EDIT: I apologize for the unfair title, I think Linko should edit it accordingly. I should have just focused on the importance of keeping DRM-free installers

(*I have no real evidence of this, I'm just suggesting it in part because of the Galaxy push.)

This thread isn't really necessary but I wanted to point out that, when trying to sell somebody on using GOG, when they don't want to have to install *yet another client* like Steam, Origin, uPlay, etc., it can be the difference between sale and no sale when they learn that they aren't forced to download *yet another client* (at least for single-player) and can just get the installer files and run the game via the old-school exe.

Personally, given the introduction and continuing presence of Galaxy and increasing implementation of features tied to Galaxy I think it's a matter of time till the users who are fine with the client overtake the users who aren't. I'm even skeptical whether in the long run no-DRM might not become a niche group within GOG's userbase.

One day, DRM-free installers will be "too niche" for GOG !!!

Well, good things are usually ruined by idiots sooner or later, so enjoy it while it lasts!

It can happen, but what's the point of buying from GOG if DRM isn't an issue?
Other stores have better prices and/or bigger selections, so if you can find games you want outside of GOG, why would you buy them from GOG?

Maybe I'm missing something here, but if you remove DRM-free files and old-fashioned manual downloads, at least I can't see any reason to buy from GOG then.

It's been like this for well over 2 years, and with Gwent, it's unlikely to change direction anytime soon. I imagine the number of client, always on, customers already outweigh those who want drm/online only free, and bit by bit, semantic by semantic we are moving away from that.
I don't think drm free is really that crucial anymore, most don't seem to understand it, or particularly care. I wonder if most even bother downloading their games and backing up?
Anyways, it's a losing fight, drm or no drm is really irrelevant. The future is always online, zero ownership or local anything. Everything is rental, from film and tv, through music and games. I am myself partially responsible, moving all our tools to the cloud at work, it's just the way it's all going.
It worrying really if you look at ai and machine learning which has been held in check so far by lack of data and processing power, now skynet really is possible!

There are definitely more reasons to buy here. The older titles have support for modern hardware and Windows. I know that this is not the case for every old title, but more or less it's true. Also there are some classic games here which you can't get anywhere else. Not to mention that there's this fantastic community the development of which you want to support by buying games. :) Ok, you don't have to buy to participate in it, but when you start, it's hard to avoid it. ;)

nvm

it was a stupid joke :P

Bit of a click-bait title, don't you think? When you even note in your OP that you have no evidence of this at all. And GOG has repeatedly said Galaxy will be optional, and have repeatedly stated their single player games will be DRM free.

Remember when they announced the end of the world? I think, it was somewhere around the year 66. Can happen any moment now... :)

I absolutely debated the title, and I'm giving you permission to edit it in any way you think is more fair.

Supporting CDP when it comes to Witcher/Gwent/Cyberpunk for instance. I wouldn't be surprised if the numbers involved with those games alone could already be considerable compared to the 'rest' of the GOG userbase (not to say all of them wouldn't care about Galaxy and/or DRM)

There's plenty of reason to make such claim, the replies showing the very things: GOG galaxy even existing shows an implicit desire to move away from DRM-free, since it's not an exclusive dedication. It's not hard to argue that even if the statement isn't necessarily true yet, that it won't be in the near future. However, a good counter-argument to any fear is that some of the changes including unhiding (from behind a menu) the classic installers imply that the majority of the company still believes in DRM-free.

I understand that it could be considered fearmongering to point out the likelihood of even 1 gog staff member not wanting to do the drm-free installers, but it's unrealistic to say that even anyone in the company can confirm such an opinion isn't held, when just by the very nature of galaxy and the success of it would very much imply that it's reasonable to assume that at least 1 support member, even if it's only when he's having a bad day, would want to force galaxy. And, at least from a stockholder point of view (since they can sell their stock and leave whenever), pure profit is all that matters, even if it's short term, so if getting rid of classic cuts down on support costs for even the shortest amount of time without cutting the sales, then surely they'd be incentivized to be all for it.

It's very hard to stay grounded in this business. I believe Galaxy is an attempt at modernizing GOG that turned out great. Before the recent new website fiasco, I would only use Galaxy at home... I would never even touch the website except when I would open a ton of game tabs from Galaxy.

They want you to use it for various reasons which I assume are along the lines of:

Telemetry. It helps focus attention where it's deserved.
Transitions made easy. If you tell a die-hard Steam fan to give up his "ease of use" for 1990's habits of downloading files then installing them, your battle is already lost for the vast majority of them.
Image. It's a great way to help influence buyers and sellers that GOG means business.

And the most crucial one in my opinion, and it's exactly what they've been doing from the beginning, providing us with what we want, a DRM-Free experience. For those interested, they get an amazing platform for their digital libraries. Granted there's a lot of things I would change on Galaxy or do differently, but in my opinion it's a fine product as it is.

You may not like Galaxy and that is fine, but linking this to a way to move into "DRM" is absolutely absurd. The only tangible goal I can imagine in that regard is they could be trying to bring multiplayer to GOG and Galaxy could be the answer to that. And for all I care, as long as my games remain available & playable outside of Galaxy and with DRM-Free backup installers etc. I have no reason to complain.

Moving into DRM would ring the end of times for GOG as they simply can't compete in that market. They are comfortable where they are. Now if you were at the head of GOG, how would you plan things moving forward? Business is not a stationary journey, you need to adapt and evolve constantly if you wish to remain relevant. Look at the hit Microsoft got recently, they had to embrace developers and Linux to slow down the crash. Or look at Intel's current condition. It's too easy to make mistakes, very hard to excel.

So long that whatever they do keeps things open and consumer oriented, I will always support them.

Whatever... my 2 cents... sue me!