to keep losing money selling the game when they can now make profits.
Probably the latter. Think about it, why would GMG ruin their relationship with CDPR, and take the bad publicity to sell CDPR's game at a lower price that cuts into their own profits. Might as well play nice for now and agree to CDPR's price, avoiding any additional stinkup CDPR could make.
CarbonFire
Member
Not at all. You could grab the files from a computer that is connected to the internet, transfer them on a flash drive to your machine with the Witcher 3 installed but no connection to the internet, and it should work just fine. It's not checking "digital rights" anywhere in that process.
Preventing prerelease leaks is NOT the same thing as "digital rights management".
paperspace
Member
Then he _certainly_ is speaking for CDPR. How did "moderator" come up?
So GMG's price was basically just a part of the negotiating process and as soon as they got what they wanted they gladly jumped back on the "price fixing" bandwagon? Yup, this industry is pretty shitty.
Only allowing the sale of the game at a fixed price point is basically eliminating distributor competition. From the point of view of a consumer, it's no different than not allowing third party distribution at all.
That's the problem.
Personally, I'll buy all my CDPR games from actual key sellers in the future.
I don't blame GMG for going about it how they are.
The only company that comes out looking bad through this whole thing is CDPR and I will wait a long time before supporting them again.
wow this is just bad. Amazon is great and do nice sales. oh well.
yeah, seeing them not selling keys to Amazon as well. pushing GoG and forcing a price just hurt gamers. man what is happening to CD Projekt lately.
CosmicQueso
Member
DRM. You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.
Trogdor1123
Member
So is this a case where every party loses and neither looks like a good guy? Kinda seems that way. I lean towards GMG on this one but its still really weird.
What?
You clearly dont understand what DRM means
Making a client download a small file on release day to unlock a game and make it playable is not DRM
Its the digital equivalent of typing in a CD key
CDP refusing to sell GMG keys is pretty shitty
But GMG going and buying a shitload of keys and then super undercutting CDPs own prices to fuck them back is just as bad
It like 2 kids in the playground
I mean why would GMG sell keys at a loss, unless they wanna say a big FU to CDP? Thats crazy stupid business practice
Both look pretty shitty right now.
GatticusFinch
Member
What?
You clearly dont understand what DRM means
Making a client download a small file on release day to unlock a game and make it playable is not DRM
Its the digital equivalent of typing in a CD key
And what do you think the purpose of a CD key is?
autoduelist
Member
Regarding this concept that CDPR 'refused' to negotiate...
Not coming to terms does not mean a company didn't negotiate - it just means they didn't come to terms. We have no idea why this happened. For example, perhaps GMG insisted on better terms than other retailers, and when CDPR 'refused' to comply, they went around CDPRs back through middlemen.
That is to say, putting this 'refusal' squarely on CDPR is unfair and misleading, as we have no idea why negotiations were terminated.
That's not what the word 'directly' means. You are spinning the hell out of the word, in fact. Unless you buy direct from them, it isn't direct, it's through a middleman and absolutely not direct.
CD keys are DRM....
Not coming to terms does not mean a company didn't negotiate - it just means they didn't come to terms. We have no idea why this happened. For example, perhaps GMG insisted on better terms than other retailers, and when CDPR 'refused' to comply, they went around CDPRs back through middlemen.
That is to say, putting this 'refusal' squarely on CDPR is unfair and misleading, as we have no idea why negotiations were terminated.
That's not what the word 'directly' means. You are spinning the hell out of the word, in fact. Unless you buy direct from them, it isn't direct, it's through a middleman and absolutely not direct.
What?
You clearly dont understand what DRM means
Making a client download a small file on release day to unlock a game and make it playable is not DRM
Its the digital equivalent of typing in a CD key
CD keys are DRM....
Why? Just out of spite because they made business decisions that you don't agree with, but still want their games?
This logic makes me scratch my head. If you dislike what company is doing why you still purchase their products? "I don't agree with what you are doing as business so I shall purchase your products!"
I doubt it. They wanted, arguably, the biggest PC release of the year on their storefront and they were willing to break their own product policy and (potentially) lose money to have it. Now a better opportunity has presented itself that doesn't make any compromises.
What I was trying to say was that the OP was acting as if DLing a file is play a game in on the same level as Sim City or Diablo 3s insane always online DRM
I am I retard I know
LurkerPrime
Member
Stuff like this is why an always online, games as a service future is inevitable. There's simply no winning when there will always be some percentage of users that snub legal channels to save a buck - or better, to spite a company. It will push all companies to the logical conclusion that their users are ultimately untrustowrthy. GOG is the final bastion against this dark future, and it's inevitably going to lose out due to this manner of pettiness; convenience over conscience every time.
uPlay this way because you really did ask for this.
RipperGrim
Member
Lol I leave the thread and come back and it's full of assumptions again and still no new information made public. Like are we really still debating the "drm" for Witcher 3? It's seriously odd at how people are so eager to tear down CDPR. Guess years of trying to build a good name for themselves and giving us an actual platform for drm digital games means fuck all.
Free dlc and putting a lot of effort into advertising their game is now making them as bad as Ea/Activision?
Free dlc and putting a lot of effort into advertising their game is now making them as bad as Ea/Activision?
That's it pretty exactly yeah. I see no reason to support them above the legally required minimum anymore.
I very much doubt it. My favourite game this year so far was Pillars of Eternity, and it was funded in a way that precludes that inherently. I also happily paid 280 USD for it.
If the AAA market continues to move away from a model which I like to support, then I will continue to spend less money on it. And perhaps ultimately stop playing AAA games altogether - I can't say I dread the loss.
Uplay is fine. At least Ubisoft don't pretend to be doing it out of the goodness of their hearts.
Theonik
Member
I don't think there is much if any legal precedent for this though I honestly haven't a clue. I doubt their forum moderators are even employees of CDP.
Maybe one of the many disenfranchised gaffers should try suing GAF for mods who talked shit about them so we can see what would happen?!
Wait, GOG, the company which is the one setting restrictions on the pricing of the product...is the final bastion? The company limiting consumer choice on where to buy their product and limited how much said retailer wants to price it at? Really?
GatticusFinch
Member
I understand your point, but I think the issue being raised was that CDPR was talking a big game about never having DRM at which point they immediately put DRM in their biggest release while also claiming it's not DRM.
The explanation for it not being DRM is full-retard:
If you give me a game on a disc, and proclaim it DRM-free, but then tell me I have to go online to download a file as a "security measure," then your game has DRM because I'm not a fucking idiot.
Seeing as CDP owns GOG...
How so? If I'm not mistaken, the game is cheaper on GOG if you have The Witcher 1 and 2. And you get more benefits. And many times after release, the game can be discounted in every digital store. How many other publishers allow so many options to buy their games on PC? Including physical editions?
Oh, so the issue is with the physical copy? These are not published by CDPR or GOG. It's not DRM because there's no service forbidding you to share or make copies of the game. It doesn't attach any key to any specific hardware or PC. There's no activation limits. Your scenario doesn't specify a kind of DRM, because protecting a game for leaking early is just due to legal and business cases. If someone buys a physical copy and doesn't have Internet connection and doesn't know anyone who has it, then they can contact support. Although I think that's trying to find a problem where I don't see a lot of people having.
And their price fixing isn't price fixing.
(I actually defended them in the expansion thread!)
Vincent Grayson
Member
Because it's a game you want to play? How is that confusing? I can disagree with their policies and do whatever possible to avoid giving them money directly, but I sure as shit am not going to skip good games over something like this.
Why don't you boycott them then if their business decisions make you so uncomfortable and you don't want support them? What you miss out on? Game or two, but you would stand by your own principals.
So you have principles, but fuck them if there is games to be played? Why to even pay them anything indirectly through keyseller? I bet there is .torrent available for ultimate fuck you.
That just is so illogical to me that people are so against policies of company, but if they can do something out of spite while getting their products they go for it.
It amazes me how many people buy into CDPR's bullshit terminology while claiming them the most user friendly devs.
Coulomb_Barrier
Member
I would agree.
I started to question them after they said something along the lines of 'we'll never do exclusive content/partnerships' and then they went and signed a marketing and other non-game content deal with Microsoft for W3.
EDIT: Having said that, I love GOG and buy from them more regularly than even Steam.
WetTreeLeaf
Neo Member
Wait wont the GOG vesrion have the DRM-free copy up after release date? Meaning it'll be pirated super easily? So whats the point of having DRM on the physical keys?
Yeah and...they are the final bastion why exactly? How is this good for anyone?
IndoAssassin
Banned
So don't preorder the game? It says after launch they will remove that requirement.
Theonik
Member
Actually they allowed other retailers to price the game however they liked so I'm pretty sure this isn't all there is to this.
Its to keep the game from leaking on the internet a week early.
I wonder what makes this so hard to understand.
funkystudent
Member
Did CDP hire some EA or MS executives during witcher 3 development?
They have gotten more AAA scummy as time went on.
They have gotten more AAA scummy as time went on.
autoduelist
Member
Well, if you take their explanation at face value it's... sort of a grey area. Ultimately, it sounds like they're not trying to have DRM after the initial release date, just making sure it doesn't get released weeks early by somebody snagging a cd of it off a truck. The needed file will be easily and freely available, and not check for ownership. It's purely a 'wait til release day' key. I think that's fair. Grey area, certainly, but it's not trying to stop people from playing it, just from releasing it early.
Really? Where can I get the game for lower than $53.99 (without owning any other Witcher game)?
WetTreeLeaf
Neo Member
Makes sense to me, dont know why people are freaking the fuck out. I wouldnt want huge story spoilers thrown around a week before.