The FCK DRM Initiative by GOG

GOG opened a new website to promote DRM free games, music, books, & videos.

Link - https://www.gog.com/news/the_fck_drm_initiative

DRM-free approach in games has been at the heart of GOG.COM from day one. We strongly believe that if you buy a game, it should be yours, and you can play it the way it’s convenient for you, and not how others want you to use it.

The landscape has changed since 2008, and today many people don’t realize what DRM even means. And still the DRM issue in games remains – you’re never sure when and why you can be blocked from accessing them. And it’s not only games that are affected, but your favourite books, music, movies and apps as well.

To help understand what DRM means, how it influences your games and other digital media, and what benefits come with DRM-free approach, we’re launching the FCK DRM initiative. The goal is to educate people and ignite a discussion about DRM. To learn more visit https://fckdrm.com, and share your opinions and stories about DRM and how it affects you.

Does this mean you'll be able to play GoG games online without signing into Galaxy which acts as a form of DRM by making sure your account has bought the game? Same as Steam.

Nice publicity stunt, GoG! Can't fool me!

The goal is to educate people and ignite a discussion about DRM.

I'm pretty sure the goal is to unite people against DRM so they'll buy games from GOG.


More marketing genius.

Originally Posted by SirJames
Does this mean you'll be able to play GoG games online without signing into Galaxy

What GOG games need you to install Galaxy? I have no such game and I have at least 100 games on GOG.

Well, doing things that are in your customers' interest, and doing things that are good for business, are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they quite often synergise.

Well battletech requires galaxy if you want those things that have paradox widgets (the kickstarter bonus for example but i'm sure there will be more in the future). Also some games require galaxy if you want multiplayer (I forget which but i remember the flame threads). It isn't strictly drm.

Originally Posted by joxer
What GOG games need you to install Galaxy? I have no such game and I have at least 100 games on GOG.

It is only DRM when others do it.

I have close to four hundred games on great old games, and haven't yet had to use the galaxy thingie. I'm such a fan of theirs, when you compare their platform to some of the other that exist, I just really prefer to use GoG whenever it is possible.

Originally Posted by joxer
What GOG games need you to install Galaxy? I have no such game and I have at least 100 games on GOG.

Necropolis.

It's a pretty crappy action roguelike with co-op. Underdeveloped. I have it on steam, but the GoG version required Galaxy. There's probably other newer multiplayer games that require Galaxy too.

I have some Metal Slug game I got for free from Twitch. When you download it from Twitch client it's a regular GOG release. However, you need Galaxy to play online multiplayer. Which you cannot use because you got the game from Twitch, not GOG, and it is not in your GOG library. I got the game for $0, so I guess it's OK, but I can imagine someone bought the game because of the online multiplayer which they cannot use because of this mumbo jumbo.
I love GOG, but Galaxy should be nothing more than a chat client/overlay/cloud saves. It should not be required to play an integral part of the game.

You need Galaxy to play The Witcher Adventure Game. Won’t run without it, which I didn’t find out until after I bought it.

Pah. The point is to make much ado about nothing because it's one of the few selling points they have.

I've been burned by DRM twice since we finally got over those horrible code wheels and looking up the 9th word in the third paragraph on page 29 of the manual (does the half paragraph at the top of the page count or not!?). Once was when I went to 64-bit Vista and suddenly my Oblivion DLC stopped working. The second was last year when I re-bought Sword of the Stars and found my key didn't work. That only kept me back for a few minutes as somebody had posted a key that would work for everyone but Paradox didn't get it fixed for over 6 months.

So about two decades with two incidents, only one of which stopped me from playing. Definitely NOT on my high priority list.

DRM needs to be in multiplayer content because you cant just have people pirating games hacking the games on repeat with no consequence.

Originally Posted by SirJames
Necropolis.

It's a pretty crappy action roguelike with co-op.

I don't buy roguelikes and even if I for some reason bought one, I'd never ever buy coops.

Originally Posted by ProphetSword
You need Galaxy to play The Witcher Adventure Game. Won’t run without it, which I didn’t find out until after I bought it.

Don't have that one.

Okay, I guess a few games insist on Galaxy for whatever reason. Just like there are a few properly made games on phones where 99% is scamware with microtransactions, there are a few exceptions with DRM on GOG. On phones those exceptions can be considered as musthaves, on GOG those exceptions with DRM can be considered as avoidware.

Originally Posted by Damian
DRM needs to be in multiplayer content because you cant just have people pirating games hacking the games on repeat with no consequence.

You are confusing DRM with anti-cheat systems. I don't care if my opponent bought the game or not, I care if they use wallhacks.

Originally Posted by joxer
Okay, I guess a few games insist on Galaxy for whatever reason. Just like there are a few properly made games on phones where 99% is scamware with microtransactions, there are a few exceptions with DRM on GOG. On phones those exceptions can be considered as musthaves, on GOG those exceptions with DRM can be considered as avoidware.

But if their whole marketing revolves around the idea that DRM is bad and they even launch a campaign called Fuck DRM there should be no exceptions.

Man… What kind of logic is that. There are always exceptions to a rule.

Learn from the constitution. It's done deal, right? Yea, there are still some amendments.

Amending, amendment originally mean make better.

Selling that adding DRM schemes to a service that claims to sell DRM free ptoducts is amending is the same as telling that RPG is about everything but roleplaying. It is about combat, character progression system, story etc

So, yes, indeed, it is like an amendment.

More like "The FCK STM Initiative" amirite?

I vastly prefer my games being up-to-date ASAP over them not being subject to DRM.

The only reason I don't buy more games on GOG is that I've had the unfortunate experience of having to wait for significant updates a few times - which was never the case with Steam or any of the other platforms I've used. At least, not from memory.

I would definitely prefer GOG - as I really like the guys behind it, based on interviews and what not. But I don't like it enough to inconvenience myself to any large degree - and I most certainly don't buy into the whole "it's for the consumer" shtick. I mean, it might be for the consumer - but not exclusively so, obviously.

Since I have the choice, there's no way I would ever buy a game from a platform if there was even the chance that patches are delayed for days or weeks - when other platforms are on time. Well, not for new games.

For old games - that's ok, because they don't get patches - and if they do, they're relatively minor. Also, I really enjoy the additional stuff like the manuals and what not.

Other than that, I have absolutely no problem with the concept of protecting your hard work from theft or other kinds of exploits.

Of course, I do disagree that DRM should harm the consumer, but I consider it an inevitable possibility of large-scale online games with elaborate infrastructures.

If you go out of business or you're actively losing money by supporting such a thing for an old game, then I'm reasonable enough to not get pissed over a shutdown.

Doesn't mean it's fair to me as a consumer, but I guess I care more about being reasonable than obsessively demanding.

But it's a case by case thing. I don't stand for or against things on principle. I believe I've said this before - but principles make you stupid.

Personally, I don't think I can remember a single example of having been seriously affected by DRM in such a way that I considered it unreasonable.

Maybe I'm more forgiving?

Also, I have less time on this Earth than I would need to complete 0.1% of the games I want to complete - so if a handful of games are a bit of a hassle to launch one day - or some online game gets its server shut down - tough luck.

Originally Posted by joxer
Man… What kind of logic is that. There are always exceptions to a rule.

Learn from the constitution. It's done deal, right? Yea, there are still some amendments.

It's not a constitution, it's a company trying to sell me things with one very specific marketing scheme. It's like if there was a vegan grocery store that advertises itself as vegan all the way, supports PETA and so on, and later you find out they sell chicken.