Delusibeta
Banned
I'm surprised they didn't say "we bought a job lot of retail copies from Namco", tbh.
CDPR keeping Witcher 3 keys for Origin, uPlay and GOG; tell GMG to go pound sand
- Thread starter dex3108
- Start date
diablos991
Can’t stump the diablos
That may make sense in some markets. But CD key reselling doesn't exactly have a loyal customer base. Customers in this market are too price sensitive so buying-in at a loss doesn't make sense.
There is still nothing there to say they are selling a loss, just that the discount comes out of their profit if any.
The wholesale price or price they negotiated for retail copies or whichever means they used, could still be lower than their current discount.
Well there you are, GMG made the hard choices to provide value for their customers. Sucks that they couldn't negotiate a deal w/ CDPR, but sounds like at the end of the day, people who buy the $39 deal will still get their game.
If anything, this just makes CDPR look bad IMO.
Delusibeta
Banned
It does provide evidence for the rumour that CD Projekt is trying to make GOG a direct competitor to Steam if they're prepared to completely cut out a rival store (and the small fact that all non-Steam versions of The Witcher 3 require you to activate them on GOG).
Jawmuncher
Member
and CDPR is still getting money. Contrary to what some were thinking in this thread.
If anything, it will be the opposite for me. I'm gonna be looking at CDPR weird for just suddenly denying GMG keys on some weird exclusivity shit.
GMG's 'gray area' purchases don't bother me because they are still legitimate, digital keys that CDPR did get money for (indirectly).
Just think about GMG's position here: Witcher 3 is one of the hottest games coming out this year. Your digital distribution platform will start to look like a joke if the biggest games started skipping your platform. So you take a calculated loss to eat the cost of purchasing keys from other legitimate sources to save face and remain relevant. They had to work around CDPR's bullshit (and again, CDPR STILL gets their money, although indirectly).
Exactly.
So CDPR is not that customer friendly as we thought. Yes they have right to choose their partners but it is really sad to hear they refused to sell keys to GMG even though GMG tried to convince them multiple times. In the end consumers should always have right to decide where to buy their games.
Generally those kind of sites buy from out of region and there have been instances of them using dodgy credit card information to purchase the keys. Whereas GMG has never been anything but completely above board.
I still would like to hear that the keys are from the UK/EU for closure, but otherwise I'm leaning heavily towards the "CDPR screwed up" side of things.
TheSlySoul
Member
I blame CD for that. They jumped to a baseless accusation.
Makes me want to buy it from GMG just to spite them.
Not really considering it's available through GoG, Steam, Origin and who knows elsewhere. Doesn't seem that exclusive which is why GMG's comment strikes me as odd.
jim-jam bongs
Member
wellthereitis.goldblum
Pretty concerned about CDProjekt's shit lately, from Xbone exclusive goodies to offering TW3 in Australia with the typical "fair pricing" credit instead of just selling it at a fair price.
Pretty concerned about CDProjekt's shit lately, from Xbone exclusive goodies to offering TW3 in Australia with the typical "fair pricing" credit instead of just selling it at a fair price.
CDPR said that they refused to sell keys to GMG too.
Well, I still can't see any digitial distributor that sells GOG keys where GMG could get them in bulk, GMG not providing them until the release day also sounds dodgy (like keys extracted from the retail boxes) and their refusal to name the source when asked by CDPR.
GMG havent really said anything though. Their sources are still unknown. Only thing new is that they say they were talking with cdpr about this stuff. For all we know they are taking advantage of some regional price flaw that lets them buy cheap and sell high, or are buying keys no different from those cdkey sites.
Its ultimately a cleverly worded response.
Its ultimately a cleverly worded response.
Denton
Member
Retail copies contain GOG code for convenience, but it is a bonus, optional. You don't need to activate them on GOG.
Retail copies are drm free.
Don't spread misinformation.
By the way, what GMG is doing is shady. If they have no permission from CDP to sell their game digitally, then they should not do it.
If they do, they are no better than all the other unauthorized resellers like G2A.
Those are all services with games on them, GMG is a game seller with no platform. Instead of letting them get keys to redeem through GoG, they only are allowing the major services, not GMG style gaming sellers.
Seems straight forward.
- GMG advertises that they are selling Witcher 3 keys.
- GOG realizes that GMG is not an authorized seller of Witcher 3 keys, inquires with GMG.
- GMG doesnt respond.
- GOG issues warning to customers about GMG keys until the "source" is identified.
- GMG says they are reselling keys they acquired from authorized sellers.
There is obviously some negativity at play here since CDPR explicitly stated that they denied GMG digital keys while allowing all others platforms keys at the same time.
TheSlySoul
Member
That is what I am thinking. They do not want the seller to be blacklisted.
The seller should be honest with CDP though if we are going the moral route.
diablos991
Can’t stump the diablos
Yup. This is why I don't expect GMG to give out that information. It might actually be in their contract to not disclose the source (at least it should have been in the contract knowing CDPR refused GMG)
That's what I'm saying though, it's odd that GMG got denied the chance to sell keys when Origin of all people is selling keys, as well as Steam and who knows how many other stores. So weird.
Either way this doesn't look well for GoG but at the same time we don't know where the keys are from still, which means they could have the potential to backfire or be from who knows where like other CD key stores.
GMG almost always provides the keys on release day unless the publisher is willing to give them earlier. 2K is a long standing GMG partner, and it was still literally the evening before GTA5 came out before they got keys from 2K to distribute to customers. It doesn't mean they're raiding retail boxes for codes, it just means the way digital distribution works is largely broken from a consumer standpoint.
This tore it for me. I'm canceling my ps4 order and buying from GMG. CDPR owes GMG a public apology for slandering them like that. I doubt they meant to since it was the forum moderator that made the claims but that really doesn't matter at the end of the day since damage is done regardless.
They said enough to categorically refute the claims made by CDPR. CDPR claimed they receive no money from GMG sales which we now know is 100% false. CDPR claimed the keys were fraudulent which we now know is 100% false.
They said enough to categorically refute the claims made by CDPR. CDPR claimed they receive no money from GMG sales which we now know is 100% false. CDPR claimed the keys were fraudulent which we now know is 100% false.
CarbonFire
Member
It's possible GMG didn't want to play ball with the fixed pricing structure CDPR has implemented on every other place selling keys.
Hypothetical
GMG: We would like to sell your game.
CDPR: Here is the price at which you will sell our game.
GMG: But we want to sell it for less...that's the only way people buy keys from us over Steam and the other big retailers
CDPR: No keys for you!
Otherwise, it really does make CDPR look bad trying to squeeze out a potential digital distribution competitor. Why else would they refuse them keys, especially in light of their past partnerships?
they should've included two keys in retail copies of the game - one gog key (marked in their db as retail) and verification code. Hog should then check if the key comes from retail box and ask for the second code if so. That would allow them to check if gmg got their codes from retail copies.
Denton
Member
Or GMG, for selling a game they are not authorized to sell. Eye of beholder.
Keys are marked by retailer anyway. So CDPR can check who codes was originally sent to.
Yup. And if they responded to cDPRs enquiry in the first place there would be no story.
RipperGrim
Member
Wow after people saying that others mustn't jump to conclusions when CDPR made their statement, GMG has made theirs and now CDPR are shitty and should be boycotted to spite them? I have no clue why GMG statement would redeem them of the accusations made, they haven't said how they are getting the keys and CDPR have already said they aren't getting money from them and considering that they made the game and control distribution I would put a lot more stock in what they say.
I find it odd that people are so willing to quickly shit on CDPR when they are by far the best when it comes to digital distribution practices and being consumer friendly.
I find it odd that people are so willing to quickly shit on CDPR when they are by far the best when it comes to digital distribution practices and being consumer friendly.
Intheflorsh
Banned
Zero things wrong with that if GMG themselves are buying from an authorized retailer.
CDPR would never go for that. Witcher 3 is entirely DRM-free (the keys are only for activation on GoG).
Denying keys to GMG is not something i would call consumer friendly.
razgriz417
Member
huh guess GoG really is pushing their service hard with witcher 3. Makes sense since they really have no other big named games (least that we know of in the near future) that could attract people to their service.
I'm in the camp of GMG did no wrong in this case. GoG/CDProjekt is getting paid by a 3rd party that's selling their keys to GMG and GMG is discounting codes and eating the loss. Nothing shady here
I'm in the camp of GMG did no wrong in this case. GoG/CDProjekt is getting paid by a 3rd party that's selling their keys to GMG and GMG is discounting codes and eating the loss. Nothing shady here
TheSlySoul
Member
Indeed, if I buy a tablet for $90 then I sell it to someone for $80, then why should the retailer care?
Developers want to control the market with DRM practices like Online Passes. Now they want to control who sells their games.
Luckily consumers spoke out against the Xbox One prototype.
Mr_Appleby
Member
Slander? For advising customers against buying keys of dubious provenance? Amazing.
And if they said nothing and the keys turned out not to work, what would you call that?
And if they said nothing and the keys turned out not to work, what would you call that?
Vincent Grayson
Member
Same. If anything, this makes me lose a lot respect for CDPR, since it seems abundantly clear that they knew they'd gone out of their way to keep keys from GMG, and didn't just come right out and say that initially. And pushing this hard for yet another distribution platform does little to make me interested in getting on it.
This may just mean I never buy from GOG.com again.
Well, it does go against their promise to their customers that they only deal in "official, publisher-endorsed games". As others mentioned, its the thing the separates them from g2key and other resellers.
GMG said:
Maybe so, but publishers of product [in this case CDP for digital TW3] also has right to decide what outlets get to sell their game. You may feel bad for them not playing ball with your favorite outlet, but it's still up to them with whom they play ball with.
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Where this "CDP said they get no income from GMG keys" statement is coming from? GameSpot article that paraphrased CDP reps statement? Below is only CDP statements that I have seen, word to word;
http://forums.cdprojektred.com/threads/35436-Witcher-3-35-off?p=1634844&viewfull=1#post1634844
http://forums.cdprojektred.com/threads/35436-Witcher-3-35-off?p=1635264&viewfull=1#post1635264
There is no talking about not making profits from GMG selling TW3 keys. Why to accuse CDP for saying something that they didn't say? All was stated was that they haven't partnered with GMG for TW3 sales and don't know from where GMG is getting their keys from.
Suggesting people not to purchase from GMG at that time is maybe so-so thing to say, but it can also be that CDP rep don't want people purchasing from store that may be selling bad keys. As CDP can't verify that keys are legit.
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When it comes to GMG's statements it do peak interest about why CDP decided not to partner with GMG for TW3 sales.
"...as they instead focused on supporting their own platform GOG." part from GMG statement is interesting. If CDP wanted to push GOG through TW3 sales why then partner up with Steam, Origin and uPlay? Also if CDP have decided to focus on GOG and push it harder it will be interesting to see what it means.
Also statement does imply that they are purchasing e.g. physical copies in insane numbers from another store and selling basically those GOG keys that come with retail version. Nothing illegal, but interesting that they would go such lengths to get TW3 into GMG and then sell it with very small profit margin. Maybe even loss.
What GMG has to gain in doing this? Is customer loyalty that big thing among CD keystore customers that hunt best deals?
Most of those sites don't do that sort of credit card stuff, that's why they're still around and popular. A few do like G2A that are clearly questionable, but there are a dozen sites that clearly seem reliable, and we know as much about where they source their keys from as we do about GMG.
I still wouldn't buy the game from either source.
apieceofstrange
Member
If what GMG says is true, and really I don't see why they would lie, then CDPR looks kind of slimy here. It's one thing to not want to sell GMG the keys, but publicly accusing them of selling illegitimate keys was low.
RipperGrim
Member
You think that's done for no reason at all when other legit sellers can sell the game?
The Cowboy
Member
If anything, this makes me like GMG more (not that i didn't like them a lot already 
).
They went out of their way to get their customers a good deal whilst being denied access to keys directly from CDPR, sure its a loss leader style thing - but its pretty great of them to buy up a load of legit keys to sell on with a big discount.
).They went out of their way to get their customers a good deal whilst being denied access to keys directly from CDPR, sure its a loss leader style thing - but its pretty great of them to buy up a load of legit keys to sell on with a big discount.
SliChillax
Member
There shouldn't have been any doubt about this, GMG didn't deserve the bad press.
TheSlySoul
Member
I am a starting to think Gamespot did the slander. Unless they actually said they are not getting any profit, which is a lie.
We don't know he legitimacy of them still. That's he problem.If anything, this makes me like GMG more (not that i didn't like them a lot already
They went out of their way to get their customers a good deal, sure its a loss leader style thing - but its pretty great of them to buy up a load of legit keys to sell on with a big discount.